Album Review: CTRL
Without a doubt, SZA’s debut studio album CTRL is my favorite album released in the year. It was released June 9th, 2017 by Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. In an interview with Hot 97’s Nessa, SZA addresses how personal issues and a mix of impatience and anxiety caused the delay of her album release and her potential exit from the industry. Both the lyrics and the delivery are raw and emotional, recounting her torrid romantic past. Within the realm of R&B, SZA pushes countless boundaries in this album in ways that make it sound, at times, like she’s created her own sub-genre. The recording process of the album consisted mainly of SZA using freestyle methods, working off of moments in the studio, contributing to the authenticity of the album.
SZA’s personal history contributed heavily to her entrance to music, having been surrounded by music with her family growing up and influenced by artists like Björk and Ella Fitzgerald. I’m personally very glad that she left college when she did, because her path has led to the creation of CTRL. I find it understandable that she was feeling anxiety about releasing the album because it digs so deeply into the ghosts of her past. The first song of the album, “Supermodel”, literally puts a real event out in the open for the first time with the album’s release (when SZA’s current boyfriend was in Vegas on Valentine’s Day and she slept with his friend for revenge, yeah, he didn’t know about it). Within romance, she talks about what’s hurt her and what isn’t balanced in the romantic landscape, but she brings in things that she could offer the right person as well (“Doves in the Wind” really speaks to this with raw pillow talk delivered by a soothing, almost ethereal voice). Whether it’s relates to a partner or something more casual, she breaks down the walls around the shitty parts of dating or otherwise today. This album is about having sexual freedom, but also about being taken seriously when you’re needing more than just sex. In “Love Galore”, SZA and Travis Scott go back and forth about hitting each other up when they know they don’t actually want each other, an issue that many people face on both sides of the matter in 2017. “Normal Girl” hungers for a run-of-the-mill relationship, as opposed to the difficult and confusing romantic situations that SZA has experienced previously.
This album is something that I believe anyone can relate with at some point. From start to finish, the flow of the album and the depth of each individual track feels like an otherworldly journey. The first time I listened (and now, at around the 200th) I was in awe at what I was hearing. Every song tells a story that isn’t is incredibly personal and honest, even when SZA isn’t an angel in the situation, which no one truly ever is. The truth within this album couldn’t have been delivered better by anyone else. I would recommend giving this a listen through when you’re alone relaxing or on a long drive. You definitely won’t regret it.
