Ctrl

Didn't like it. Some OK woozy RNB production on some of the early tracks, but strikingly boring and beige compared to say CrazySexyCool.

The music and vocals are pretty good, enjoyable, she clearly has a unique talent. That said, it's difficult for me to get past the dirty lyrics on some of the tracks and truly enjoy the album. Songs like "Prom", "Garden", and "Broken Clocks" are good with 'clean' lyrics, but a few of the other tracks ("Doves in the Wind", "Love Galore", specifically), are just too profane, or gross, for me to appreciate. I will also never be comfortable hearing the n-word in any context. I don't listen to a lot of R&B like this in general, and I definitely don't listen to artists that use this type of language, so if this is normal and 'expected' for the genre, then I see why it's considered a pretty solid album. But whether these lyrics are written because that's really how people in this sort of culture talk about their lives, for their shock value, or because it's not considered 'profane' by the artist, it comes across as mostly unnecessary and distracting to me. And to be sure, I 'get it' and understand the social commentary behind "Doves in the Wind." It's a pretty clever take on men and how they pursue women in our society. And I understand this type of unique commentary might not be possible without the use of the language SZA chose to use. But it's still not comfortable for me to listen to. Final thought: I'm glad I listened to this for a peek into a genre and culture of music I'm only exposed to during the Super Bowl halftime, but it won't be something I'll ever actively revisit.

2.5

Don’t like the clickity tick tick tick of this genre and dislike the lyrics Skip. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to whole songs. 1 - No.

Horny-sad girl music

A regular album of modern R'n'B, I don't get the point. Just another one.

Yeah, no, can't understand why I should care about this one. I guess miss SZA has a nice voice and some of the tracks are quite chill. But it never feels like it's going anywhere, never gives me any reason to care about the music.

It was fine. Not my preference, but didn't mind listening to it.

Does absolutely nothing for me.

the people talking about how deep and emotional this is are nuts

You know when you're just glad an album is over? THat's how I felt when I finished this. I think pop music simply isn't for me. SZA has a great voice, strong and bold vocals. It is the production of the album that really irritates me. Even listening to this in the summer, I cannot enjoy it. The best track on this was wavy, and yet that was an interlude, barely 1 minute long, but went the hardest. I gave SZA a go, but ultimately her music isn't for me. With that being said, she is clearly a talented artist.

Not my style of music, but 'Pretty Little Birds' is worth a second listen.

I know I overuse "chill" but that's what this is. I do not like the auto tuning trap voice, though. The backing tracks are almost too simple. I wanted a little more complexity. Her rapping flow doesn't really make sense to me. And the lyrics. I hate the lyrics. I don't need a tribute to your or your partners genitals, male or female. This isn't a take on "modern love", it's just dick and pussy music.

Modern R&B bores me to tears. This one made it through my eardrums but not a single track made it to the part of my brain that remembers tunes. Pretty sure I already listened to this when I was listening to Rolling Stone's top 500 albums in order.

Not really list worthy. The song about pussy with Kendrick Lamar was alright I guess

I seem to recall this appeared towards the top of many 2017 best albums lists. Just how dire was 2017 for music?

I prefer my pussy sans-autotune.

Not for me...

Not a big fan of SZA.

This a debut album, and it is well done for a debut. The songs are sufficiently different from each other, which is good. The singing is ok. Unfortunately this is not my favorite musical genre so it gets 2.5 stars, rounding to 2.

Not my favorite. Not much else to say

Didn't really like it.

Hm. Didn't care for this one.

It's a genre that doesn't speak to me

Not for me.

3.5/10. No, I don't like this album. I'm bored.

2/5 not for me

Awful. Auto tune, shitty guest rapper verses. A never ending stream of vulgar mediocrity. Knew I was in trouble after skipping the first two tracks thirty seconds into each. Bonus star for how much she values her vagina I suppose.

Its a well produced album but not my genre of preference. I daresay I'm not the target audience and I find it very difficult to find anything in this album to relate to. My issue with this genre is that it is musically incredibly simplistic, formulaic, and not being played on live instruments so the sound of the album relies almost entirely on the production quality. Really the only things left to judge the musical merit is the quality of the singing (good in this case) and the lyrics, in which I found absolutely nothing that moved me. Best song was "20 Something" which is rawer and the only song I can imagine enjoying live.

God production, her style is not really me. At the songs sounded the same..

# 474 : 06/05/2025 : Ctrl I thought it was ok. A bit Explicit, but not too bad. I liked "The Weekend"

I wanted to like this more, as there's some good music, ideas, lyrics, and vocal ability, but I just don't like the style, which sounds so generically poppy.

I acknowledge her talent, but this type of modern R&B just really doesn't do it for me. 2.5/5

Having just watched wrestlemania I am currently suffering an irrational hatred for Travis Scott and his horrendously annoying autotune hate crime of a song, 'Feen'. Does he ever rap without using it? Besides his intervention Love Galore is quite nice. Three songs in there's already quite a lot of "n*ggaz and bitches" meaning I can't listen to this in any sort of company without retreating into my own anal cavity via a power-cringe. The little voicemail bits in between bring to mind Solange's record. The Kendrick song about shagging brings about another power cringe which miraculously returns me to human form. Outside of that it's pretty enjoyable. I got bored before the end but I'm definitely not target audience. Not for me, but I'm sure she'll cope.

Pretty voice, nice dings but the whole sounds kind of similaar

Why was this album popular? It's devoid of hooks or memorable lines or anything that could be considered interesting. It just is.

not my thing, but good album

Not my type of music. Broken Clocks and 20 Something stood out for me. 2.5/5

I really expected to like this more. She's a fine singer and the music is good. I just found it boring.

It’s great that there is a relatively recent album on the list but I just don’t think that this album was written with me in mind!

Two or three songs were OK, including the openers. Then Kendrick Lamar showed up. Honestly, I like her individual songs better than any of the collabs. She’s got a good voice and a I like the vibe of her individually. But overall, the album didn’t hold me.

I liked the beat for Drew Barrymore but that was about it. I'm giving it an extra star because I'm not well-versed in rap. Still only two stars.

I did not like this at all. It was all just about her feeling horny and talking about genitals over some uninspiring music.

This made me feel old :(

Not for me.

This is ok, but I’m very much not her audience. I don’t really get a lot of this, not much of it lands at all for me, but it’s definitely not terrible. I prefer it to some of the rap we’ve had on here, but there’s just something missing for me. Would never return but at least I know what she is about now, albeit I’m still not sure how to pronounce her name. She likes talking about her fanny mind, doesn’t she?!

There were some decent beats in here and SZA can sing. Production felt very 2010s at times in a Frank Oceany way, lots of meaningful space which is an effect I'm tired of. Not unlistenable but far outside my wheelhouse, feels very much like music for the kids these days. But then I do like lots of recent stuff so I think I'm just not a fan of whatever this is.

Doves in the Wind made me laugh - a very intimate examination of her relationship with her genitals (and the thoughts of Kendrick Lamar on it). I think this would have benefited from a harder edge - the production is extremely bland and a little dated - riffs aren't overly imaginative and the instrumentation is uninspired. Drew Barrymore sounded a bit like a TLC off-cut. Not shocking, by any stretch, just not for me.

This kinda thing makes me feel old. She can sing and rap, I just can't relate to the content. Don't particularly like the style either. It's too RnB for me. She's also rapping about things that would annoy me if a male rapper said it, but I suppose as a female she can say them? I think i get the appeal though, just not sure I'm the correct demographic. I did find myself going back and listening to bits again though so there's that. I think "Drew Barrymore" was my favourite. I'm going 2.5

As a teenage girl, I find myself in the minority when I say I do not adore the music of SZA. I’ve never listened to an album of hers in full, and this being my first time I was rather disappointed. Other than the well known songs I’ve heard through friends or other platforms, I found this album rather difficult to swallow. I do not deny its significance, however I can’t get behind it.

Ig im just not a very big fan of sza yeah she’s a good singer but i felt there was a lack of change between songs and she sorta just pisses me off sometimes😂. I’ve listened too so many albums since my last review it now being July so I’m sort of numb to music now. 5.8/10 2.9/10

Call me old fashioned but a lot of these contemporary R & B albums seem to be all about the vibe and to me the vibe ain’t all that great. Where are the hooks and the melody? Maybe I’m missing the point but it just leaves me cold

Potty mouth

A beautifully well engineered and mixed album that insists upon sharing poor life choices with poorly chosen word choice lyrics (N-word and P-word) that could have been expressed by making other word choices that would have invited a wider range of listeners to lean in closer rather than leaning away and ignoring the message entirely during the first half of the album. I couldn't tell if she has a wonderful voice because they never let us hear it underneath all that auto-tuning. After listening to the song "Drew Barrymore" it was unclear to me why it was named after her. After reading about the song's creation, maybe association would have been clearer if it was named "Poison Ivy"? Favorite tracks: "Broken Clocks" and "Pretty Little Birds"

Not bad. Not my cup of tea

Not really my kind of music, but not totally unpleasant. Her sounds do sound a little repetitive after a while, but it's also kind of hypnotic, I guess.

2.5

It wasn't a bad album, but that's a very wrong way to start an album. Wrong, but brave. If you removed the trap songs you'd have a very decent album, but alas, it stays in the pile of Number 2's.

I like a lot of the artists adjacent to her but for some reason not her

Great musicianship, production, sound, but the lyrics were such hot garbage I had to turn it off. I love angry music, but make it angry about oppression and injustice, not petty dramas. I don't know. Giving it a 2 because it genuinely sounds fantastic, but just unlistenable. Weird combo.

If this is a message album or concept album I completely miss it. I’m not the person this album is made for…I’d add alt del to this and call it a day.

I’m just not sure why this made the list. There are some interesting ideas that then lead to generic modern R&B. It’s not bad, it’s just empty calories.

Not really my thing, but some of it is decently laid-back. 2,5/5

Not really my thing. Production is cool and some interesting songs, most of the lyrics aren’t relatable for me

You know what with a more distinctive singer this would have been in contention for a 3.5 or a 4. The beats, samples and melodies are a strong representation of contemporary pop r and b rap. Auto-tuned from A to Z, she's not quite able to lift this for me into something distinctive. It's a solid 2.5 but afraid it's a round down.

Not going to have a go at it but I'm not into it, just seems like fairly standard modern R&B. Only moment I thought I particularly liked the instrumentals were during Normal Girl and Doves In The Wind The singing is sort of irritating. It feels pretty out of place with the acoustic instrumentation, especially with the heavy autotuned moments. Travis Scott feels like a pisstake on the second track, suppose that's how he usually sounds but I don't like that heavily processed style at all. I liked Kendrick's feature, though Not going to knock how sexual the lyrics are, I don't really care. It seems like women get a much harder time for that than men, as if it's invalid or somehow more vulgar. I had Van Halen yesterday and it's funny that nobody mentioned the sexual lyrics on that Not my thing, not particularly interested in hearing it again 2.5 Highlights: Normal Girl, Doves In The Wind

I read up a little about SZA, and I really, really didn't want to like this album, as she just seems like a horrible person. Turns out I didn't have much to fear, as it was a mess of auto-tune, tinny trap sounds, and inane lyrics. If this album is supposed to be this generation's "Miseducation", then god help us all. There were a couple of places where I appreciated the guest vocalist, so I'm going with 2 stars, but it's a low 2. Pretty tacky and derivative R&B.

Feels very generic and over produced

Je l’ai pas encore lancé, mais je sais déjà que je vais pas tripper. Puisque j’ai un retard dans mes écoutes et j’suis pas un sado, je vais me contenter d’écouter de critiquer seulement la première tounes, ce qui devrait amplement suffire: C’est du caca boudin, gnagnagna je pleure bouhouhouinouinouin 😭😭🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮

Njeh

not my jam overall, decent sound but bad lyrics.

2- the album is definitely not made for me. The music sounded fine and there was some cool synths. I just didn’t resonate at all with the lyrics

Ugh. Production is pretty solid and sounds good. Her voice is pretty solid. Otherwise though, lyrics are straight trash. All this album cares about is sex, drugs, and pleasure at any cost, it's so hedonistic. Kinda makes me sad that that's all you care about in life.

vocally, it was ok. musically, pretty one-dimensional. lyrically, so demeaning coming from a woman. why is this on the list? 1.5 stars

I'm really not feeling this album.

Bit my style

I kept waiting for it to get better after weak start but it never peaked its head above mediocrity

I understand why someone would like this, but it hits a lot of musical pet peeves for me. Also a lot of the songs have the same flow and just kind of sound the same. Mid 2.

Held back by the expectations of its generation

Overproduced tripe. Not my thing.

2 - Parece que es solo una canción, mismo sonsonete todo el disco.

A perfect encapsulation of why I don’t listen to new music. Every time you hear “pussy” take a drink!

After song 1, I was in the -fuck this auto tune shit being on the list. Woman empowerment with a lyrics about needing you? But I persisted, because that's the point of this project, right? So my overall review is... the music is dull. It lacks good beats, it's repetitive, and in my opinion, highly overrated.

пару неплохие песен, но в целом залупня конская

Not my cup of tea but I like her voice. Actually, saw her once at a festival. Left halfway thru as I thought she was more interested in "shock" lyrics instead of showing off her talent and vocal ability. But I'm not her target audience so I'm sure she didn't notice.

I didn't really like that album. SZA can sing but it's not enough to impress me. The instrumentals were fine as well. The tracks are the type of song that gets radio play every hour. And I don't mean it in a good way. 2 stars for "Ctrl".

Half way through the album and it just isn't something I would put on my home speakers for background. I like a lot of hip-hop but this isn't an album that clicks for me. I also listened to SOS and find I like that album quite a bit more.

Couldn’t wait for it to end

This was ok, but a lot of it sounded the same. Was hoping for better.

Relaxed beats again completely ruined by inane lyrics

Byrjar sem rappplata en endar á hugljúfum tónum. Þannig að ég var búinn að missa áhugann áður en ég fattaði að þetta var bara prýðileg plata. Ég mun samt ekki setja hana aftur á fóninn

I can't get on board with Ctrl, it sounds too generic to interest me, doesn't come close to the quality or depth of the genre from 10 or 20 years ago, it's pretty shallow and I continue to dislike the modern production of music and the heavy heavy use of autotune. Dull as fuck 2.

I'm old.

some good moments, but in general only a good effort in mixing R&B, soul and modern hip-hop/pop beats

Conflicted. Lyrically a mess and the first half to middle of the album is trash. Even with the instrumentals on some of the early songs be pretty great it is ultimately destroyed by the awful lyrics. The latter portion of the album is much better and man if it would have just been those songs this would probably have been a much more enjoyable experience. 4/10

Meh album. This just sounds like everything else. It's not really difficult to listen to, but it doesn't have anything that moves me. Lyrically, it's not great. **

I can appreciate that this is good. It’s just not my jam.

Never quite got there for me but not a bad listen

What’s this about Forrest Gump and pussy? Not my genre but that just became my new favorite thing, lol.

Eh

god, please, take me with you

Not the kind of R&B I enjoy.

Meh

I'm totally ok with this album being on the list but the truth is I'm a little lost when it comes to this sort of music & it makes me feel really old lol. I don't like most of the songs here although the odd tune does catch my ear but then the lyrics just put me off those ones too. I'm happy to just let this pass me by. 2- Stars (4/15)

I feel like I should have enjoyed this album but it just felt like it dragged.

Nicht so meines

Nothing really felt special about it. I guess I can see how the Gen Z crowd is a fan, but it just felt generic. 2.5/5

I absolutely get why this is on the list but it’s not for me.

Not really that memorable for me. I did like her later album though.

I have thought for a while and will still maintain that Travis Scott is an idiot. That isn’t really relevant here, but this is my soapbox and he’s on this album, so here we are. On to the album. This wasn’t written or recorded for me. I made little if any connection to the themes or lyrics of this album. I instead tried to focus on the production, which was very good. SZA has an excellent voice, and it sounds great on this album, I just wish she’d use it for music that showed it off better. Overall this album just comes off as immature to me. An entire song (“Doves in the Wind”) uses the word “pussy” 23 times by my count. That same song also talks about how Forrest Gump could’ve gotten laid but was a good guy so he didn’t. I haven’t seen that movie in a long time so maybe I’m forgetting parts of it but I don’t remember him turning down Jenny for sex. Like seriously, what? Parts of this are just really ham fisted. I really liked the voice clips of SZA’s mom at the end of some songs, and how we don’t know it’s her mom until the end of the album. That rewards listeners who sit and listen to the whole thing, which is cool and unexpected these days where the art of the album is generally lost in popular music. I didn’t need to hear this before I died. This felt like a pick made to just make the book more relevant, like the editors were grasping for more modern content and grabbed this to make them seem edgy. I’d be surprised if it’s in the next edition. This wasn’t for me. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but it wasn’t for me. Two stars. Sorry, SZA. Standout tracks: Drew Barrymore, 20 Something

Once again: I’m not sure there are 1001 albums you need to hear before you die. There was absolutely nothing special about this aside from the possibility that music in 2017 was SO terrible it made this seem interesting, which is entirely possible. (No offense to SZA, who seems to be well-liked and is lovely, I’m sure.)

Meh

Considering how relatively infrequently new music gets added, I'm surprised this one made the list. There are really no stand-out songs, and a lot of the lyrics are pretty cringeworthy. I was hoping to like this more -- I don't know anything about SZA, except her second-most recent tweet is a Beatles quote, so she has my respect for that at least.

R&B Plätschert so vor sich hin, stört nicht, animiert aber auch nicht zum genaueren hinhören. 2/5

Not enough songs about dicks and pussies and asses and cumming and pissing and shitting. I don't know what's the "Ship of Theseus" threshold for music, but having 14 different producers and 35 different songwriters makes me feel like this should be filed under the processed ham section rather than the artistic statement one, if you get what I'm sayin'.

det här är lite intressant. det är något som får mig att fortsätta lyssna trots att det inte är min musiksmak.

Too early to add this to the list, and it sucks.

Ctrl-Alt-Del. What a sad album. Never heard of SZA. Won't listen again.

Meh. It was alright.

nie rozumiem dlaczego to niby jest w 1001 albumow do przesluchania, nic w nim kultowego, po prostu jest z czasow gdzie marketing robi wszystko

No thnx

Album Nr. 70 Es gibt besseren RMB. Ich finde das Album schlicht langweilig.

How the fuck is this on this list. Like it was fine but it was it was nothing. I’m like border line mad that this is on this list

This is the album equivalent of a meeting that could have been an email….this could have been a single and saved us all a ton of time. Not a ton of variety here. She’s got a really nice voice and I liked the production on it, but I got tired of it pretty quickly.

Yawn.

Not a lot here.

This was the first modern selection. I don’t really know a lot about SZA. Maybe she pioneered this style of singing, or maybe she just sounds like all the rest of the music I hear when I accidentally tune into radio 1.

Ei ärsyttänyt aktiivisesti mutta ei noussut ostarien taustamusaa paremmaksi 2/5

Whiny voice, none of the tracks really caught my attention

Nice Album! I still not the biggest sza fan but I appreciate her Ctrl album

This is the first album from the 2010s I have been served up on this 1,001 album-listening journey. SZA's musical choices and beats are pleasant to my ear and I didn't actively dislike the album, but I would never revisit this one. Too much auto-tune and monotone sing-rapping. Bright spots for me were "Doves in the Wind" (which may contain the most consistent use of the "p-word" I've ever heard and I actually chuckled quite a bit throughout), and the single "Drew Barrymore." As an album, though, this is a pass for me. Interesting factoids from Wikipedia: *SZA contributed heavily to the album's lyrics, co-writing all fourteen tracks. SZA would freestyle the songs in a hope to "let the moments happen in the studio. Standouts: Love Galore, Doves in the Wind, Drew Barrymore

Sounded made for the radio, bland.

Hard for me to distinguish between the songs. Not unenjoyable, just felt like I was walking through a supermarket.

Some of the songs were okay. Felt like the entire album was produced with just a synthesizer so no real depth to the tracks.

I was hoping to like this more than I actually did. Nothing really stood out or grabbed me.

eh

Unfortunately, not for me. Not an unpleasant listen but incredibly unremarkable. SZA has a lovely voice and the music is smooth and inoffensive, but the novel-sized list of songwriters and producers really is rarely a good sign. It was fine, but could’ve been made by any number of similar artists.

It started off pretty okay with the opener. As it went on I disliked it for the most part. There were a couple of decent tracks but a lot was just unappealing. The lyrics were pretty dumb at times too. What a waste of Kendrick.

Generic and just a bit boring

I was expecting wonderful things but alas that tree did not come to bear fruit.

Some interesting sounds and a couple of really good songs, like Drew Barrymore, but overall just not my cuppa.

A little too horny for my liking but some decent songs. I’ve always liked “the weekend” bc frank O posted a snippet of him covering it on his instagram years ago. other than that i will not revisit this album.

Over produced, under written

Not for me but probably musically wonderful and important.

Nothing here really interested me.

Some of my students went to see SZA last year and one came to class having lost her voice completely from shouting, and that was very funny. The album cover is cool. I won't listen to this again but I can see the appeal for Gen Z, and I'm quite happy to see the Kids These Days excited about pop that isn't a complete rehash of the late 90s/early 2000s. On the flipside I think this is going to sound extremely dated in 5-10 years the way the 2000s stuff does. music: I'm old. (⌐■_■)

That’s not my type of music … I’m really trying but … nah not for me …

Lowkey vibe

Muy plano, no me gusta

A smart and competent album that’s just not for me. I feel like this record wants to be smarter than it is. There are solid beats, and great production all around. But SZA talks about heavy topics in a way a 17 year old would.

Not my Type of music.

Modern R&B... Pitäisi aina puhu töstä genressä menneessä aikamuodossa ei mitään hajua miten voi olla näin popular nykypäivänä...Objektia hellii tätä en tiedä miksi...mitään syytä ole..

Ok more. Rap

I dig rnb at work! hope shes good listening. Nah i didnt like it. Gimmie some india or similar any day 2stars

Not impressed and couldn't relate to most topics of the album. Sonically speaking, some songs were nice though

Incredibly unremarkable. Hate all the effects put on voices. Pretty much done because people can't hold their notes in tune. Very untalented.

There's a lot of autotune on this record. I guess I just don't get modern R&B.

It's not a bad sound, but it's not for me.

Not my cup of tea.

not a bad album, but it didn't do very much for me. sza's ctrl was chill and smooth. the r&b electronic mix, with sza's soft style, made for an enjoyable, relaxing listen. but i'm afraid ctrl didn't stand out very much, and the songs didn't distinguish themselves enough.

This album is definitely reflective of the recent, modern trend with R&B and soul music. There was nothing wrong with this, and the album was listenable, but overall I didn't find it remarkable.

I didn’t really connect with this album. Don’t think it’s that universal. I guess she doesn’t make music for me, and that’s okay.

I really wanted to like this. And I did. Until about halfway through the first song. I find these songs lacking in hooks or even melodies. They feel improvised, and not in a good way. Also, her voice isn't compelling. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm not in the right headspace for this. Totally possible. But based on today's listen, I can't recommend it. To quote my daughter, "It's vibey." I'll give it that. But I want it to be vibey and memorable.

Ikke lige min smag, men meget afslappet musik, hvilket jeg godt kunne lide. Omend det bliver lidt ensformigt.

Voz sensual, mas acompanhada de batidas irritantes.

The lyrics are just bad. I don't give a monkeys about the language - the lyrics are just bad. Being mistaken for a clitoris? Er. Tell me you've never seen ladyparts without saying that you've never seen ladyparts. Overall, this is just about tolerable, musically, absolutely appalling lyrically and comedicly awful anatomically. More than willing to accept that it might be for someone. But it is not for me.

Toss another artist in the pile labeled, "couldn't write a melody if their life depended on it". Nearly an hour of childish, tuneless wailing over basic-ass, boring beats. So annoying. And don't get me started on how inane these lyrics are. It's like the whole album was written by middle schoolers but then they thought, "throw some cuss words at it so people will think we're grown up and nobody will suspect we're just three 12-year-olds in a trench coat." Stupid. This was clearly added to the list prematurely.

Couldn't get into it

more dicks and pussy than I expected

It started off pretty okay with the opener. As it went on I disliked it for the most part. There were a couple of decent tracks but a lot was just unappealing. The lyrics were pretty dumb at times too. What a waste of Kendrick.

Whenever an album comes up on this list, I look at it from the perspective of why I must hear the album before I die. I'm drawing a blank on this one. The musicianship has some value and it sounds well produced but SZA seems like just another artist too reliant on autotune and explicit lyrics. There are some catchy tunes but most of it was just run of the mill R&B with some hip hop mixed in. I've heard a bunch of albums that take me out of my comfort zone and make me want to give it another listen but this is not one of them.

I reviewed SZA’s latest album only a few months ago in my YouTube channel. To evidence my lack of knowledge in this genre, I’d never heard of her before that. Today, I have been generated an album of hers which is considered an essential album, so I think I must live under a rock. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Broken Clocks There are a few exceptions to this genre which surprise me and leave me feeling very impressed. Unfortunately, this was not one of them. She’s undoubtedly a very talented singer, but there wasn’t much else that had me intrigued, and singing is only one part of the puzzle which makes a great song or album. Each to their own, but I just found this quite dull and uninspiring. Also, there is a song about her “pussy being facetious”. What does that even mean?

Pretty solid production, her voice is aight. I dunno, this didn't really do much for me overall. 2.5

Forgettable

Not my style of choice but still didn't have a terrible time, for what it's worth... (45%)

Honestly, there are songs on here that I have absolutely no interest in listening to. I just don't need a song that repeats pussy a thousand times. Call me old fashioned, but I just prefer double entendres or something a little more veiled than just pussy in my face constantly. Give me some variation in the lyrics. I got what you were talking about the first five times you said it. Just seems lyrically lazy a d just trying to attention grab because they can't get attention any other way. That said, if you ignore all of the songs that have featured artists on them, the album's pretty good, but the featured artists really did this album no favors.

The music itself was fine but the lyrics and subject matter were shallow and vapid. I couldn’t relate to anything she was talking about. But I don’t think I’m in the target demographic. I didn’t enjoy this at all but I understand why others might.

I actually like much of the music here. But the lyrics...don't speak to me.

Found this very boring

Kan wel horen waarom iemand die kan waarderen, maar ik ben zelf die persoon dan niet.

Niet helemaal beluisterd, maar dit is gewoon echt niet mijn ding. Hoe goed het ook in elkaar steekt.

It's okay.

I don't really know what to say about this. It's obviously good, super smooth, super clean production. Contemporary R&B and Soul just kind of go in one ear and out the other for me. Didn't grab me at all.

I am having a hard tie with this record. Not every record needs to be for me, a middle aged white male. However, two things came to mind while I was listening to this. First, I remember when Marilyn Manson first hit big and his lyrics were shocking to society. Later in his career, he started saying shocking things just to say them. Just to get a rise out of people. SZA, on this album is clearly trying the same thing. But it's 25 years later. People don't get shocked like that anymore. And since none of this is on the radio, there is no one to offend. Second, I kept thinking while listening that SZA is obsessed with game playing with people. And my thought was confirmed when she literally claimed that she wasn't. You can't be upset that your man cheats on you when you cheat on him as well. And pitting people against each other for the chase isn't nice. I know this makes me seem like a conservative asshole. I swear I am not. I am not judging SZA at all here. But her lyrics, which are the stand out as they are laid on a bed of rather boring R&B and hip-hop audio tropes, leave much to be desired. Nothing new here.

This is mos def not my style, but it was more listenable than expected and much better than say MIA that we got yesterday. The beats and her voice are fine, so I can say that it wasn't terrible.

Meh

Not for me

"Forrest Gump had a lot goin' for him Never without pussy Y'know, Jenny almost gave it all up for him Never even pushed for the pussy Where's Forrest now when you need him?" Yeah. The music was good at least.

not a r&b fan apparently

„Gott, was ist das denn jetzt schon wieder?“ war ich nach den ersten paar Songs versucht zu sagen, fand es dann aber doch ganz - nett. Mehr aber auch nicht. Doves In The Wind fand ich einfach nur zwangsvulgär, wie einige andere Songs bzw. Songpassagen auch. Insgesamt kann man ihr eine ausgiebige Souligkeit nicht absprechen, nur kommt das Album durchweg nicht recht in die Gänge. Reicht noch nicht für drei Sterne.

I'd listen to Drew Barrymore and 20 Something again Not sure theres much else I'd ever want to seek out a second time

Liked the sound. Hated the lyrics and the videos. She made some "artistic" choices that eliminate the album for me.

At times, I felt this should have been called CTRL D, as the auto tuned vocals bordered on annoying. This ain't Amy Winehouse here. Most of the time I felt like I was shopping at Old Navy and wanted to leave.

ngl this is really boring. thers nothing musically interesting and lyrics are a good insight to her thoughts etc but i just don't care

pretty awesome, but no standout hitters.

I just don't get it. Production is adequate, but nothing else felt any bit interesting.

Not the kind of music I like. Boring to some extend

I didn’t find it that fun at all but I admit it’s slightly unique and not inherently that dreadful. I still don’t think she deserves to be one of the top artists on Spotify though. 2/5

Well produced but not for me

Drake-achtige R&B. niks geweldigs

Heathens

Never been the audience for this kind of mellow R&B. Kind of the same problem I run into with Dylan, the music itself doesn't land at all for me, which has me then zoning out on the lyrics, which is unfortunate, because I understand those to be the main draw here!

It was ok but not interested in hearing about people’s intimate sex talk. Trashy.

I think my feelings on this album can pretty much be summed up by the one two punch of Prom followed by The Weekend. Prom is just crushing lyrically. It’s an inventive sounding song, good, that is performed by a very capable singer. The Weekend is everything about some pop music that I don’t like. It is overwrought in its current sound landscape and the lyrics are a worldview that is not only foreign to me but also somewhat repugnant. It’s also sung by a singer wanting to sound current and full of runs that don’t elevate the music. I fully like half the album and fully hate the other half.

2/5 Sounds fine, but not for me

I can't get into it, gave up midway.

Nah

Not really my style 3 2

Generic auto-tune pop/r&b/hip-hop without any original musical idea whatsoever and with absolutely nothing to say. Tedious. 1.5/5

Meh… I don’t like it. Idk why I get pop/rnb albums.

I guess this wasn't terrible, but I really don't understand the hype. Not for me.

I didn't like the first few songs, but the rest of the album is better. Still, I didn't like it enough to give it a higher rating. There were elements of something I liked in this album. I thought the little phone interludes were cute. My favourite song was Normal Girl.

Ctrl+C Ctrl+V

Blaah, ei tainnut olla biisiäkään josta olis oikeesti diggaillu.

Huomaamattomasti tämäkin pyöri taustalla, ei ihmeellistä

Very meh r&b

SZA kon mij niet bekoren. pop en R&B zoals er zo veel zijn

This is ok R&B. Not my favorite genre, but it's good background music. Rob tells me that R&B should not disappear into the background. That makes this 'not good'.

mellow r&b

Not for me.

Never heard of this R&B artist. The vocals were solid, but the songs and overall production simply didn't work for me.

This album makes me realize I'm getting old, and that age is tainting my opinions on music. Granted, that album wouldn't have ever been an album for me; her voice is fine, but everything else….from the beats to the lyrics, is tedious. However, I judged the lyric contents harsher than anything I listened to; that was much worse. So, I'm old...stay off my lawn!

Que aquest r&b tenyit de soul tan genèric i insípid sigui un dels discos triats per representar 2017 diu molt poc a favor de la música dels últims '10s.

Whichever way I shake it, SZA just sounds to me like easy approachable pedestrian music. It is superficially catchy, with big features, flashing mild hints of personality enough to satisfy the disengaged, and not be irritating.

Heard it before?: Yes, just the once Enjoy it?: Yeah it was okay, enjoyable beats and features but lyrically I wasn’t blown away or that impressed? One aspect I did really like was the phone call recordings which ended a few tracks, I’d rather have had them instead of a few tracks as interludes Favourite song: Track 4 -Drew Barrymore

I like the music but it has the kind of hip hop lyrics that completely put me off. (Stop saying ‘pussy’ for fucksake).

Honest lyrics, but most of the melodies feel repetitive. Highlights: Garden, 20 something Love R&B but this is a 2/5

Not my style. 2/5

This is a genre I struggle to enjoy, and I really didn't hear what might have been noteworthy about this long album, other than some clever and interesting lyrics sprinkled here and there.

Yeah, it’s fine.

Must hear?

Genuinely one of my least favorite trend-setters in Modern R&B. Props to SZA for getting to this sound first and pioneering it, but this is Soul derived music at it's most soulless, a grey flurry of non-starters all addled in pot smoke and too-cool-to-even-try vibes.

Meh

ointressant och tråkigt.

2/5 naaah

Average vocals, disappointing features, slow tempo and boring instrumentals, just nothing to be impressed by. I hate that some classic album lost its spot on the list for this one.

A few good songs but this is mostly pretty bland

I just can't do modern R&B. It started shitting the bed in the 70s and there's not much in the genre that's appealed to me since then.

Typical modern music really, good production, soulful vocals, crap lyrics. Not much songwriting craft going on either.

Alright I suppose, was a fairly standard randb pop affair.

Crp

Ctrl+Alt+Del

Sorry, not a fan of so much n word.

Pleasant r&B voice, usual sex content, but not very amusing or opaque. I liked the minimalist backing music. Nothing too complicated or over produced. Occasionally vocal would better left alone without any effects. Quite ordinary in general.

5/10

Not really for me, liked a couple of tracks such as Go Gina.

I respekt the talent. But this one just ain't for me dawg

Meh - whiny stuff about shagging gaidos

Not for me

What an absolute fuck monster. If Shakin' Stevens got Parkinson's, would it still be acceptable to call him Shakin' Stevens?

5/10

holy fuck she sounds obnoxious and i hate her voice

listened to the first track for a bit, thought I'd skip forward a bit to see what the rest is like. Nearly gave it a complete no, but then Prom came along which was ok (for me) Couple more tracks - then decided no, to much other good stuff to listen to in this world

Ctrl is SZA's debut album containing R&B/neo Soul music. The production was well done and SZA's lyrics are beautiful, so it was no wonder that this album received widespread acclaim at release, and is now certified double platinum. The emphasis of this album is on SZA's voice and songwriting skills, backed by slow jams. Honestly, this isn't my type of music so I'm a little biased when I say that this album didn't hold my attention. I also hate to describe an album this way, but this one feels like a "girl's" album. The album is a coming-of-age musical performance for the young women of this generation, that touches on topics of relationships, sex, love, jealousy, anxiety, self-esteem, and social media, all from SZA's point of view based on her life. SZA released a pretty amazing debut album and she is still one of the top female singers of today.

How is this trash different to all the other RNB shite?

It doesn't warrant a 1-star review but it's a low 2. Generic bland r&b and the only songs that stood out for me were for the wrong reason, except the last song "20 something". She has a nice voice.

Didn't mind that but found it quite boring...

I like how the music is syncopated. "Weekend" was pretty good. But once you autotune, I'm out. I cannot stand autotune. I know it's on pretty much every song now, but she seems to have a good voice. She doesn't need to sound like everyone else. But with autotune? She does.

I wouldn't normally choose to listen to this music, however I did like the tracks. The lyrics, not so much.

2.5

Autotune junk.

Yeah yeah yeah, pussy pussy pussy motherfucker blah blah blah. Dull.

What a complete pile.of nothing other than shock music, truly awful album.

I really hate this vocal style

nah

The overuse of autotune and computerized drone rhythm tracks leaves me searching, in vain, for any hint of soul.

Gehört mit auf den Müllhaufen. Aber ordnungsgemäß entsorgen bitte!

Terrible

another album that really confirms I need to buy this book to understand why this was selected on this list? Are there post 2010 album quotas for this list and there just aren't many options? help me understand!

yikes

Bad beats with terrible lyrics. Not much to say.

pas fou

over rated, over produced tripe.

Alternates between being boring as shit and so morally and artistically bankrupt that it borders on appalling. I didn't know a female singer could be misogynistic, but here we are.

Nope

I tried. The voice is annoying, the lyrics are juvenile and lowbrow ( not in a sincere way, just weirdly crude), everything lacks dynamics, very one dimensional.

I sorta get it, but the slow R&B, echo rap singing is not for me. Cool for SZA to break through as a woman but difficult for me to get through the album

Is it called Ctrl because that is the button you hold down most while cutting and pasting these repetitive loops? I don't like to be snide, but it's hard to come up with anything else. 1.5 SZA - Ctrl Here is the work of, apparently, a dozen different producers across 9 different studios and 3 years. Well it sounds like it could have been made nowhere much, in no time at all. The sort of musical sophistication that typifies this genre is, in my opinion, of the cheapest variety; add a fourth note to your chords and remember that base melody is the enemy - avoid committing to one note in the top line where half a dozen will do. All icing and no cake. A very old trick in shiny new packaging. No amount of confessional content about sex can lend even the slightest edge to this smothering smoothness. I pity any young people favouring this in their listening - shame on the coaxer hastening them towards premature middle age. 1/5

Worst album I've heard in here so far. Couldn't even finish it.

MEH

Dull - complete with auto-tune vocals and insipid lyrics. Some decent R&B moments sprinkled throughout, but not enough to make this something I would ever want to listen to again.

Best Track - "Doves In The Wind"

Oof.

Nope,not my kind of thing. I suppose a few are okay: Drew Barrymore, Weekend, and Garden. I can appreciate some of the effort but it sounds put on, not genuine, more like an attempt at sounding tough. I barely made it through the few songs I listened to.

I’d never heard of SZA before and after listening to this I’m pretty pleased and rather hoping not to again

- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummers al toegevoegd aan MMMM

I really don't like the voice of the singer, but the main problem for me are the lyrics: so plain and juvenile.

Blind album, know the artist by name. Ctrl+D this album from my brain. Never liked her, this album won't change my mind. What the fuck does "Skrt Skrt" even mean??? This album will be 20 something at some point, and I hope no one tries to talk to me about it.

How do you represent that hissing sound angry cats make in text form? Dreck...

Never sat down and listened to SZA, and she has one of the most modern albums on the whole list. Probably not normally my thing but I try and keep an open mind. The first thing that hits me is the expected high level production for a modern album. Supermodel has a weird dissonance. It labours along in a weird, laggard way. Not sure why Love Galore is supposed to be by SZA but also featuring SZA. Weird. Has a decent beat and ok melody. I dunno, the crass lyrics just come across like tryhard edgy. Bit full. I really gave this album a shot. But it's garbage lol.

not my thing...didnt prefer the vocals at all and instrumentals werent that good 1/5

гавнище

I can't believe they praised her for her vocal delivery. If it wasn't for auto-tune she wouldn't even have a voice. If this is what female singers today ascertain to, real r&b is dead. They say she wrote the lyrics but it doesn't take a whole lot of talent to write these kind of lyrics. Supposedly she collaborated with other producers on the music. Translated, that means she didn't have a lot to do with it. And even if she did, this music sucks. Long live Aretha.

Als ik de hele rits schrijvers en producers al zie staan naast de tracklist, dan weet je al een beetje wat je te wachten staat. Ergens dus veel te commercieel, maar ik vind het ook wel weer prettig dat het goed geproduceerd is. Want die schelle bende uit de 70s en 80s is soms een pijniging van de trommelvliezen. Qua muziek is het wel redelijk wat ik had verwacht. Een beetje interessantdoenerij met veel te veel autotune en kale beatjes. Blijkbaar moeten dit soort zangeresjes op een voetstuk gehesen worden door de snobistische goegemeente en tegenwoordig in allerlei jaarlijstjes staan. Tja, het is allemaal niet per se slecht, maar zo tering tering teringsaai. Als ik heel objectief ben, zou ik er misschien nog een 3 uit kunnen persen, maar ik heb ontzettende zin om dit soort generieke crap af te straffen met een 1. Als er dan allemaal pussy en n**** voorbijkomt, of het diepzinnig is of ironisch dat interesseert me geen reet, dan ben ik er wel weer klaar mee. Ophoepelen met dit soort over het paard getilde kutmuziek.

Мабуть, не моє. Я поставила б 1,5

"Ctrl" by SZA is an album I genuinely do not understand being on this list. To me, this kind of heavily overproduced sound is pretty much the definition of what is wrong with a lot of todays music. I honestly tried to listen to the whole album, but I could not make it through it. After about 15 to 30 seconds into most songs, I had to skip them. Nothing ever really settled or grabbed me in a way that felt musical. For me, it mostly sounded like wailing layered over production, and not something I would personally call music. This one was a complete miss for me. Would rate it 0/5 stars, but the system does not allow that.

Terrible. The lyrics are crass and obnoxious. I hated this almost as much as “Heaux Tales” by Jasmine something.

What am I missing here? SZA's breakthrough debut is leaving me scratching my head with a giant question mark hovering over me. The beats are nearly all the same with mostly weak vocal rap sprinkled over it. There was very little to be found in terms of wordplay, rhyme schemes, or hooks that would make this album enjoyable. A couple featured artists phoned in some slop and called it day. The modern trap style influence is apparent which just doesn't resonate with me. I feel like such a prude saying it but singing about pussy, dicks and constant fucking doesn't sound empowering, it's just sounds trashy (whether coming from male or female artists). I was mostly nauseated as opposed to inspired by any of the subject matter. If this is one of the highest rated albums of 2017 and is lauded by critics it's no wonder that I have mostly abandoned modern rap, hip hop and R&B. There are worse entries on this list from a musical standpoint but I really didn't enjoy Ctrl. 1.35 stars

I made it through ... that's about all I can say for it.

Not for me. Very similar songs, with identical beats with different lyrics.