In a recent Apple Music interview, SZA shared her perspective on success, emphasizing that her ultimate triumph lies in being respected for her intelligence and musical prowess rather than just accumulating accolades. Two albums into her career, SZA finds herself at the forefront of the music industry, with her latest album, “SOS,” topping charts and garnering nine nominations for the 2024 Grammys.
During the interview with Zane Lowe, SZA expressed a sense of creative liberation, stating, “I’m in a space now where [I’m like] f**k it with everything on the creative side. The business side is scary, but on the creative side, it’s kinda just like, nah, I don’t have any more goals, so I might as well just try [new things] at this point.” Despite her massive success, she clarified that she doesn’t feel the need to prove anything more in her career.
Reflecting on her journey, the TDE star artist highlighted her achievements, from going platinum and selling records to meeting music legends like Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé. She acknowledged that, for her, the accolades are cool, but the real motivation behind her music is to earn respect for her intelligence and creativity.
SZA passionately expressed, “I never did it for the bar; I did it for respect. Like the accolades are cool but I was really just doing it for respect to show that I’m smart… letting people know I’m an intelligent person… or that I can write my own lyrics, or that I can make a certain style of song because that’s the goal I wanted to achieve to show I can work my brain that way.” For SZA, success means being respected amongst her peers for who she is, transcending the traditional measures of achievement.
