Music Essentials: SZA (TDE)

There’s something ethereal about SZA‘s delivery; we’re not sure if it’s her heartfelt vocals, or her earnest tales as a hopeful 23-year-old that captivates us – either way we’re feeling it. Pairing her youthful vibe with acute producers that provide cinematic backdrops to her soulful pitch, SZA’s rise has conquered the sound waves as of late, with the likes of Holy Other and Emile Haynie taking notice alongside bigger platforms like Billboard. Without the need to facade oneself with pretense, the New Jersey native tells a genuine story of heartbreaks and other confrontations as a young adult in her daily grind.

The budding songstress debuted with See.SZA.Run EP last year and continued to shine on her most recent EP S in April this year — efforts that saw the support of Kendrick Lamar‘s TDE camp offer applaud all around. Following the release sees a new project with TDE titled Z. While we wait for the full-length, the mellow electro lullaby of “Teen Spirit” and the ’80s pop-inspired number, “Julia” keeps us salivating for more. In SZA’s Music Essentials we see a list of entities that she can’t live without in the studio — microphone, MacBook Pro, white cheddar popcorn and ginger tea — to make sure those slurry vocal chords stay flourished. Rounded up by a pair of dirty Converse Chuck Taylors that connotes the young and rebellious like no other and a TDE sweater and necklace to represent her new family, these are the simple Music Essentials that keep’s Top Dawg Entertainment’s latest annex in check.

Photo Credit: Theonepointeight