Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Sleek lofi feel to the album, can't say I remember to much about it several hours later though...
Finally a recent album. First of all I really resonated with the themes and lyrics of this album. Lots of talks of relationships, insecurities and such. It felt very emotional. What I didn’t like were any of the features and honestly SZA’s voice. Idk why but the way she sings doesn’t do it for me. Similarly, I didn’t really care for the instrumentals on this album. Basically, I liked the lyrics and themes, didn’t care for basically anything else. As far as songs go, I liked Supermodel, Drew Berrymore, and Pretty Little Birds. Both lyrically and overall. Prom was good lyrically, but I didn’t care for its sound.
This is not what I expected at all. Lots of good instrumentation. Great dose of rap, r&b and pop.
I know I sound like a prude, but I'd like to Garfield Minus Garfield this and remove some lyrics. 3
meh
Good album with some great songs and some songs that are forgettable. Standout tracks: Supermodel, Love Galore, The Weekend, Prom, 20 Something
Used to listen to weekend and havent really paid much attention to the album. Overall pretty good but doubt ill ever come back to it. All is talk about pussay and bootay so quite the scandal aint it
Don’t love all kinda sex music
I was not familiar with SZA. I knew she existed but I did not know any of her songs. The album was alright. Nothing really stands out on it. I didn't skip any songs.
Hard to nail down my own perspective on this, think I’m just aging out of the world. Just not a lot of a foothold for me. Pretty musically interesting, and feels distinctly Cool from start to finish.
Nice music. Good work. But nothing special, extraordinary. You could listen this album, but also u couldn't. Your live wouldn't change either.
Not my think but I listened all the way through
Lazy, slow, viby and smooth, kinda liked it. Drew Barrymore is outstanding track. Did I forget about something? Ah, yes. A pussy.
Hard to give this an honest rating. Production-wise it's good, and from a lyrical standpoint she digs deep on some emotional topics but I just don't care for this kind of music.
A really solid R&B album that I loved when I first heard it back in 2017 or whenever but hasn’t stuck with me too much. The slower songs like The Weekend and The Garden are the strongest imo, while Doves in the Wind has fun moments (Kendrick’s feature is mainly great as expected and the outro is gorgeous) but the Forrest Gump lines are incredibly cringe
Quite fun, nothing that stood out that much
Great work from the producers, and some nice used of rhythm from the rappers. However, I am not a huge fan of the overly «in your face» sexual lyrics. I know its part of the style, but the lack of subtlety makes it far less interesting than what it could have been.
The production is top notch but I can’t totally get behind the vocal style.
Kind of enjoyed it. Liked the mix of lofi beats and she does have a great voice. 3/5 Might listen again
Very modern and expensive sounding, with really interesting guest appearances.
I enjoyed this album way more than I expected to, given the amount of auto-tune in it (which is my pet hate). The songs are well constructed over good bass and drum loops and when she sings SZA’s vocals are great
Never heard of this person before. I think she has a voice but I’m not sure that I totally enjoy the way she uses it. The wiki references to her sounding sometimes like Billie Holiday confuse me - nothing on this album sounds like Billie. I do like the fact that she favours brevity with her songwriting. I think the opening track is a standout. I also enjoy Prom, Go Gina, and Broken Clocks (love this lyric - so much more intelligent than the “pussy” song, Doves In The Wind, on which she duets with Kendrick Lamar). And 20 Something is a good closer. Still not sure about her pipes.
I enjoyed this. Really smooth and well crafted r'n'b. More interesting than the mainstream, with real (gasp!) personal viewpoints. Enjoyable. Sounds like this was a crushing, angst-filled experience to produce, and who knows if she will ever manage to follow it up, but here's hoping she does. Standout track for me: The Weekend.
mid-to-good R&B vibes, but honestly it was background music that i didn't really pay much attention to, other than her wishes to have a fat ol' booty... Why did that stick with me?
SZA good.
I wanted to like this more than I did
I like SZA unashamedly. But this is a stay in the lane record with nothing standing out or making a statement. Good to listen to but nothing out of the ordinary.
I didn’t listen closely to the words but pretty easy listening. Would be a 4 if this was more my style of music.
3/5. I enjoyed this one, specifically a lot of the personal and serious songs that SZA was comfortable singing about. The instrumentation was beautiful, filling the space with R&B but leaving room for electronic and ambience. Even the explicit songs contain some subtle fears and desires. The album loses me with some of the songs just not as good as I would have liked. I do dig Prom, Gina, and Wavy for example but not really Doves, Drew, and Weekend. Like it's not a bad album just not over the top amazing.
What? I've never heard Forrest Gump and pussy in the same sentence. The lyrics are very explicit, but the beats are interesting.
Strong album and easily approachable. Smooth, well polished, soft hip-hop, rap vibe with soul. Really liked Drew Barrymore and Normal Girl. Nothing is really catch enough to want to listen to over and over, but all pretty decent.
Nothing makes me feel so old and white as listening to modern pussy rap. A couple spots where I think to myself that I like the groove but it never lasts an entire song. I think there is something worthwhile here with SZA...Sylvia loves her and Obama had one of her songs on his annual list. I do keep finding her come up on my psychic shuffle so I'll keep trying her on here and there.
its fine i guess.
Good debut. Wasn’t my type of sound.
Lots of R&B and hip hop this week. I didn't mind this. I liked the more modern R&B sound which sometimes seemed to veer a little into pop. I wouldn't listen to it again but for a genre I usually don't like, I didn't mind this at all.
ok dont reallyenojy
Good album.
Decent, interesting lyrics, not really my kinda music though. I like the beats but they're not standout, just chill, good grooves
Not my preference for music, so I expected to not like it. Not a bad listen, it has it's good points and the beats are okay, but not something I would purposely listen to again. I give it a pass, barely. 6/10
A solid R&B Album from a talented singer with a handful of tracks I'll definitely come back for
"Ctrl" by SZA offers a glimpse into the complexities of modern relationships and self-discovery. Released in 2017, the album features tracks like "Love Galore" and "The Weekend" that showcase SZA's sultry vocals and candid lyricism. The album's production is a blend of R&B, hip-hop, and pop influences, creating a contemporary sound. However, while it presents some standout moments, "Ctrl" can feel inconsistent at times. Some tracks shine brightly, while others don't quite reach the same level of impact. It's a relatable and honest exploration of womanhood and relationships, but it occasionally lacks the cohesion that could elevate it to a higher level. "Ctrl" remains an important work for SZA's career, marking her as a prominent voice in modern R&B, even if it doesn't consistently hit its stride.
Grand
Siisti levy kokonaisuudessaan. Hyvin tuotettu ja instrut siistejä
D'une banalité tout bonnement exceptionnelle, bravo Robert pour cette sélection de choix
It was alright. Quite rnb with a bit about pussy
Best lang naar geluisterd. Eerste nummer vond ik grappig. Leek soms net alsof ze een spraakgebrek had
Ik heb hier niets mee, maar ik rond het aantal sterren af naar boven omdat ik vind dat er te weinig recente muziek in deze lijst staat.
This has been good. Don't know that I've heard any of these songs, but I've definitely heard the name SZA. Chill, kinda lo-fi RnB. Not entirely my jam, but nice to hear every once in a while. 👍
Not my bag. Didn't hate it or anything. She's got a nice voice and the songs are written well enough.
I do like this album and listened to it when it came out, but there's a rambliness to it that slows it down here and there. Makes me feel like she's not sure where it is going next. The song "Drew Barrymore" is excellent, and there are a couple others that are pretty solid too. And I do enjoy the thread of Mom's advice throughout, it is a nice touch.
I kinda wanna look at all those monitors. Besides that, this is competent R&B pop but I can't get into it. Love the drums though.
A pleasant reprieve from some of the bullshit hip hop that has been served up here of late. Laser sharp rhythms with lyrics that actually represent. The vocals are delivered in an understated way. You don't need to shout your arse off about how you're the fucking bomb. It gets wonderfully twisted in places. There's a flow from start to finish. A great find.
Liked it
Alright but won't revisit.
6/10. Most times an artist has mentioned shaving their legs in an album on this list.
Hm, she's fucking hot!! I can do with some R&B today. Let's check it out! It was a decent album, a couple of tracks with naughty lyrics. Which I love. Doves in the Wind and Pretty Little Birds were the ones that grabbed my attention.
Solid contemporary R&B but I’d be lying if I said this was one of the core albums in the genre from the past decade (like many think it is) Rating: 6/10
Soul. Hip hop.
I’m just going to talk about the Forrest Gump song, because it embodies a type of humor for shock value that I think sucks: “Here’s this thing that’s innocuous and people have nostalgia for, let’s make it dirty.” It’s the Family Guy model. By the time this record came out in 2017, it had already been overused for a long time. “Hey everyone, what if Captain Kangaroo said fuck or the Transformers were sex pests?” So edgy. Otherwise, this record was fine. I’m going to use it going forward as a line of demarcation for reviews. It’s probably the most evenly “3” record I’ve got so far. The production was good, the music and songs mostly interesting and it was enjoyable enough, but there’s nothing here that will bring me back in the future.
It's great to see a "newer" album on this list. I'm just not sure why it's this one. I did enjoy the little snippets of wisdom from her mom and grandma, but the music was just okay.
Torn on this one, the production soars in places with touches of shimmering synthpop that meld perfectly with the vocals, but said vocals often strain the limits of my patience (such as saying pussy so many times it loses all coherent meaning). Need to listen to SZA's most recent release to see if it can maintain the strong instrumentals, as some maturity in the songwriting would easily make this a 4-star album.
I appreciated the RnB production value. I get the "vibe".
Same issues with this as I've generally been having in this genre - the signing is strong but musically the vocal lines are monotonous, the lyrical content just doesn't interest me, and the musical accompaniment is generic. Nothing stuck with me and I wouldn't listen again.
It's pretty generic but I like it. There's a raw edge to it and it's kind of sweet where they try to shock you with the lyrics, then get caught papering-over the vocal cracks with studio production tricks and finally chuck in some bops, whistles and samples to keep it going. It's random and that keeps me listening.
I'm very indifferent about this album. Although I can totally get how this can be a vibe for people, it's not for me. It's more of a 2.5, but more worthy of a 3 than a 2.
I've never been a fan of overt sexual content in music, so the album lost points for me. It was a decent listen for this genre, but I would not listen again.
No sexual innuendo, nuance, or seduction in the lyrics. All gas. But a gorgeous voice and musical landscape in every song.
Pop moderno. Con buena voz. Nueva hornada de cantantes femeninas americanas. No muy destacable
A good addition in the neo soul genre but like with the classic acts (D'Angelo) too many of the songs seem to blend into one another with the same style & lyrics. Certainly enjoyable for a chill background music and even in another particular room with a bed.
It’s ok
Some nice R and B. Not my favourite of the genre, and the lyrics can get grating after a while
eh it’s alright 6.5/10 features were good
Meandering chilled r'n'b much like a meandering Frank Ocean....which is no bad thing if you like that kind of thing. One of those I find tricky because its so out of my comfort zone.
Assumed this was going to be more tinny modern computer pop but it had a nicer R&B side that made it an enjoyable listen
A friend of mine turned me onto SZA like two weeks ago and now she's popping up here! What a coincidence. I think her newer stuff is better than this, but it's all pretty good. Chill hip hop. Smooth as butter. Just don't let your grandma hear you listening to it
An enjoyable album
Not my jam
I was skeptical at first, but actually enjoyed this as a soundtrack while wandering around a rainy flea market. If I had more options, I’d probably say 2.5 but I think it’s fair to round up to 3.
Good album. 3/5
S'écoute bien mais sans plus
Interesting but didn’t totally win me over - it starts a bit naff but then the middle part is very strong and gently closes the album with some decent tracks. Maybe it needs more listens - but then most albums in this list need that…
Musically this is interesting and grows on you as the album progresses. Some lovely arrangements and a pretty laid back vibe work well here. Lyrically, there is a openness and rawness that's a little uncomfortable, but really appealing. I'm less a fan of some of the more explicit stuff, but that's just me. Fave Songs: Prom, Drew Barrymore, Broken Clocks
Caould be great but not
Nothing really special that would point to being on this list. Especially so new.
3.8/5
Belle incursion dans un genre que je ne connaissais pas. J'aime sa voix, j'aime le phrasé et le rythme.
alt del
4/14, 29%
I thought it was a pretty average R&B album, still enjoyed it 7/10
bland start but picked it up towards the end
was all right,
Not bad
I thought SZA would be Wu-Tang style rap but this was more laid-back, R&B influenced music. It was nice but the tracks all sounded similar.
Catch up hectic awkward therapy shelves behind situps couch
It was a pretty easy listen, nothing extraordinary really but enjoyable enough. Travis Scott can fuck off though. Favourite song would be Anything.
Good music. Not necessarily my taste, but I do like it.
Better than I expected.
This album has a pretty good sound, though I wasn't prepared for a lot of the vulgar lyrics. It's funny...I'm OK with the n-word, p*ssy, etc. when a gangster rapper does it, but for some reason it was jarring when Sza did it. That being said, once I got into the album it was really enjoyable and she has a great voice. But, a huge turn-off for me was this trend that started 5-7 years ago where singers would do this thing with their voice where they sound like Elmer Fudd. Maybe Sza is the artist who started it and the rest mimicked her style, but I hate it. I couldn't get past that style of singing to really like this album/artist.
Good album, nothing worldbreaking but nice to listen to
A bit boring compared to my memory
The strength of SZA's writing is evident throughout. The set is consistent in its rawness and precision, and that's a tricky balance to maintain and never drop. The bird punning is something I missed the first time and stuck out as a highlight. However, CTRL didn't manage to sink any earwork hooks into me. A solid release, but I don't see it changing hearts and minds about R&B. The production provides a foundation for something bigger; That never quite obtains.
This grew on me over the course of the album. Sort of a hardcore version of Adele. I liked the song about Forrest Gump and pussy. 3 stars.
A blunt, important statement of relationships in the modern world. Not always pretty, but quite compelling. It reminds me of an R&B/hip-hop version of Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville. As a debut, it is audacious and hopefully a sign of more interesting music ahead.
Some good beats
It was good. Not so much my jam but solid.
Not what I would usually listen to. Some tracks were just trite, runn of the mill boasting raps. Drew Barrymore and the last track were excellent though and worth every ounce of praise. The production is top notch and so beautifully layered
Decent R&B/Rap that doesn't really offer anything and whose addition to this list is questionable. Not bad enough for a two stars though
sounds like an average modern rb pop album tbh thematics and lyrics are at some points above average but the rest sounds like drum loops so im not sure why there is a book required for the writing credits
I don't listen to much 2010s music so I had to listen closely to this neo-soul entry, which is one of the most raved about. I decided to look up the opinions online, but it all boils down to how gorgeous her appearance and voice are, and how "relatable" her lyrics are. Damn zoomers. One thing I notice is how most songs start off with a unique chillwave sample. Some forget about it immediately but other tracks really morph it as the song goes on. Immediately with "Supermodel" I notice she sounds a lot like Amy Wimehouse. It's a great track to start off the album and entice me. Love the drums at the end. Next we have two collabs. "Love Gazore" has an ok beat, but Travis Scott's autotune is the most horrific sound imaginable. Almost turned me off. "Doves in the Wind" is a much better collab. Lamar really kills it with performance, and SZA does better here too. Check out the music video for this one. Nice samples. "Drew Barrymore" returns the focus to those strong vocals. More and more she sounds like Winehouse. Really impactful chorus, and amazing violins at the end. "Prom" is an outliner synthwave dance track. Not sure why this exists, or why it wasn't a single. It's good. The next song "The Weekend" is the lead single I believe, which serves as an ode to 90s neo-soul. Has the most poetic and unique lyrics but is a tad monotonous. The second half songs were much less impressive. "Go Gina" is the most boring track. "Garden" is boring, especially those beats, but it's bright and I like when it picks up. "Broken Bells" has a grand sound but it still sounds generic. "Anything" was a strange exception, I really enjoyed the 80s computer samples, felt magical and dreamy, and that wall of sound in the coda was really pleasing. The interlude "Wavy" really sucked. A low for me. "Normal Girl" is pretty decent, nice vocal performance and entrancing samples. Is that a guitar ending? The next is a collab, and SZA sounds angelic here, but little can be said. There's some interesting samples, like a jazz piecd. We end with "20 Something." The lyrics are a fitting melancholic closer to the album, and the sample tries to match it (could be better), but the mixing is bad, and she's putting a little too much effort and not enough emotion for what's to be a solemn end.
Pretty ok, not fully my buzz I don't think
I enjoyed this. Really smooth and well crafted r'n'b. More interesting than the mainstream, with real (gasp!) personal viewpoints. Enjoyable. Sounds like this was a crushing, angst-filled experience to produce, and who knows if she will ever manage to follow it up, but here's hoping she does. Standout track for me: The Weekend.
A little raunchy, but some good stuff here. Loved "20 Something".
You know, good standard late 2010s pop
Lovely stuff
I listened to this when it came out but hadn't gone back to it, it's still pretty good. She's definitely one of the better RnB songwriters
An intriguing album from an artist with a lot to say, SZA brings late night tales of modern relationships over sparse stripped back beats. Whilst it’s not a classic there’s plenty to enjoy and more to come, no doubt.
Love this so much
The music had a great, positive vibe to it. The lyrics, though!!
Good contemporary stuff, although a bit too forward for my sensitive ears. Don’t think it has long term staying power though, very much on the disposable end of the pop spectrum (unlike, for example, Solangés album, which is a clear inspiration)
Blurry slurred delivery and lazy beats. A lot of it sounds like the same couple of ideas endlessly reworked. Nice enough but a bit shrug really.
5/10
It's a solid album not bad not perfect. It has some good songs "like doves in the wind". I liked the album but I probably won't listen to it again any time soon.
Mediokert svag trea fr Några bra men i allmänhet tråkigt!
Nice r&b with cool murky beats on some tracks. I think this list could have stopped being updated at 2005 though, just a thought
meh, not my bag at all but fairly acceptable. its nice to see banging on about your genitals isn't just a male rapper thing.
This is pleasant enough but I struggle to see why it is put on such a high pedestal, it sounds a lot like all the other neo-soul/alternative R&B out there. It's no A Seat At The Table.
😼
This may be a tad harsh because I didn’t give it my full attention…. I’ll try and revisit!
Inconsistent, but very good when it gets its stride. Highlight tracks: 4, 8, 9, 10
There's a lot of talent here, but I can't do R&B, it's just dull.
I don’t think I am SZAs target market but this was pretty good with lots of weird sounds and odd twists and turns.
Modernt RnB
Not the usual genre I listen to but this was good, liked Kendrick's song
didn't feel comfortable with how explicit some of the lyrics were
The 90's did it better with this style of pop/r&b. This came out in 2017 and it's not my jam.
Eh. This genre just really isn’t my thing, so I have a hard time judging this on its merits. I did enjoy some of the grooves. 3/10 Ho Hum
I'm absolutely not the audience for it. Overall not for me, some good beats, but 2 stars.
Ok - so this isn’t my thing. It just sounds a lot like a lot of other modern music to my ears. Struggling to latch onto anything unique. Loses stars instantly for autotune - one of my pet peeves. 2
Not my jam.
Not a great voice, cheap beats and honestly Kendrick sounded depressed. 1.7/5
No soy asiduo a sza
Put some pants on, please.
Not to my liking.
Yeah this ain’t the type of RnB for me sorry, not that into the vocals, some lyrics and the occasional autotune misses me hard. The hiphop beats are fun enough that i won’t totally discard this. Standout is Doves in the Wind (but i don’t like the lyrics if i’m honest) and Drew Barrymore.
She has some good songs with Kendrick Lamar, but I've never really liked her solo work. This is my first time hearing this album and probably my last. Just doesn't keep me interested and I don't really care for anything about this album. Not awful all the time though.
Too generic for me. I also am not a fan of repetitive intentionally vulgar language.
She might have a nice voice. But you can't really tell through the layers of vocal processing and pitch correction. Still, I've learned an awful lot about her pussy. Has some great melodies and bass line. But I just can't get past that horrible autotune. And the "guest" performances are even more processed. An opportunity wasted.
Kenn mich in dem Genre zu wenig aus, warum genau ist das Album so wichtig?
Toll produziert und starke Gäste. Ist aber überhaupt nicht mein Ding.
Sometimes I’m just not the target demographic
Didn't enjoy this. Was surprised to find out SZA isn't British, because she sure sounds it a lot on this record.
First Listen; 2; Not really sure what to say about this album. It wasn't really my favorite and I felt like a lot of the tracks just ran together. Lack of hooks or sounds that grabbed my attention. With that said, seems not the worst I've ever heard and at least has a smooth sound. Favorite Track: Drew Barrymore
This album is pretty uninteresting. So cliche and with the modern hip-hop sounds that throw me off of this. She has a nice voice, it's beautiful in some songs, but, honestly, this kind of music is not for me. I've not enjoyed the least listening to it. I must admit a few songs on this album were more of my taste, but the rest is just bland. I can't find it thrilling, nor something to enjoy listening to. And I'm not saying that I would like some dance music, but at least something else, something to interest me, to trap me, to make me feel into it. This album just feels very plain and without any substance.
Would not buy
Better than I expected but still not my vibe really.
This isn't something I would ever seek out or choose to listen to but I guess it wouldn't drive me out of the room.
This feels like generic R&B. There wasn't anything particularly striking about it.
She sounds very similar to pretty much everything else coming out of female pop since about 2020. This is an "OK" modern pop record with elements of R&B.
I don't really like SZA.
She says pussy a LOT
Not my kind of music. Though that pussy song was pretty funny.
I really wish I could get into this but I just can't. R&B for whatever reason never really appeals to me, even if I can tell this is doing it well. 4/10
Seems quite popular according to plays on Spotify. I'm going be really old and grumpy and say that this barely does anything for me. The lyrics contain so much crap that it's hard to find anything of weight in there. Just your average contemporary jibberish. I mean, 'Doves In The Wind', come on. The beats doesn't feel fresh in any way either. Very vanilla R&B for me. I did find 'Prom' quite decent, but that was about it. This is by no means my type of music. I usually find R&B tolerable, but had a hard time doing so with this. Weak 2.
This list really only lists new music if it’s either by already established artist e.g David Bowie or if it is neo-soul/RnB. This is an RnB record which isn’t really my favourite type of music. I warmed up to it after a few tracks and I even thought the “Drew Barrymore” was decent. The lyrics didn’t really connect with me and the album felt quite samey. Still a quite an ok listen but I’ve never really gotten in to SZA before and this didn’t do it either. Strong 2.
This is not for me.
Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Moi, j’ai trouvé ça nul. C’était pas, musicalement, il se passait rien. La majorité du temps, tu as juste un rythme simple avec une seule sonorité nulle et parfois c’est un peu plus riche, mais globalement, il n’y a pas grand-chose, c’est franchement pas riche. Vocalement, SZA est plutôt une bonne chanteuse. J’étais embêté au début, parce que ça me semblait un peu trafiqué, mais franchement, une fois que les invités avec leurs voix ultra-trafiquées interviennent, je relativise vachement. Breeeeef, j’ai franchement pas grand-chose de plus à dire, c’était trop plat et inintéressant pour que j’ai beaucoup de choses à dire. Je suis curieux de lire les avis positifs parce que j’ai du mal à comprendre pourquoi quelqu’un considérerait que c’est un bon ajout à une liste de 1001 albums à écouter dans sa vie. Parce que au-delà de l’appréciation subjective, c’est pas original du tout.
Beats were ok, overall not for me
I can see the appeal, which is the only reason I don't give it 1 star, but it's really not for me.
Really a pretty poor album that started as background and ended as an irritant. Doesn't justify a position on this list in any way
Not my thing
Hmm. Not sure.
I like the chill sound of this album a fair bit, but it didn't land well for me. I would listen to a few tracks again, but the rest of the album felt kind of cold to me. Favorite track(s): "Anything," "Pretty Little Birds"
Musically sound, but lyrically awful. Potty potty potty
Marginally better than Kanye West.
Not my thing.
10’s Hip Hop
dosta nedobro... na početku, prvih par pjesama, baš žešće sranje, kasnije bude tu i tamo okej
I struggle a lot with neo R&B. On one hand, I find it overly simplistic and overly produced. Most of these tracks were not touching me. On the other, the vocals really shine through. In that way, this album feels top heavy. Gorgeous voicework over the top of some pretty empty sounding tracks. This album's inclusion in the 2018 version of this book feels like the authors are rushing to claim that they knew what would have a lasting impact years later. Feels desperate. This isn't a bad album, it's just stiff in all the wrong ways and doesn't feel like music for music's sake. Feels like it was made by rich people in a lab.
Ctrl by SZA was an interesting listen, even though it’s not really my usual style. I can definitely appreciate her talent—she has a beautiful voice and delivers the songs with a lot of emotion. However, the album didn’t fully connect with me, and I don’t see myself coming back to it. It’s not a bad album at all, just not something that suits my personal taste. Overall, I’d rate it 2 out of 5 stars.
Sa voix m'énerve, R&B autotuné pas très intéressant
I've tried a few times to get into SZA, intrigued by the Kendrick connection. I like some of her contemporaries, but this just doesn't click with me. Not for a lack of trying and the album grows as it goes, but I don't think I'll be back on a regular basis.
I’ve never been a fan of this style of R&B; it’s just never clicked for me. Unfortunately this album didn’t change that. I can hear the talent, but the music doesn’t do anything for me. That said I don’t find it actively annoying, so 2 stars.
Alternative R&B / Neo-Soul whatever they are, but I'm not a fan.
Enjoyed some of the tracks on this album, but got a little repetitive for me. Highlights: "Drew Barrymore" and "Anything"
This shit is so fucking boring.
Não é meu tipo de som mas é inegável que ela é talentosa.
I barely managed through the first listening, although the opening was very promising - "Supermodel" is vocally a pretty song. I think that cameos by Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar (whose solo work I respect immensely) killed the whole vibe for me. Too much autotune and effects in this one. The tracks are simplistic and as much as SZA's voice can be beautiful I don't feel like it was done justice. Nothing really stuck with me. But I'm open to listening more of her songs somewhere in the future, as she surely knows how to use her voice.
"Pu$$y can be so facetious, the heavyweight champ" lmao. this album is not very good, but made me laugh. It epitomizes my feeling towards a lot of the modern slop
Never listened. Expectations: Low - Verdict: Not for me - Familiar from featuring on some Kendrick but I'm expecting pretty generic pop. First few tracks are ok but I just find it a bit bland. The rest of the album doesn't have any standout moments either. I don't dislike this, it's absolutely fine but nothing more than that.
130/1001 First listen. I’m not the target audience for this. Nothing sticks out as better than anything else here. Meh. 3/10
ondanks kendrick
Aburrido. Y parece que a veces, la única forma de llamar la atención es sexualizar a la artista debido a su falta de talento. Next
Maybe some interesting beats, but mostly kind of mumbly nothing.
"Forrest Gump had a lot going for him" is just one of the lyrical """"""""""""gems"""""""""" on this thing. Here's a few more just for good measure: "Someone bring the tacos" "I'm sorry I don't shave my legs" "My booty getting bigger even if it ain't" "You know I'm sensitive about having no booty" "I wanna take all of my hair down and let you lay in it" Talking more objectively, her vocals are strong and "Prom" is legitimately a good song. But the lyrics really ruin a lot of the decent aspects here. I guess I should have figured given the hook on her biggest hit is "I might kill my ex"
Decent cont R&B
Better than I expected but still not for me.
meh
This is a fine example of a style of music that I don’t find especially moving or interesting. SZA is well respected in this genre and has worked with several artists that I respect and enjoy, like Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino, but I can’t say I found her superlative to others in this category.
There is some good music underlying some of the songs on this album. Unfortunately, most of the songs are of standard rap themes = casual obscenities and vulgarities seasoned with enough autotune to make me lose my mind. There was some notably good drum programming on some tracks.
Ctrl drifts along on lo-fi, chilled beats and candid, NSFW lyricism, with songs that blur together into one continuous mood.
2/5
bleh
Ik heb hier niks mee. Het klinkt zoetjes, maar de dingen waar het mens zich druk om maakt, daar maak ik me niet druk om. Als het nou nog politiek van aard was, maar het is wat dom relatiegeneuzel, met een krachttermpje hier of daar. Maar zoals een of andere oma halverwege zegt: doe lekker je ding, ik vind het niks maar ik laat je verder je gang gaan.
Daar hebben we hem hoor. Het niemandalletje van de lijst. Dat had ze zelf ook wel door. Dus alles wordt ingevlogen om het op te kloppen. Heeft dat geholpen? Nee. Het hoofdingrediënt blijft weinig voorstellen. Dan maar een nummer over poesjes op het album. En omdat dat haar niet past (en het opgeklopt moet worden) vooral uitgevoerd door een bekende meneer. Ok, dat nummer valt wel op. Maar levert juist minpunten op. Mijn boek is te oud. Wiki-en dan maar. Volgens wiki wordt vooral de vocale levering gewaardeerd. Aaahhh....Wait...wut? Dat heet autotune wiki....
Album 95. Ctrl (https://open.spotify.com/album/76290XdXVF9rPzGdNRWdCh?si=08Db6OkxS9WQtCSl2qXQ-Q) — SZA (2017) Nope, it's not good and boring. Few lyrics are okay, but in general it's a trashy lyrically, dull modern r&b and auto-tune vocals. Fuck this shit 2/5 —————————————— No liked songs
Meaningless in terms of music and lyrics. Didn't absolutely hate it so 2 stars.
Not for me
This album brings back memories of taking my teenage nieces shopping and the tune Doves in the Wind was playing at full volume. I didn't enjoy the experience and I don't enjoy it now. Some nice lo-fi beats (is that what the kids say?) But relies too much on the overuse of profanities to try and be "cool". Its the "chocolate starfish..." of hip hop. This won't hold up over time.
2.5
Too clean. Too produced. Soft and easy, but boring.
What a pointless album. Some of the samples and mixing are alright. Maybe cut the four and a half minute song about scheduling. This feels like it's mostly posturing about stuff while acting like it's hard.
When SZA was starting to get buzz I checked in and didn't get it, I knew I was starting to age out. This album productionwise kind of sounds like AI slop. Way too over produced. Her voice and cadence have potential. I tried to find something more stripped down, found a version of 20 Something that was better than this album version. I had to take a brake in the middle of this and listen to some Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald to remind myself of the high bar. I struggled but made it through. I enjoyed the audio quality of the skits with her Mom and Granny.
I'd like to try more music like this, but for me the lyrics were a bit too conversation and simplistic.
Not for me
To gritty and explicit for me, while also being a bit boring day to day subject matter
Some of the reviews here are crazy lol, lots of "i listen to everything but cRap & hip-hop" coded takes. anyway, damn it's almost been ten years since this dropped? It's alright, not the biggest fan. Has a nice tone to it but always felt too safe. Was absolutely huge during 2017 and some of the singles still pinged in my brain but this was always better served in the background than as an active listening experience. The hooks as they were are basically predetermined. Favorite Tracks: Prom, Go Gina, Pretty Little Birds
I've unfortunately never really "gotten" SZA. Just don't think her music is for me!
Oh man, I've been dying for something more recent and I really, really wanted to like this, but it was just so, so dull. So much autotune smothering everything. Lyrics that seem totally fixated on money and boys and teenage attitudes. Backing tracks that all seemed to do the same thing. After listening, the only thing I could remember was getting Kendrick - one of the most capable, fascinating rappers in existence - to repeatedly shout 'PUSSY". I can see that it's influential because so much pop music in recent years is trying to copy it, but there's just no depth. The musical equivalent of a petrol station microwave hamburger.
Favorite songs: Love Galore, Drew Barrymore
That’s a lot of do-do, with a couple decent tracks thrown in; Prom and Broken Clocks. Got some catchy lyrics; you know I’m sensitive bout havin’ no booty, having nobody, only you buddy…. outta CTRL comes in at (2.2*s) SZA - short for SiZzlA ?
1/17 Some interesting moments but for the most part I really didnt like this one.
I think that I'd prefer it without the autotune.
Not my favorite type of music but not terrible either.
I’m not sure who the female singer is who made it popular to change the sounds of words when they’re singing, but I need to get in a time machine, go back, find them as a child, and smother them. Ugh. But just to show I’m all about equality, whatever rapper made mumbling popular in hip-hop, once I’ve smothered the singer, I’m doing the same to him. And now, that brings me to SZA’s Ctrl. She doesn’t seem to be much on spelling, which may explain her weird word pronunciation. Now, you might think I hated this album, but I actually can appreciate it. It at least sounds different, like someone was trying to innovate rather than just follow the same old pattern most record companies want. Are there still record companies? Are there still records? I’ve heard of SZA before, but I assumed I wouldn’t want to hear her stuff because, well, I’m old. But I actually quite liked Ctrl. It’s as close to an old-fashioned soul album as we can get these days, probably. There are no real bangers, as most of the songs are about love, or maybe more like lust. If she indeed wrote the lyrics, she really gets quite vulnerable. However, this album is one of those where the songwriting credit goes to like 8 people persong, so maybe she just gets handed the lyrics and sings when it’s time to sing. As I said, I’m an old school guy, and I have no delicate sensibilities, but I miss the old days when you couldn’t say the dirty words you meant. I Can’t Get No Satisfaction wouldn’t hit the same if it were I Can’t Get No P….you know? The song Doves in the Wind is about the importance of P. But the word is said so often, it’s like it's beating you over the head with P. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to giggle like a schoolgirl or clutch my pearls, but what I ended up doing was rolling my eyes. Sometimes, just because you have the freedom to say the words that shock doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. It's just hacky and lowest common denominator, in my opinion. Drew Barrymore, track 4, not the daytime TV host, sounds like it could be a country song, or at least what passes for country today. Worse, becomes wirf in this song. Did Adele do all this changing of word sounds? I know Duffy did for sure. So, as I was listening to SZA and working, I really didn’t pay much attention, except for them saying P about 256 times in the Doves In the Wind. Then The Weekend came on, not the singer, track 6, the first certified banger on the album. Okay, Prom is pretty great, too. Of course, The Weekend has songwriting credits from Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. And when I mean it’s a banger, it’s a slow funk groove that would normally be described as baby-making music. As Ron Burgundy might say, Unnngghhh. Aqualung. The song is about how SZA is involved with a man who has three chicks, and she’s on the weekend shift. This guy must be an idiot; this will blow up in his face so bad he’s liable to get set on fire. Then, as the album goes on, I started to really get into it. Even the weird changing of the sounds of words couldn’t pull me out of the groove. By the end of the album, I felt it was much better than yesterday’s Christina Aguilera album, because I believed everything SZA told me. Ctrl is not an album I’m going to listen to over and over, but I’m glad I dipped my toe in to see what she was all about. Is it an all-timer? I think it’s too early to say that. Come back to me in 50 years, in which case I’ll be dead, so it won’t matter anyway.
feels like i am before this time when it comes to SZA. didn’t hate it but didn’t like it. background music to me
I mean I don't particularly care for it. The beat is okay, but it's kind of the same beat for the entire album. I think all the reviews going "how DARE a black woman sing about SEX this is the worst thing EVER MADE" who also turn around and go "hell yeah, all of these rock and roll albums from the 70s and 80s are the best things ever made" need to shut the fuck up. I wish I could've said it was a surprisingly enjoyable album and give it a higher score out of spite but alas. It's not really for me. All that being said, "You could never trivialize pussy" may be the best lyric ever written.
SZA has a good voice and the music is OK too, but to me there isn't enough difference between the vocals on all the tracks. Like many similar albums I have difficulty deciphering the lyrics. That's not a fault of SZA - they're just not in an accent I find easy to listen to, plus there's lots of slang which doesn't mean anything to me. Some tracks had subtitles and it appears that the intent of each song is to insert as many sexual references and expletives as possible. If you want to that it's OK with me, but it doesn't do anything for me.
2.5 (49:01, 14 tracks (standard release), debut, 2017) Hip-hop (HH soul) Pronounced sizza (like scissors, less the 'ors', plus za) and control. Sort of hip hop w/ a heavy influence of rock, some soul (listed as soul, maybe new soul but not really soul in sense of Marvin Gaye Soul). A lot of computer mixing (overmixed in my opinion, I think I see a Commodore 64 behind her on the album cover, I think I hear some Commodore 64 sound bites.) Her falsetto is annoying, her actual singing voice OK. Heavy use of the N word for no good reason doesn't age well. I'm not against black artists using it to either make a political statement, counter racism, or to desensitize ('own') the word but just throwing it out to say your part of the community doesn't add anything. She's OK. She kind rocks a low self-esteem, 'not hot, but not bad' girl next door effect throughout. Fairly sexual album, don't mind that but a lot is pretty immature. I don't need filler like the end of track on Broken Clocks - it's not a skit, it's not a song, it's not filler just 'there'. I feel like Kendrick Lamar fucks up things - wonder with no Kendrick influences how much better the album would be (however I'm guessing a lot less financially successful so - probably a good call by SZA). One of the best albums of 2017? Probably. One of the best of all time? No. Not an album I felt I needed to listen to before I died.
Great voice, great production, but the songwriting is typical garbage for the masses to consume. A real shame.
There's some good elements, but the album doesn't really go anywhere musically. It all sounds the same.
2.5 I like SZA actually but I think she’s grown as an artist exponentially since this album. Definitely shows sparks of what’s to come here, but she’s not there yet.
dreamy highs and zone-out mids best tunes: doves in the wind, the weekend, go gina, broken clocks, anything, pretty little birds
I actively hated much of this album. Shallow, one dimensional lyrics, the use of auto tune, boring songs that seem endless. It got a little better further into it but not enough to raise my rating. I was hoping for something more like Frank Ocean's "Channel Orange" but this is empty and insipid.
Album No. 0096 on my list. I’m not really much into RnB, so I’ve never actually heard of either SZA or the album Ctrl (cool title though). I hence didn’t really know what to expect, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, right? I mean, no expectations are difficult to disappoint… And to be honest, the album didn’t do much to not disappoint, I’m afraid. To my uneducated mind, it’s mostly just generic RnB, and the songs were not at all catchy despite this fact. SZA’s singing is quite fine at least. The lyrics didn’t appeal to me either - it’s not their vulgarity, I don’t mind that, but I still didn’t find them any good. I’ll add “Supermodel”, and “Doves In The Wind” to my playlist (the latter actually because its frequent use of the p-word actually made it memorable at least). *Sigh*, I’m sorry. I’ve realized that SZA is an incredibly popular artist, and I totally get why. I wish her all the best, but this is just not for me I’m afraid. 2/5 stars.
I'd rather listen to Drew Barrymore sing her favourite songs from The Wedding Singer than this. It's not horrible, but it's not good.
She has a very nice voice which I love to listen to. Unfortunately, R&B doesn't do it for me and sadly this did not change that.
Not a big fan of r&b. The autotune is kind of annoying sometimes and the third song is terrible imo. Not great lyrically and definitely not vocally unfortunately
Good for what it is. Too pop-y for me
It’s my first time listening to SZA. I only know her because of her collaborations with Kendrick. I actually went to the GNX tour and I must admit that I only went for Kendrick and SZA‘s performance did not do much for me. But I think it can be hard for a singer to convince an audience member if they haven’t checked out their music before. Supermodel is a banger and I loved the part about Let me tell you a secret … I laughed out loud. A great start. Unfortunately the rest of the album does not excite me that much. The beats are nice and well produced. SZA has a great voice. But I am not very interested in all these songs centered around love and vulnerability and all these insecurities. CTRL is not a bad record. But it’s also nothing I would listen to again.
Monotonous
Pretty explicit, which isn't necessarily a bad thing
Meh
Not for me
Don't really like her voice or vocal style. Tracks all sounded the same. Kind of liked one track something about the Weekend.
Not my vibe.
I can see the talent, but it's not for me.
ehhh..don't know how to rate her, I liked her when she came out - she's talented sure, good voice yeah - not very interesting musically but I like a couple of tracks
Good for what it is - I think - but what it is is not for me. 2.5
I'm not quite sure how to rate this one... I found the music pleasant enough, but I fell asleep halfway through. Nothing really stood out for me.
2 out of 5. Nice voice, but nothing else to keep my attention for long.
did not care for it. I am not a fan of rap that much, but saying pussy over and over again does not impress me.
This was pretty good. I expected more energy though.
I can appreciate it as a piece of art, but it's just not for me. Some decent songs and some skips.
I don't even know what to think about this. On one hand - I've heard worse, but damn this made me angry and I've listened to most of this while skipping a lot of tracks halfway through. Can't decide between 1 and 2 stars.
Definitely didn't need to be on this list. Much better and more influential hip hop albums from the past 15-20 years that could've been here. I would replace this with Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of Day
This is too boring/chill for me. Songs just run together. Top tracks: “Prom,” “Doves in the Wind”
While it may be better than the album i got last time, Ctrl isn't really that great of an album. The production is decent with some pretty nice sounding music even if it can get rather forgettable depending on the song but for the most part it is pretty alright. My main issue with this album though is the lyrics, many of them are extremely stupid with a constant overuse of sex terms (Doves In The Wind is an especially bad offender of this) which makes these lyrics really annoying. And in general, i can only really remember a select few songs from this album due to the majority of them being so forgettable. It really is a shame because i know that SZA clearly has quite a lot of musical talent, just none of it is really on display here. Best Song: Pretty Little Birds Worst Song: Doves In The Wind
N thnks
1. zuper - 1.5 2. galore -1 3. uuind - 0 4. Drew- 0 5. Prom - 1.5 6. Weekend -1.5 7. Gina - 1.5 8. Garden -1.5 9. Clocks - 1.5 10.anything - 1 11. Wavy -1 12. Girl - 1.5 13. Birds - 0 14. Something - 1
Nice voice, Shame about the rest
Always reminds we of when Houmous & Chutney released their infamous album with no vowels. IVS (rrtble vwl syndrm) 1.6 11/14 Wavy
Ok 2/5
This is similar to her follow-up where I adore the big singles and am so surprised how much I dislike the rest. The lyrics are cheesy which is amplified when she just decides to repeat what she just said. The instrumentation is pretty bare so you're left with just her vocals to grasp on to. I don't like her vocal style either where she holds a note while dropping the pitch like she's walking down the stairs. Rating: 2.4
No fucking clue. Sizzler mang
Meh, ajmo reći dva od pet čisto radi produkcije. Boli me kita tko te je varao i šta si sve radila da mu se osvetiš. 2/5
Ei sytyttänyt. Fiilis sekä biitit olivat laiskoja ja rumia sanoja oli liikaa.
In one ear, out the other. I don't really care for this.
2,5
the kind of super up front rnb vocal production doesnt really catch me at all, still sounds fine just boring
Fine voice but not my favorite. Not something for my Spotify or will be coming back to. 2 stars
A few good songs. Overall meh…
Good production but I’m not a fan of her vocal style. Prom is pretty good though. 2.5 rounded down
Meh. That Saturn song ruined SZA for me. The lyrics are dumb.
Well at least now I know what SZA does. Not awful. Nor for me.
It's an album in the worst genre of music ever invented - modern r'n'b - and starting off it doesn't disappoint. Or whatever the opposite of not disappointing really is. Screaming 'get some proper drums" to replace the stick on a tea bag drum machine. Then it surprises a bit with some songs. But it's modern r'n'b and ultimately dreadful.
The singles might distract from how amateurish the writing is in this album. Some might call it honesty, rawness or vulnerability but it did not come across that way for me.
Not my style. Alright beats I suppose, slower than expected but at least made lyrics clear. Not sure what makes the album great, and all I'll remember is the song featuring Kendrick Lamar saying pussy a lot
Not my thing
No standouts
Not really my bag. She does have a good voice and I liked some of the beats/ production - but lyrically too icky / uncomfortable in places. Educational - but will not be returning.
nice voice, some heart-felt soulful tunes. Some overly processed sounds, some unnecessary "duets" and some dodgy lyrics.
No idea why this here.
Way outside of my usual listening preferences. Let's see how this goes. Let's go!! Just her voice over sparse arrangement is nice (Track 1) Wasn't expecting Forrest Gump references (Track 3). Starting to get repetitive to my untrained ear (Track 7) So yeah, this isn't my type of music and nothing I heard made me change my mind about it. I find these difficult to rate because I'm sure it's good, just not what I like to listen to. I was bored however. I don't think all music from this genre would bore me. 2.1/5
So boring I decided to watch videos on YouTube of some dude cooking a Gordon Ramsay-inspired sandwich and a chicken biryani. I feel really bad listening to this thing, but I guess it's not that fully terrible.
Das Album bietet persönliche Einblicke, doch die Songs wirken textlich vage und musikalisch monoton. Besonders im R&B-Genre, das von Vielfalt lebt, stört die Gleichförmigkeit: Viele Tracks klingen ähnlich und lassen klare Höhepunkte vermissen. SZA’s Gesang bleibt ausdrucksstark, aber technisch schwankend – ein durchwachsenes Debüt mit wenig Wiedererkennungswert.
This album was pretty good. I know I would appreciate it more with repeated listens but with just the one, it was just pretty good. An interesting voice, and when I was able to listen while reading the lyrics you can see she has something to say, and I want to know what it is.
Not really my kind of stuff and I really can't tell if I enjoyed it or not.
SZA has been all over the award show circuit for a lot of years and her performances are usually solid. This album is not a good representation of her talent.
Not for me
This felt like a generic modern album that doesn't follow a cohesive theme besides sex, nothing stood out to me and I don't think it's one of the best of all time... not my mug of mayonnaise
This is an album. Not my usual style or speed but she does have a great voice.
Average R and B.
Not half as bad as I thought it would be. The collabs are pretty mediocre but the music in itself is quite good. Not sure if it deserves a place on this particular list though.
Already don't like the first song, weak lyrics on a cliche topic. Musically not very interesting. Not a fan of this trap/dream pop and the lyrics are too distracting. Best track - Drew Barrymore Outro synths to Garden (Say it Like Dat) are quite nice 2 stars
I don't get SZA, it's nice but not my genre. 2*
Well, this was a load of pussy-obsessed shit, wasn’t it?
Das Studioalbum Ctrl der US-amerikanischen Sängerin SZA wurde in mehreren Aufnahmestudios realisiert, darunter die Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Obwohl sie zuvor bereits einige EPs und Mixtapes veröffentlichte, gilt Ctrl aus dem Jahr 2017 als ihr offizielles Debütalbum im Rahmen einer Major-Label-Veröffentlichung. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Werk zwischen Alternative R&B, Neo-Soul sowie Einflüssen aus Hip-Hop und Indie. Die Produktion ist zurückgenommen und stellt Stimme und Text in den Mittelpunkt. Inhaltlich verarbeitet SZA persönliche Erfahrungen, Unsicherheiten und Beziehungsdynamiken. Songs wie „Love Galore“, „The Weekend“ und „Drew Barrymore“ gehören zu den bekanntesten Titeln des Albums. Sie spiegeln exemplarisch die introspektive Ausrichtung des Werks wider und zeigen eine künstlerische Handschrift, die sich bewusst von gängigen R&B-Konventionen absetzt. Ctrl wirkt in sich geschlossen und gleichzeitig offen für Brüche. Es ist ein Album, das nicht auf Wirkung zielt, sondern auf Haltung.
Not really my vibe. Didn't really stand out for me, I don't think I'd listen to it again.
I was following the TDE crew pretty closely leading up to this and remember hearing Prom and felt like another Channel Orange might be upon us and then...well...[insert Principal Skinner meme] It’s fine, but I’m about as pulled into this as some of the random late 60s English folk and psychedelia. Just not for me. Judging by its success and her later feature on Luther - which is also...OK? - clearly, I am in the wrong here.