“SOS Deluxe: LANA” has a bold new sound

On December 20, 2024, SZA released a deluxe version of her album “SOS, SOS Deluxe: LANA.” The album contains fifteen new songs in addition to the twenty-three songs from the original album.

Solána Imani Rowe, better known as American-singer-songwriter SZA, named her newest album after her first name. She has recorded over one hundred songs in the span of five years for the “SOS” album. She continued writing after the release of “SOS” but more specifically for “LANA.” Unlike her two prior albums, “Ctrl” and “Z.,” Sza was in a much better head space when working on her newest release, and people noticed a shift in her style to more of a nature-focused album cover.

“I’m not identifying with my brokenness…Yeah, I experienced cruelty. I have to put it down at some point. Piece by piece, my music is shifting because of that, the lighter I get,” SZA said in the December 2024 issue of British Vogue.

The most prominent featured artist on “LANA” is Kendrick Lamar in the song “30 For 30,” which also happens to be one of my favorite songs in the album. I think Lamar and SZA work really well together in this song. I also really enjoy the beat and flow of the song. 

When it comes to the original songs from “SOS,” “Special” is my favorite.. Not only is the song extremely catchy, but I really relate to the lyrics. When SZA sings “Hate how you look at her’cause/ you never saw me/ Like I was an art piece, like I was /an ordinary girl,” it conveys a lot of emotions that many teenage girls like myself can relate to. 

Overall I would give the album a four out of five stars because in my opinion there is no song that I would skip. I would highly recommend this album to teenagers, even more specifically teenagers who have dealt with hardships when it comes to love.

Album song ratings

1. No More Hiding: 4 out of 5
   1. 1. I rated “No More Hiding” a four out of five because I really like the lyrics, I feel like it’s relatable which I love. I also feel like the lyrics stand out the most out of everything and are very catchy. The beat also carries the lyrics really well which is why I think the song is so good.
2. What Do I Do
   1. Rating: 4 out of 5
      1. I rated “What Do I DO” a four out of five because it is just so catchy and something you can just vibe to. Also, the parts where she talks are perfect and really sets the song up for success. 
3. 30 For 30 (with Kendrick Lamar)
   1. Rating: 5 out of 5
      1. I rated “30 For 30” a five out of five because I think Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s voices just fit each other and it makes the song feel so complete. This is my favorite out of all the new songs from the lyrics down to who sings what part. Everything is just perfection in this song.
4. Diamond Boy (DTM)
   1. Rating: 3.5 out of 5
      1. I rated “Diamond Boy” a three-point five out of five because the beginning is not my favorite. When the song starts it is much slower than I would prefer, but other than that I think the flow of the song is good. When it gets to the chorus that is when I really start liking the song. The songs get more upbeat which is what I prefer over slower songs.
5. BMF
   1. Rating: 5 out of 5
      1. I rated “BMF” a five out of five because I just love the vibe this song has. It is a very summer song, and it’s the type of song that puts you in a good mood when you listen to it. Definitely one of my favorites because it just makes me happy when I listen to it.
6. Scorsese Baby Daddy
   1. Rating: 4 out of 5
      1. I rated “Scorsese Baby Daddy” a four out of five because the chorus just hits my soul. Something about the way SZA sings “I’ma crashout baby, don’t slow me down,” is just so beautiful in my ears whenever I listen to the song.
7. Love Me 4 Me
   1. Rating: 3.5 out of 5
      1. I rated “Love Me 4 Me” a three-point five out of five because I just love the message behind the lyrics, but the song as a whole was not my favorite. I do think this song is still good but compared to other songs in the album it does not reach the same pedestal as the others.
8. Chill Baby
   1. Rating: 4 out 5
      1. I rated “Chill Baby” a four out of five because it really reminds me of her older songs, which I love. I have liked her older vibe and the way her songs sounded since I started listening to her. Having a song with the same vibe as the original albums really makes the song hit differently.
9. My Turn
   1. Rating: 4 out of 5.
      1. I rated “My Turn” a four out of five because, like multiple songs in this album, this song is something that you can really vibe with. Even if someone doesn’t listen to SZA all that much they would like this song.
10. Crybaby
    1. Rating: 3.5 out of 5
       1. I rated “Crybaby” a three-point five out of five because I don’t like slower songs. The song is still very beautiful and lyrically it is amazing, but I don’t gravitate towards slower songs. 
11. Kitchen
    1. Rating: 3.75 out of 5 
       1. I rated “Kitchen” a three-point seven five point seven five out of five because I’ve never heard anything like this from SZA before. This is a slower song, but the vibe and the way she has chosen to sing the lyrics makes me love it. It’s an interesting song to listen to and I don’t think many people have tried something like it.
12. Get Behind Me (Interlude)
    1. Rating: 3.5 out of 5
       1. I rated “Get Behind Me (Interlude)” a three-point five out of five because it did not stand out from the other songs. Yes, the beat and flow were all well produced, but it just didn’t catch my attention like the other songs did.
13. Drive
    1. Rating: 4.5 out 5
       1. I rated “Drive” a four-point five out of five because even though it is a slower song, the vibe makes me imagine driving through the city at night. The song has a similar vibe to “BMF.” The lyrics are incredibly relatable which is always a nice touch.
14. Another Life
    1. Rating: 4 out of 5
       1. I rated “Another Life” a four out of five because this is such a great song to end an album on. It feels very conclusive in my mind. Also, this song flows really well which is definitely my favorite part of the song.