Ctrl

Pretty good for modern pop n RnB and SZA herself is pretty cool and fine and A-OK. The Weekend probably the choice banger here although I would still hit Delete so I could fit some Toto or Bobby Caldwell in its place on the list.

This is all good. Strong writing. Strong music. Great performances. It just doesn’t connect to me.

I don't like this genre at all but this album is well produced, cohesive, and her voice is really nice. So I'm not mad

Surprisingly enjoyable

It’s nice, but a little too bland for my taste. It sounds nice though!

My wife listens to SZA occasionally. It's sort of a guilty pleasure for me. She's not a rough listen because she has a great voice. There are also lots of strong artist features on this record which helps increase my recognition of songs. Like I said, it was a pretty easy listen and a nice change-up from some of the oldies we've gotten on the list to this point

I remember when this album came out and was a pretty big hit with critics and friends in my college circles alike. I also remember liking it a bit more back then. Maybe my tastes have changed or maybe the market's been saturated with so many SZA soundalikes that it's gotten to the point where Ctrl no longer sounds as fresh. Regardless, I think there's still some cool things happening on the album. SZA's got a great voice and most of the beats are pretty strong. A couple really solid features tie it all together. Probably won't be coming back to this one anytime soon, but if it's on at a party, you won't hear me complaining.

Don't want to sound like an old white guy square but this singing all nice about fucking, drugs and dirt is getting lame. Every time one of these artists "breaks" the mold it gets old. SZA got a very nice voice though and when she gets deep there is some light on this album; "Drew Barrymore," "Prom," "Go Gina," "Normal Girl", and "20 Something" I really do like. Gotta give a little credit to Kendrick on "Doves" too for improving the song. Half this album is good...sometimes really good but the other half is crap. Crtl is the lack there of and for that 2.6 stars.

drew barrymore absolutely slaps omg

This is not my first listen. I remembered liking this upon first lsiten but none of the songs stuck with me. This time around I feel the same, I still like the overall sound, but nothing really stands out except for maybe the Kendrick collab. I can't quite figure out why that is. Hopefully this will grow on me.

I've already listened to his album (44).

Not my style really but solid.

Really didn't know any SZA songs before this, was better than I thought

Crazy good features on a debut album good for her. Not really my type of music at all. Pretty standard late 2010s pop rap kind of. Beats were solid but didn't really like anything else, especially the horniness of the lyrics. Low 3

Liked some songs but this is overall just not my thing. Every song kinda sounds the same to me, but the production was very solid. Middle of the road 3 for me.

solid album but not really my style, sounds like u just walked into Zara

This really isn't my thing at all, but seems competent for what it is. Production and vocals are pretty solid, and it seems to come from an authentic place emotionally.

I love her voice and the production is cool. The songs don’t really hook me on first listen but maybe repeated listens will prove otherwise.

не подобаються лукірси, я просто їх не розумію.

R&b is never really a genre that I actively listen to. I’ve heard many Sza songs just from the radio, and have never sat down to listen to an album. I like her voice, but it’s just kind of anticlimactic as far as an album goes for me. Just not quite for me.

I liked but didn't love this album. I do like SZA's voice but the rest was just meh for me.

Fun album. I enjoyed it, but wasn't completely taken by it. I've heard a lot of good things about SZA but I guess I don't know what to look for. It was a bit hard for me to engage with. 3/5

I would imagine the next update has a different Sza album, but this isn’t bad.

SZA has a very pleasant singing voice. I just didn't like some of the collabs here (the ones with bird themed titles, hmmm...) I also didn't like the main beat on Anything. The best songs were Drew Berrymore and Normal Girl.

SZA is always a mixed bag for me. I like the production a lot- the lazy electric guitars on some tracks, trip hop vibes, boom bap kinda beats. And her vocals are good too, at her best she reminds me of Frank Ocean. Drew Barrymore is a great song. On the other hand a lot of this album feels really one-note, especially lyrically, and songs feel almost unfinished half the time. I think her more recent album SOS is a more complete and better effort, but theres flashes of brilliance here

really nice vocals, glossy production and is a vibe

Not too bad

Some nice vibes here but I am no fan of the lyrics here.

I enjoyed it. A little heavy on the production; her voice is so beautiful, but at times felt hard to reach through some of the vocal cues. Some of the beats are straight up infectious. I think her latest drop was more my tempo.

A decent enough chill modern hip-hop record, but didn't feel like anything groundbreaking to me. I generally enjoyed the lyrics and vocals, felt very personal. 3.5/5

Some good songs, but ultimately didn't really grab my attention at any point

i really dont get the hype for this one. it was alright. not very compelling to me. standout track: anything

3/5

A lot better than I would have expected from the genre description and of course from the rather stupid cover.

Liked it but it went on for like maybe one song too long.

Wasn't a huge fan of this. Came out pretty disappointed. This was my first SZA experience and can't say I am very impressed. I'd like to go back and listen to some other stuff eventually, but was pretty bored throughout. Was good enough to barely justify a 3, but not remotely close to anything higher for me.

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. “Prom” was great.

Better than Coldplay

No. 27 SZA’s got a great voice, and these are cool, chill jams.

It's fine. Some nice chords from time to time, but not sure why she's as revered as she seems to be from an admittedly very cursory bit of research.

Fine. Solid grooves. Good atmosphere.

Eh. I mean, it’s very nice music but nothing extra remarkable.

Pretty run of the mill.

It was okay. A little one dimensional. Good collabs.

Rv

i think maybe not my kinda music. production is neat though, vocals are lovely ofc. favorite songs are Prom and Anything

not bad but not for me 5/10

Heard you got some new homies. No memorable tracks, but nothing too forgettable. Better than Ms Dynamic, worse than Compton. 6 scissors out of 10 fishing for fishies out

Nice album. Slightly laid back but still has its moments/surprises.

I remember feeling very lukewarm about this album when it was released. The hype surrounding it was tremendous. TDE was the dominant force in hip-hop and SZA the next big thing. However, my first listen through I didn't connect with it. I still don't know that SZA is a must-listen for me, but her work, and this album have grown on me over time. It's got some missteps (Love Galore) that I've never reconciled with, but have a lot more time for her melodic runs, the sleepy production, and atmosphere than I once did. 3.5 but I'm rounding down to a 3 because I don't know if the replay value is there for me.

Nice voice

It tastes like the ingredients of a powerful album, but I still prefer having a little more offered in the way of whole-cooked songs I enjoy listening to as well, regardless of all the atmospheric pads and beats and hard-hitting personal lyrics Not quite enough to go higher but it does have some aura to it

Decent enough and easy to listen to. Nothing too crazy, but a solid neo-R&B/lofi album with all-around good performances. Did drag a little more than a few times, but overall good enough to keep my attention. Top tracks: Go Gina, Broken Clocks, Normal Girl

I have an aversion to travis Scott, but I'm afraid if I say I don't like this it just means I'm getting older.

Need to get past the first few to get to the better stuff, like the singles!

not terrible, its new :)

Nicht schlecht, aber nicht wirklich meine Musik.

Love her voice, not her style.

Best Song: SZA SZA has a great voice and this is a strong album. However, it isn't really my thing and I don't see myself ever listening to this again. Nothing against the music itself, this is just my taste. 3/5.

--Supermodel...interesting --Love Galore...nice but nothing special --Doves in the Wing...Kendrick rapping about pussy --Drew Barrymore...I like the vocal choices here --Prom...this is good. straightforward but driving rhythm. vocals shine again --The Weekend...generic "the girl/boy is mine" track --Go Gina...solid post-club track --Garden...meandering --Broken Clocks...again it's a little generic. this song could be found on any R&B album post-1990 --Anything...I'm not sure I like this but it's not a generic --Wavy (interlude)...not an interlude! or maybe it is because it's short? whatever it's nice --Normal Girl...the great voice shines again but the production doesn't wow me. this is all very nice but I'm confused as to why I need to "hear it before I die" --Pretty Little Birds...I like the use of horns here. a more experimental mood. it works --20 Something...a stripped down ballad with a guitar. it's nice

This was both a new genre and new artist to me. Interesting, but I don’t think it’ll be one I’ll return to.

Started off big thumbs down for me, but I stuck with it. “Drew Barrymore” and “Prom” were smooth. The record nicely blends r&b, rap, electronic and her voice is rich and lovely. But the music doesn’t move me in any particular way, and I’m not connecting with it. The lyrics are… uh… Want to give this a 2, but feel like it at least deserves a 3. But it’s my list. So I listened to Drew Barrymore and Prom again, and those are good songs. So I’m bumping it up.

Really Good album.

Bom, mas para além das que eu conhecia, pouquíssimas me pegaram!

'Love Galore' is sooooo good. Solid album and a nice reprieve from all of the men on this list.

She has a great voice, and the rhythms are good, but it doesn't elevate beyond an average R&B album to me.

I always want to like Sza more, given she's from our hometown and went to the same HS as my kids. But despite what is a wonderfully produced album, I just despise vocoder vocals and can not get into this album. Recognize it's good for those who like it, but this ain't my yum.

Excellent album - reinventing r&b in an entirely new landscape

Fine, but didn’t grab me

enjoyed it, good for background music

I think this album is very pretty and very well done. However, I do not think this album is for me. I liked Anything though. That one was fun.

I think this album introduced (or re-introduced) a lot of people to R&B, myself included. I'm now noticing this big gap in notable stuff in the genre, as it came out 20 years after the height of 90's R&B. It definitely ended up on my radar because it came from Kendrick Lamar's label's and his stamp of approval. SZA's debut was a key part of the genre seeing some revival, it was novel, and still holds up.

It's a decent enough album. SZA has a really nice voice, it makes me want to listen to more of her. It didn't hit me the same as my wife. She knew and enjoyed her before but after listening to it with me I'm sure she's a fan now. Talking about wanting to see her live. So although the totality missed me I have to give SZA props.

I'll probably like this more in a few years. She's got good flow, sound, and production, but there's too many cringey lyrics and a pretty boring spread overall.

Sounds ok but really not my thing

OK but not really my genre.

I listened to this a couple of times when it came out, didn't really get it then. I kind of get it now, but feel like it's just not really for me. Particularly the first few songs - I find women rapping/singing about dicks and pussy just as cringe as when men do it, apparently! The middle and end of the album are much better though. By then I've warmed up a bit to her vocal style, and like the introspective and vulnerable lyrics. Might give her newer albums a go now.

This was pretty good for a modern pop album. Despite the army of producers and editors the sound is mostly cohesive and the underlying musical style isn’t disjointed or all over the place. Sometimes this leads it to sound a bit generic but it’s good enough to not be background music. There are some complaints about auto tune in the other reviews but I don’t hear it, so it’s either really well done or a misunderstanding of the term. I think she’s got a great voice; not a huge range but it’s not necessary for the songs. Not bad, not anything super memorable for me but pleasant enough. The production is the best part.

Definately creative lyrics and interesting production it's like a sneak peak in SZA's diary but i struggled from 21 songs to find some gems. Personal picks: The weekend,Supermodel,Normal girl, 20 something,Drew Barrimore(my fave,i wish the whole album was like that),Prom is a breath of fresh air-my second fave

Queeeennn!!! This may be the newest album in here yet. I love her vocals they are so pretty. It was a very chill album to have while i was doing a few things but still listened. I have heard some of the songs on here but not all of them and i enjoyed this listen!! Shes got some pretty runs

Not for the kids. R&B is back and it’s all about the sex. Strong female perspective, she is pulling for a different place than the other modern female artists (Nicki Minaj, Meagan Thee Stallion, etc) which is cool. I came in and out of focus with this one. Some songs absolutely got me with the grooves others turned me off with the content.

This one surprised me...

Not terrible, enjoyed a few of the songs and SZA objectively has a great voice. Not necessarily my favorite genre but I overall enjoyed it.

I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this. It's not overly polished or produced like so much pop/R&B is these days. The autotune is there, but it is not over-used. It is mostly just chill, woozy tracks with SZA upfront in kind of conversational singing with rap inflections or even jazz harmonies. Whether intentional or just natural for her. Of course, there are the usual pop cliches and refrains, e.g. "Drew Barrymore" is a standard pop song that producers put some strings and a seasick hook under, but it's definitely catchy. Overall this is a great album, but it's still pop, still mass-produced. However it does feel more honest, more gritty than many other productions, and it feels cohesive as an album rather than just a series of disconnected singles. The album drags for me a bit in the second half as some songs start to sound the same. I liked the beginning of the album: "Supermodel" to "Love Galore" to "Doves in the Wind", and "Garden (Say It Like Dat)" to "Broken Clocks" is another high point.

Smooth, glossy production all the way through. The songs feel more like confessionals than poppy hooks, so it didn't always land with me. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Love Galore - The Weekend - Broken Clocks

Bien mais me procure pas bcp d’émotions

not fully my style i guess, didnt resonate that much, but enjoyed many parts of it

The good songs are excellent, but a solid third of the album is just baffling in its mediocrity compared to the rest of the songs.

I'm too old and too white for these lyrics to resonate with me, but I thought the beats and music were quite good. Mostly chill and pleasant-sounding.

solid. didn’t blow me away but i enjoyed every song!

Ouais franchement pas mal je m’attendais pas tant à ça que ça mais bon pas trop mal Après j’y retourne pas

Honestly, this kind of music is just so out of my loop that I can't really judge if it's that good or not.

This kind of music is really made for someone else than me. It wasn't bad... I'll give it a safe 3. I don't know! Who knows.

Slower paced hip hop. Not really my thing usually but there were a few songs that I wouldn’t turn off if they came on the radio.

Awesome album. What R&B is. 7.4/10

A pretty meh album. Some songs were strongish and others entirely forgettable. The little vocal snippets throughout didn't have much impact. 2.6/5 - > 3/5

Didn't mind this one. Kind of my cup of squash.

Nothing much to say, it was pretty chill, know better songs she collaborated in

3.0 not really my type but good beat and bass

Chill.

Maybe 2 is a bit harsh, but I just didn't really enjoy it that much. I don't know exactly why, but this genre tends to annoy me a little bit

Enjoyable, nothing too special

Pretty big album in general. She's not on my major play list, but I dig it.

Her voice is beautiful but not really my thing

better than i expected. nice voice and kind of different. not my genre at all but i was not mad at it

First impression pre listen: I've heard of SZA mostly through her contributions as a feature on other artists's songs, though I've never bothered to check her solo stuff out myself. As it's a bit of a more modern album, I'm as always pretty excited to check it out. It's great to hear something that's a bit more contemporary for once. Don't know what to expect. Individual track notes: Supermodel Kinda unexpectedly strange instrumental. Really like when the drums come in. The structure of the vocals makes it sound a bit all over the place. Kinda like a stream or conciousness. Don't get me wrong, it works pretty well, just needs a bit getting used to. Decent. 3.5/5 Love Galore Cloudy and obtuse. I like the production on the vocals, there's some interesting layering there. Kinda forgetable lyrics, feels a bit generic for the era. Dated adlibs. The Travis Scott feature is nothing special, but does an alright job representing the other side of the story. Fine. 3/5 Doves In The Wind Tongue in cheek lyrics. Interesting allegory. Great production on the vocals. Really like the background "talking" sample. Kendrick does great on this beat honestly. Love the controlled chaos of the final minute of the track. Good. 4/5 Drew Barrymore Drowned and watery production. The first verse has some fun lyrics. The themes of insecurite are pretty striking. Solid chorus. Definitely has a more poppy sound, though it works well at this point in the album. The strings at the end add some extra drama. Good. 4/5 Prom Sparse and cold instrumental. The vocals do feel a bit overproduced on this one. There's a bit too much going on. Don't love the pitched up effect that's occasionally used here. I like the way the choose to fade out the track. Fine. 3/5 The Weekend That synth is kinda tired. I like the bass sound they chose for this track. The snaps are a bit dated sounding. Kinda sad concept to be honest. Isn't particularly exciting in any aspect really. I do like her voice here however. Very emotive. The ending is kinda tacked on. Average. 2.5/5 Go Gina The coin toss sample is kinda annoying. She has a fun way to structure the lyrics. Unremarkable song otherwise. Average. 2.5/5 Garden (Say It Like Dat) Don't love the production on this song. The drums are too of the time, and the bass doesn't really fit. Decent performance, she carries a lot of emotion in her voice. It's decently dynamic and never feels flat or phoned in. Fine. 3/5 Broken Clocks Again. Annoying drums, they sit too forward in the mix and are annoying and shrill sounding. The background sample is a bit distracting. I like the everyday lyrics. Average. 2.5/5 Anything I kinda hate the instrumental here. The electronics don't provide anything interesting and only serve to distract from the rest of the song. Kinda catchy. I find parts of the lyrics to be pretty evocative. Don't mind the ending, has a solid impact. Fine. 3/5. Wavy (Interlude) Nice and smooth. Has some good interplay with the feature. Normal Girl She sells the insecurity pretty well. A bit too repetitive. Wish there was a bit more nuance here. There are some empowering moments too I suppose. Fine. 3/5 Pretty Little Birds Sounds a bit busy, has some parts that are overproduced. Honestly sounds a bit confused. Hate the vocal effect on Isaiah Rashad's verse. The layering is really abrasive. Dislike. 2/5 20 Something Relatable sentiment. Don't mind the production too much, though there are moments where the additional vocals clash a bit with the instrumental. Fine. 3/5 Final Review: It's not the most impressive work on this list, but it gets the job done decently. You're presented with a modern RnB album, and that's exactly what you're getting. While it doesn't go above and beyond it does have some qualities worth mentioning. The songwriting on this thing is pretty good. What makes it compelling is the way the lyrics are structured. They're never predictable, seemingly never really following an outline. The contents of the lyrics mainly focus around sex, love, longing and general relationships. However when she turns the focus towards some of her insecurities is where they mostly get interesting. She does have an ability to channel emotions with her voice, which works well with these topics. However the album is buried in production, some of it very overbearing. Often the vocals suffer from too many overlapping effects. Other times the instrumental has parts that distract way too much from the main attraction. And honestly much of the trap style production just hasn't aged well. It never really gets enough to ruin a song, but it's there and it's noticable. I am also missing some nuance and maturity in some of these songs. They do touch on some pretty relatable subjects, but it's rarely elaborated on beyond the surface level. Overall it's a bit of a mixed bag for me, but never overtly unpleasant or boring. I'd say its a decent listen, reflective of its time. 3/5

Remember after Blond dropped when everyone was trying to be Frank Ocean?

Great voice with a few songs that really stuck out

Pretty good, not my favorite SZA album.

Aika kova debyyttialbumiksi (lafka on laittanut kaikki peliin). Joitakin oikein koskettavia ja tuntuvia juttuja. Paljon lauleskelua kyllä myös, b-puoli on lähes yllättävän herkkä a-puolen toisinaan tapahtuvan uhoilun jälkeen.

Some good tunes, but not a complete album for me and I like SZA

nice - better than expected. Good melody and beautiful voice

Not my usual vibe, but there were some really vibey songs. Especially liked Drew Barrymore and Doves in the Wind

Solid R&B, although that's a genre that doesn't do much for me. 3.1

This was fine. I'm a little irritated by the use of auto tune, but it's groovy in places, which means it's not terrible.

It was alright, couldn’t really get into it. Could use another listen.

Quite a good album to have the day after Frank Ocean, because it feels like this has a bit more of what that was missing. A bit more heart and quality, but still missing something for me. Does what it does well, R&B, neosoul, but doesn’t particularly excite me. Nice bits of variety but kinda familiar by the end and similar vibe and themes throughout.

Ok album but nothing real special about it.

Not really my thing. Generally hookless music with melodies that don’t easily present themselves. Sparse arrangements highlight the vocals which are non-conventional. Prom was pretty good, one of the few with traditional pop song structure. This lack of traditional moledicism doesn't mean its bad, just difficult for me grasp on to. Maybe given time It's charms will present themselves to me, but I don't have the patience these days to stick around and find out. As I type I'm half way through and Go Gina is interesting. Maybe I'll give it a 2nd listen before posting this. I do think this album and all albums deserve at least one, 2nd chance. After a 2nd listen same impressions of music that’s difficult for me to find something that works with my sensibilities. She’s talented beyond the dive – histrionics, but not for me. 3 stars

Really good! There isn't a ton of range, and I also wish there were more hooks throughout. Wouldn't mind if SZA came on the playlist in the future.

I'm glad this is on here; SZA is one of my favorite current artists (although I like SOS as an album much more). I like her voice; I think it's very clear and pleasant. I also like this album cover, since it looks like something I would choose for an album cover myself. As for the album, it's a little heavy on the slow jams (and the slur count), so I don't particularly love it, but I am still a SZA fan -- just glad she moved to a more pop direction!

A few songs are good, suprisingly enjoyed that

I was surprised that I didn't hate this.

I’ve heard a lot about sza over the past half decade, but never intentionally heard her music, nor could I pick her out in a crowd. Today’s black youth could do better, but T&A sells, so they get this. She is average in all matters except her bank account.

Good pop album. Has some pretty hot tracks.

Album was uneven. Some songs I really like, next to others that I could do without...

Songs too slow for me

Nice chilled album, mid tier

= the Beatles Interesting album

A really enjoyable first half but tails off so much in the back end

Overall: 6/10 I would have loved to give this a higher rating cause the music itself is really fun and I had a good time jamming too it. Those lyrics though....super hit or miss. I like the vulnerable nature of her lyrics. There were moments that made me think that she must have been an inspiration for Charli xcx (or maybe the other way around? I'm still new to modern pop). There were also moments where she just talks about her pussy for a loooooong time. I'm all about female empowerment and it would have been fine a couple times but it happened more often than I would have liked. Some more lyrical variety on that front would have been nice. Some great highlights and some other songs that just didn't do it for me. I'm a girlboss at heart but I have my limits as well. Fav Song: Prom Least Fav Song: Supermodel

This is another case of a modern album being included in the book and I'm just not convinced it should receive inclusion. So many of the albums in this book are a result of positive feelings the editor(s) had about these albums during a formative period of their life. I think it explains why I struggle to enjoy albums that have been released in the last 10 years that have received inclusion. It is pretty cool SZA starts the album off with comments from her mom about "control" and how she attempts to gain control in her life. I am admittedly not a big fan of today's neo-soul and the over-Autotuned nature of a lot of R&B music. Supermodel Doves in the Wind Drew Barrymore Prom The Weekend (probably my favorite track) Go Gina Broken Clocks Normal Girl 20 Something This is a good debut album overall. I probably would not revisit it too often.

decent enough album. sza has a nice voice and the production is nice. i'm not going to be a boomer and complain about the content, it doesn't offend me. that being said, it's not really an album for me. it's alright, but a lot of the songs here don't really interest me a whole lot. it's not bad, it's just not really my thing.

Meget imponerende debut, god low-tempo r&b. Når at føles lidt lang dog.

i do enjoy this album

She seems to date a lot of toxic men. This is good music and quality production, it's just hard for me to get into the style of R&B. Feels more like storytelling than songs I can really groove to, which gets boring.

Sometimes I think SZA’s great. The hazy guitars and downtempo beats, matched with her plaintively honest and vulnerable lyrics, give off big ‘summer melancholy’ vibes, which I like. But over the course of an album it does become kinda dull; there aren’t enough arresting pop moments like Drew Barrymore to keep my enthusiasm up.

This album sounds great, really listenable. But uh, SZA have you considered going for a dude who’s cool? I’m not saying the stupid why doesn’t she go for a nice guy thing, like. Just a guy who doesn’t cheat, or who has his life together. Or learn how not to catch feels when the dick is good. If I was SZA I would simply date a normal not shitty dude. Or go to therapy. That might help too.

Estuvo bien, aunque un poco largo. Prefiero otros discos de SZA

do I like SZA yeah, do I think this album changed my life no

Int min favorit genre, men tror ja sku fiila det här mer efter fler lyssningar Svag 3

She has a nice voice, but this wasn't anything special.

I liked this ok. Not usually one I would seek out but it was good.

I’m not sure I’m the target audience for this music. But to paraphrase Mr. Burns “I’m no music critic but I know what I hate. And I don’t hate this.” Good voice, interesting lyrics, and maybe most importantly every song didn’t sound the same.

pretty cool. i knew/liked some stuff from SZA but never sat down and listened to anything of hers deliberately before. great vocals, cool atmosphere. not all the songs my cup of tea but definitely a cool overall product

I don’t think anyone needs to say pussy that much

Good album but some of the lyrics took away from the chill r&b feel of the album

слишком рнб, хорни и тоненько. более поздние творения которые кусками слышала больше понравились

2.8

Chciałabym bardziej polubić tę płytę, bo bardzo doceniam tę piosenkarkę i to, że ma swój własny styl i tożsamość. Ale niestety, RnB nie jest moją muzyką i choćbym nie wiem jak doceniała barwę głosu i pojedyncze utwory, całość zlewa mi się w jeden dość rozcieńczony strumień monotonnych dźwięków. 5/10

Milestone log 4: Day 400! Not much to say, I've fallen quite a bit behind (15-20 days). Still can confidently say I'm very much enjoying this project and I intend to go the full way.

I have to say I'm not up on my female rap/r&b artists like I should be! But I don't know who SZA is and I actually enjoyed this album immensely! I especially loved prom and doves in the wind! (Love Kendrick) And it had good features and good beats good album!

Hadn't listened to much SZA, but really enjoyed this. Smooth, subtle, sexy. Like sipping a nice Bourbon on the rocks.

It was om

Good but not quite SOS

Never actually listened to SZA’s debut before. Easy to hear why she became the star that she is today. Great vocals, likewise productions and a runtime that isn’t as excessive as so many of her genre colleagues. Everything isn’t for me, but I didn’t expect it to be either.

Kendrick's feature was great, the rest was fine. Listenable

I remembered this album being better than it actually is. I thought it was really good, but I now realize that it’s just alright. Firstly, I kind of don’t like the way she sings throughout the album, which is weird, because she is a talented singer (she sounds way better on the Kendrick songs I’ve heard her on, including All The Stars, which only came out a year after this album). I also just don’t remember most of these songs the best. It’s still fine, though.

Dafür, dass es nicht mein Genre ist erstaunlich gut und witty

Ist einfach nicht soo meine Musik aber allgemein schon nicht schlecht.

There's no denying that SZA is a fantastic singer, but I find this album kind of drags on at times. Standouts: Supermodel, The Weekend, Broken Clocks

I love Amy. I haven't listened to Frank, I don't know why? In my mind it's because she didn't like it and felt it wasn't true to her, so that's why I just never bothered to do it. Fucked up on my part for sure. I enjoyed this album! It's way more lounge-y and r&b than the more pop/throwback 60s vibe her second album had. No one can sing like Amy and this album proves that still, however many years later, there isn't anyone who sounds like this. I started listening to it on speakers and then switched to headphones because I was listening while making dinner and I wanted to be sure to appreciate it. Appreciate it I did. I don't know if I will return to it or not though.

Nice grooves, it might grow on me more

3.5 - not at all my usual jam, but I enjoyed this

This doesn't get us excited but we weren't in a hurry to turn it off either. An average album for us.

Drew Barrymore sticht raus

Forgettable.

Signed to what was admittedly the biggest rap label at the time (Top Dawg Entertainment), alt-r'n'b / neo soul singer SZA spent two years refining around 150 - 200 songs, and her and her producers were repeatedly unable to select which ones should make the final cut for her debut (until TDE put their feet down and forced them to do so). I'm wondering... Is it because a large majority of those 150 - 200 cuts were just supporting the same sorts of meandering and tired vocal lines mostly devoid of hooks or anything that would make them memorable (or just endearing for general audiences)? Is it why they couldn't sort of the wheat from the chaff? Because a very large part of that crazy effort was actually *underwhelming*? (at least, that's what could be inferred from the 14 tracks out of that gargantuan output that did end up in *Ctrl*). To her own admission, SZA relies a lot on improvised adlibs over music written by others in her artistry. And here's the thing, folks: unless you're a killer jazz vocalist or instrumentalist, vocal adlibs rarely yield to a clear-cut artistic vision, transcendent songs, or a personal, sophisticated knack for *composition*. And there's not the density of full-blown rapping either. TDE needed a return from their investment, hence why those sly foxes heavily promoted the thing anyway -- their first female r'n'b singer, big whoop! -- and they first did so to a select choice of "music critics", probably favoring surface gloss over real substance, of course. And then, well, all you needed to do was to promote SZA to a massive target audience that's never too picky as long as you have a good-looking singer doing the same type of neo-soul theatrics. It's a book as old as *The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill*, another decent album that's been overrated to ridiculous proportions. There are things that money *can* buy in the music world. And TDE had loads of it in the first place. OK, I admit what I've just written on obviously sounds incredibly harsh and polemical for SZA fans (and also for fans of Ms. Hill, btw). Let me be clear, though, I don't *hate* this album. Once you set your mind into the correct expectations, a lot of it is rather nice and chill *background music*. It's what I will eventually enjoy in the first three tracks of this LP: opener guitar-driven "Supermodel", "Love Galore" and "Doves In The Wind". I also fully appreciate Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar's rap featurings on those cuts - especially the latter deconstructing the use of the slur "pussy" in a near-feminist angle. Likewise, I love some of the left-field shenanigans going on in the background -- all those futuristic synths, enticing loops, or indie-rock-inspired guitar licks, whether in the cuts I've just quoted or in many other ones in the record. But *SONGS*, folks? Ones you can hum or whistle in the shower? Ones that you instantly and *truly* feel for? Are there any of them in this album? Good news, there is at least *one*, "Drew Barrymore", with its emotional killer chorus, with a lush string section helping the whole thing make a home run at the end of the track. Was finding a memorable chorus all that hard, Solana? Apparently, it was, since follow-up synth-pop cut "Prom" comes close pulling it off twice in a row, and yet ultimately fails at it. Because there's definitely something missing in that one composition, just like for at least half of the other ones... After that, it's indeed more and more adlibs and soul-trap meandering theatrics, unfortunately ("The Weekend", "Broken Clocks".. ). Lyrics are fine, I guess: women's perspective on love relationships (or lack thereof), and so on. Nothing revolutionary, though. Self-indulgence still comes off in spades throughout the album, whether musical or lyrically. Two highlights magically reach the heights already explored in a more spectacular mode by "Drew Barrymore". They're the moody, cinematic and afro-futuristic "Garden" and "Pretty Little Birds" (with also nice jazzy and scat flourishes in the latter, and what a surprising ending, to boot). But once again, the achievements here owe more to the greatness of the music in the background than to SZA's vocal ideas. So that's it. I tried hard to open my shakras on this one, and there is stuff in this record that I can genuinely say that I love. Yet, there are also tons of moments where I'm just bored to death. Sometimes I wonder if the target audience for this sort of music truly cares about the *album* format. Just like that sort of audience maybe does, I can see myself adding my favorite cuts from this record in a playlist, and then not only totally forget about the rest, but also totally *dismiss* it altogether! Which is another reason why I believe this particular record won't make my own final cut of 1001 albums you must listen to before your demise. And I feel like the same sort of thing will happen with SZA's other LPs (the visibly bloated *SOS* and *Lana*, apparently displaying the exact same share of assets AND flaws in even *longer* runtimes -- I mean, for *one* "Kill Bill", how many "Low", "Snooze*, "F2F" and "Gone Girl"?). Not exactly an immediate ctrl-alt-delete, but if my 1001 album software gets bogged down by too many performance issues, I'm afraid I won't have much choice than to start losing excessive data with this sort of overrated LP. Unless I want my IT gear to join all the technological garbage behind SZA. Guess that's where the rest of those 150 - 200 songs ended up anyway. 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums 8/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3) Number of albums left to review: around thirty or twenty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book. Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 464 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 282 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 336

7.57

Gesang und Style nicht schlecht. Mix ist mir zu scharf und gnadenlos übersättigt (jaja, THD). In diesem Maß ist das eine schlimme Mode.

super produced R&B, but a little too janky and smooth for me

It wasn't terrible. Nice beats and good listening. The lyrics of some of the songs aren't terribly nuanced but overall I enjoyed listening to something I never would have chosen myself to listen to.

3/5 nic szczególnego. Taki współczesny pop-rap.

Sounded great! 3.5

Somehow never listened to this all the way through before despite being in college at the peak of this album's popularity

I want to like SZA more than I do, but most of the time I'm like "yeah this is nice" and then forget about the album until some other time it's brought up

Decent. Headphones were playing up a bit. Not sure if this will be thought of as one of the 1001 best albums in 10 years time but hey ho 5/10

I do love her 21st-century sadgirl vibe in her later albums, but this debut album feels more like an R&B and soul version of Beyoncé.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are compelled to listen to pop music created within the last 10 years, you could do a lot worse than this. The vocals are strong and the lyrics and music are solid. I’m just not a huge fan of this genre.

Interesting, but not for me.

Has an interesting sound that I don't hate. Not a fan of the mumbly songs though. I'm missing something.

Nothing exceptional about this at all. The Kendrick Lamar track is complete trash. Most songs sound the same Prom was OK. 2.5 and I'm torn which way to round it. . . Grudgingly rounding up.

I don't like pornographic lyrics but the rest of it was good

75% Best: Prom; The Weekend; Go Gina Must-Hear? Decent, but no

chill

This was actually not as bad as I thought it would be. It was pretty pleasant to listen. The lyrics in newer music though, those need some work.

This was fine. Listened once over weekend, didn’t turn it off, won’t listen again.

Sonically I find it a two, maybe a one. It’s uninteresting to me. Lyrically it is literally and figuratively provocative. It comes from an underrepresented audience.

At the start I was convinced this wasn't going to be my thing, but it did pick up at the end! Favourite track: Broken Clocks.

Rating: 5.5/10 It's decent, the production is amazing but the themes and her vocal delivery and style do not resonate with me.

Enjoyed it overall. Blurs together a bit in the middle. Standout songs: Love Galore Doves in the Wind 20 Something

Pretty solid

Very cool

It's cool to see albums from the last 10 years find their way into this listing. This is really good - she's a very good singer - the music and beats are solid. Good features (fuck Travis Scott though). Didn't really pay much attention to the lyrics but they seem good - I can see how this album ended up here.

Really started off thinking this was not my thing, but there were actually some pretty nice tracks on here

Quote "Ctrl is primarily an alternative R&B and neo soul album, with elements of hip hop, pop, soul, electronic, and indie. " To be honest, that's broadly "a bit of a mess ... with too much AutoTuned vocals." The album tries to a wide range of genre's, and isn't really outstanding at any of them. (Actually, I didn't detect any Death-Polka, so maybe that'll be on the follow-up album.

It's not really my style of music but I can appreciate it, there's some nice songs here. Her voice is great, features didn't really add much to it for me.

It’s pretty. I like her voice. I like the production. I respect her honesty. I like the character depicted in the album. I’m glad I listened to it. I’ll never deliberately listen to a single track ever again though.

I gather people make a fuss over the fact that it's a women dishing out vulgar lyrics. I don't really mind that, but I don't really get into vulgar lyrics from either gender. I like SZA's voice and some of the production, but I didn't get especially hooked by any tracks.

Not as terrible as I expected. Sometimes actually enjoyable, too many cheesy gimmicks (pitch changes, "Vinyl" sounds, "shocking" lyrics) however to really enjoy.

She has a great voice but my main problem is that every female singer sounds the same. Because I didn't even realise the album was over and it was on radio for 5 more songs... I did enjoyed the first tracks with travis scott and kendrick lamar. Not bad, but just one in a crowd of singers.

SZA is good, Ctrl is good.

3.4 - It had some good bits, but not really my vibe

Not for me.

I thought I would like it more cuz I like SZA on features, but I think I don't really like sad music

Not Sza’s best work

Alright pop album. Nothing super stuck out, albeit this review is coming 6 weeks later...

The first three songs on this are quite off-putting, just by the subject matter (which is fine, I'm not against it, it was just quite in your face). After that, it settled into a really pretty good album, with strong vocals and a very cool style. She sounded like Samia, who I really love. It's probably the wrong way round to make that comparison in fairness, given SZA has headlined Glastonbury and Samia has...not.

It’s a little different but it’s still r&b.

girl why you gotta bring Drew Barrymore into this 😭

Drew Barrymore sticht heraus

It was listenable. It sounded like x number of artists you hear on urban \ contemporary radio nowadays. I didn't find anything on there that would make me listen again.

They could have spent some more time on the songwriting and some less on sound design. She's a good singer. The backing tracks aren't really going anywhere. They spent a lot of effort to cover it up with a super slick production. I almost fell for it. Favorite song: 20 something.

It was OK - didn't really speak to me, but then again, I'm probably not the audience

Kann man mal anhören.

The combination of the spacious sound and honest-like-a-diary lyrics make this an interesting and very respectable pop album for sure. That being said, I don't find the songwriting or the stories told all that appealing or well-executed.

A lot of good songs, but a few very annoying ones bring this down to a three.

Ik weet niet zo heel goed wat ik ermee aan moet. Dat had ik ook toen ik vorige week Hot Ones keek, waar zij met een bizar insectenmasker aanschoof. Ik heb het idee dat dit is wat je krijgt als je de Spotify top 50 aanzet. Ik vind dit wel lekker wegluisteren, maar verder heb ik er niet zo veel mee. De nieuwe Katy Perry ('Prom'), met iets meer streetcred. Rnb in een 2024 jasje, of 2017 jasje dan. Ik denk niet dat iemand zich dit over 20 jaar nog herinnert. Maar zoals gezegd kan ik het best aanhoren een keer. En ome Kendrick komt langs. Drie sterren.

Liked this one a lot more than I expected. I am not usually a fan of female led pop/rap but this was really good, clever lyrics that were sometimes just as vulgar as her male counterparts. Good beats and good features.

Chill modern R&B. Not as cutting edge as Frank Ocean but still good songwriting

I usually love this genre but scraped 3* from me. It's okay, but sounds like a more boring version of Drake, and I already find Drake boring.

It’s okay - not my cup of tea but it wasn’t bad to listen to.

Nt bd

Confident album with some excellent collaborations. I liked.

About damn time

Cool, smooth, modern R&B, with plenty of bite. Quite a pleasant listen, and she has a lovely voice, but the overall effect is somewhat less than fully compelling. There just isn’t as much here that is new as she would like, especially lyrically, which is your typical litany of casual connections that are less than fulfilling.

Chill music with some good beats. And she has a good voice. The lyrics are hilarious, but I don't really listen to them anyway.

Solid hip-hop / r&b. Had some really nice pieces in it. The rest was OK. Felt very middle of the pack but didn't hate it at all.

Kind of a disappointing album - feel like she has a great singing voice but it all kinda sounds the same. Wanted to like it more but was just ok. 7/10

a kind of bloated modern pastel modern bedroom R&B album. nothing to write home about

I quite like this. But it's just too laid back for me, it doesn't excite musically at all really, the stuff behind it is all quite slow. Her voice is really nice when it's left alone (Drew Barrymore probably the best example of this), but there's too much production behind most of it I think? She tells interesting stories for the most part, the lyrics are decent, it's too good for a 2 but musically a bit too bland for a 4. 3/5.

I perhaps wouldn’t choose to listen to her but this was alright.

3 stars. Not my usual genre but good stuff.

Heard a lot of praise for this when I came out but just middle of the road for me.

Ihan kai passelia musiikkia, mutta mikään ei jäänyt mieleen.

5/10 - They kind of all blended together. Some of the songs were bad and some were slightly better. 20 something was weird.

I enjoyed a lot of the songs on this album individually. She has a great voice, and the music is good overall. The problem comes when I try to listen to it as an album, and every song starts to blend together because they all sound really similar 3/5

Good

Nice sound

I didn’t think I’d like this but I found it quite easy on the ears and relaxing. Not bad.

Favorite track: Doves in the wind other picks: supermodel, love galore, broken chords, 20 something

Her voice is pretty phenomenal, but almost all of the features on the album detract from the overall quality. The message on her final track resonated pretty strongly though, so I'm happy to give the round up score here

Good music, but so far from "my thing" I feel it's impossible to give it a proper rating on its merits.

Coming into this album completely cold and with no expectations. I'm impressed with Supermodel; the music is interesting, the delivery emotional, I was drawn in by the confessional lyrics. But boy, I'm sure not digging all of these songs. There's explicit and then there's needlessly explicit. Sorry. I'm an old.

Pretty good actually

Didn't hate it.

It’s an ok album

Nice. Hadn't heard.

This isn't really made for me, but it's not awful. It is surprisingly boring though. Just down the middle for me.

Throw away

Very well mastered and produced. The beats hit hard and the rap is well constructed. She has a great voice, albeit a bit auto tuned. This is honestly just one good song away from being a 4, but overall something I would enjoy listening to again.

Didn't realise how long SZA has been really in the zeitgeist of music. Whilst the alt hip-hop/soul isn't usually my jam, I don't mind what she puts out into the world, particularly on CTRL, there are some great tracks and sounds. Perfect to chill out to in a club or at home on a lazy evening. Best: Broken Clocks Worst: Wavy (Interlude) 3.5 Stars

It’s listenable and she got a good voice, but it’s nothing special for me and sounds a bit too tuned; she doesn’t step out of her comfort zones vocally. The beats are nice and melodic, but the lyrics are copy-paste from song to song with the same themes. If I were pettier, the Pussy Song would drop this to a 2.5 just for the sake of rolling my eyes through the whole thing. Wouldn’t revisit it, but I can see why some would enjoy. I just need more out of this.

I know she's getting a ton of buzz and SOS is quite good but this was just fine. Somewhat generic sounding but can hear that she has something. Definitely the wrong choice to include her on this list though given how early into her career she is.

p951. p207. 3 stars. Well done but average millennium "R&B". Decent voice and explicit lyrics do not make for essential listening.

I’ve listened to this album before, when I went through Rolling Stone’s best albums of the 2010’s. I honestly don’t remember much about it, but I was excited to see this one pop up for me today. Overall, this was a pretty good album. The soul-inspired instrumentals were really unique and enjoyable (especially the horns), and the production work was really solid as well. I loved the vulnerability of the lyrics. SZA did a great job conveying feelings of insecurity and youthful inexperience, and I liked how everything still tied back into the theme of control. “Drew Barrymore” and “Prom” were easily my favorite tracks on the album. The vocals on “Drew Barry” more were some of the best on the album, and I really enjoyed the wavering string instruments. “Prom” had a really awesome dream pop sound, and I could honestly picture a slow dance at a prom in the nineties, complete with blue-hued lighting as I listened to this song. I wasn’t a big fan of the Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar appearances. Their presence was really rough on an otherwise smooth album, and they didn’t really add anything with their appearance. I’d be inclined to go back to this album, not because I was in love with it, but because it was enjoyable to listen to, and because there’s so much to unpack lyrically.

Pretty ok

yeah fine

atmosphätische klangbilder, gute beats und jazzige elemente - sicher nicht das schlechteste R&B-album, aber ausser der stimme nichts ausserordentliches.

R&B inhibido y maduro por parte de una artista, de nombre real Solana Rowe, que en 2017 cuando se editó éste, su primer álbum, contaba con tan solo 26 años. Sus letras son sinceras y poderosas y nos hablan de la soledad y la inseguridad ante un mundo cambiante. En "Doves in the Wind", colaboración de Kendrick Lamar mediante, coquetea con el hip-hop y el soul para hablarnos y burlarse ácidamente de la ineptitud y algunos comportamientos rechazables de los hombres. Destacaría el sosegado sencillo "Love Galore", en colaboración con Travis Scott, sobre reanimar la llama de una relación que no va a ninguna parte, y el tema "Prom", sobre la angustia y la preocupación juvenil por crecer y hacerse adulto.

3.5

I was surprised by this artist. It feels like rap over indie. Still not my favorite genre but I can appreciate the style and effort to do something new.

Ljúft og fínt. Sum lögin talsvert betri en önnur samt. Broken Clocks og The Weekend langbest IMO.

Ágætis tónlist. Pínu leiðigjarnt til lengdar. Fannst fyrri hlutinn mun betri en seinni.

listened to again it's alright

Favourite song - The Weekend

SZA seems fun

Wasn't feeling it today don't know why. I didn't know she was so extremely popular though that's cool

R&B sounds really nice. I personally was taken back a bit from the explicit lyrics of a couple of the songs, but I could transpose a few less explicit lyrics and enjoy it nonetheless

I love SZA so I’ll overrate this.

Some nice production at times but descended into the annoying trap hihat beat with triplet autotuned rhymes that we’ve heard a billion times. The lyrics were uninspiring, just the same shit we’ve heard for decades in R&B.

Pretty accessible hip-hop, I liked SZA's flow. Want to revisit more!

Never previously heard of this album or even the artist. Eh it's ok; typical over sexualisation and auto tune voice distorts bring it down. 2.8

Entertaining for sure.

Alternative R&B,neo soul. No sé porqué está en esta lista. En fin, no suena mal.

Good R&B/Rap album

A couple of hits

This was well-produced, but it didn't do anything for me.

Ansi svalt albúm. Hef ekki mikið hlusta á SZA en þetta er kúl.

very talented singer, most beats are good. thematically gets repetitive and predictable, demonstrates a lot of stereotypes about the genre where too many songs are oversexualized

Mg pero me gritaba "p*ssy".

pussy it was ok

Ihan kiinnostavaa nyky-R'n'B:tä. ei ehkä ihan oma genre, 3.5/5

it's fine

"ass and titties, titties, only thing that stuck with me" amazing voice but personally not a huge fan of this style, there's a bunch of lines that were really satisfying tho. also not a huge fan of minimalist production but ya know its R&B whateva "prolly hella positive cuz she got a big booty" "i wanna be your golden goose, i wanna shave my legs for you" standouts: [the album cover] doves in the wind... pretty little birds

A little shocked to have this new of an artist on the list, especially when we are in an era of what have you done lately and it feels like it has been a little quiet on SZA's front. This album is really a stellar MLD. Her vocals/lyrics are great and it is backed with some excellent production and guest features from equally talented players. I don't think I have given too much serious listen to SZA before but will listen out for new stuff from this listen

could i write poetry to this? y

ok

A good solid album but I wouldn’t put in the all time classic category.

Not for me, I guess? Talented artist I couldn't connect with in one listen.

It's fine. Not my go-to style of music but I can respect the sound and for those that like this style I am sure this is among the best. 3/5

Alternative R&B,neo soul. No sé porqué está en esta lista. En fin, no suena mal.

Great vocals and I recognize some of her more recent songs but hadn’t heard most of this one. Not my general genre of music but overall very good.

Alternative R&B,neo soul. No sé porqué está en esta lista. En fin, no suena mal.

Not my favorite genre, but did enjoy several tracks.

This is one of the few modern albums on this list and it’s definitely one of the better R&B albums to have come out in the past 10 years. SZA had great features on this along with some really well done lyricism and production. Overall this is a good album that has replay value and provides insight into the life of SZA and the world around her. 7.3/10

Lovely mix of lo fi, soem kind of hip hop rhytm and great voice. Excellent for chilling but at the same time worth to pay attention.

Need to listen more to give more love

I like this album, but I don’t think it belongs on this list. Favorite songs are Supermodel, Love Galore, and The Weekend.

It's not bad, but I wasn't hooked.