Ctrl

Reminds me of the time my grandmother took us out of a Pink Panther movie because it was "vulgar."

Well mixed and nice beats. Very wide range on vocals

Это хорошо, классно, интересно Инструменталы интересные, плотные Вокал тоже не самый обычный Переслушивать буду 3.6

ok

Geil

3.6/5 honestly pretty good chill vibe

I'm not really sure exactly why, but this album just didn't do it for me. I never really found a way to enjoy her voice (or at least accept it as part of the experience), and the lyrics generally seemed to alternate between bland and not-all-that-insightful (and the first few tracks likely would have gotten claims of misogyny if they were delivered by a man, especially in 2017). The music was distractingly muddy, scratchy and somewhat distorted, all of which was likely intentional (especially given the focus on analog production), but that doesn't really make it any more interesting or palatable. That said, it was pretty impressive to see how many videos she'd made for the album. Overall, though, this album doesn't really feel like it's a must-hear selection.

What a great sounding album. So much happening without losing the emotion.

It's nice as background music, but none of the songs were really special to me.

Ok overall. More chill than I expected. Liked 20 Something.

soldi new contemporary hip hop album with interesting beats

'Let me tell you a secret / I've been secretly banging your homeboy.' Is it so easy to call SZA the female Frank Ocean that I shouldn't bother? & yet, it's so true: the same sexually charged lyricism, the same urgency + ennui, the same vocal sophistication + almost childish inflections, & the fact that, like Channel Orange, Ctrl is the definition of a modern classic. After releasing My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010, Kanye would pass the torch to a trio of new hip-hop/r&b ambassadors: Frank, Kendrick, SZA. Tyler, Earl, & Acid Rap Chance are candidates, but those three are most crucial. I know I am neglecting Beyonce, but she comes into her own in the 2010s, meaning she'd been around for a while. Ctrl is lovely, smart, addictive, & pregnant.

I like songs that talk endlessly about pussy as much as the next guy, and I’m down with a slick, vibey R&B album to soundtrack an evening. A bit of autotune nonsense was distracting, but otherwise I had good time with this one.

This is as close to the perfect encapsulation of “not for me” as it comes. This does not mean it’s a bad album, and it honestly exceeded my expectations. But I am never going to listen to this again, and that’s fine. Both SZA and I can live out our lives quite happily.

This was fine

there are better things to listen to

65

This is definitely one the albums on the list I can’t be unbiased about because it’s apart of my younger self. Some of if not the best R&B to come out of the 2010’s. I love it!!!

Nice, mellow grooves - 3.5/5

1. 4 2. 4.5 3. 4 4. 5 5. 3.5 6. 5 7. 3.5 8. 4 9. 4 10. 4.5 11. 3 12. 4.5 13. 4 14. 4.5

Kompetent gemachtes, vielschichtiges und stark vorgetragenes Album. Krasse Sing/Rapstimme, sehr stream of consciousness, ehrliche Texte. Es ist halt trotzdem modern R&B und damit kann ich relativ wenig anfangen, verstehe viele der Referenzen nicht. Deshalb nur

Really good album this

nice, a little bit too r'n'b for me

Professional musicians should not be using autotune.

Pretty little birds pretty little birds🕊️🕊️

This encompasses everything i don't like about modern pop music. Even the appearances from well-liked artist can't save it.

Great pop/r&b album. Music is nice, samples are good, beats are good, lyrics are pretty good. She has a great vocal delivery. The rap/hiphop features are generally good too. Enjoyed the listen through. I think it’s a 5 for me, or at least a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5 here.

broken clocks musica importantissima

плохо разбираюсь, но слушается с огромным удовольствием

Crtl - SZA (2017) Never took time to actually listen to her. Was a nice discovery. ⭐⭐⭐ 7/10

Ruim

Album got better as it progressed, though SZA's voice is distinctly tuneless throughout.

Not my thing, but intriguing wu tang name

Didn’t care for this one. Musically it’s ok, lyrically it’s not compelling to me. Eh.

5/10

I can listen to this contentedly, but I can't tell when the album ends and the algorithm takes over.

mixed feeling but better than 43% of other albums here for sure

It's alright.

Better than I probably thought it would be. A strong 2010s pop debut for an artist I only really know by name. A lot of pussy in this one also, good sound but nothing all that great.

Of absolutely zero interest.

Normal

Boring music, non existent melodies, heavily autotuned vocals all over and questionable lyrics. And it's not that sexual themes in music would be bad or anything, but I like it written in a clever, fun or sensual or poetic or humorous way that shows some mastery of words, not just repeating that pussy is everything like a pupil who has just learned that word for the first time. I just didn't find anything to like here except maybe the first song that felt kind of fresh and confessional, hence two stars.

A great, soulful voice wasted on booty and p***y songs. I wanted to like it, but a huge distraction that she didn't need to sing about. Her talent is above the lyrics.

Album #217: SZA – Ctrl ⭐⭐⭐ I was happy to see this one come up this morning because I thought to myself, oh look, a modern album. Haven’t had many of them lately. Then I realised 2017 was nearly ten years ago. This made me feel like a really old bastard. I liked it. I liked it more than a three-star rating would make it seem, but I can’t give it more than three stars because it’s got a few issues. Firstly, it’s too long. It’s too samey, and thematically it’s all about the exact same thing, except for a couple of moments here and there. She’s basically just singing about sex, pussy, bad men and a few good men. Really nothing else going on, and that just got a little tiresome. But she does sing about those things quite well. I think it’s very front-loaded. It opens with its best song and its best vocal performance with Supermodel, and I loved the sombre, clean guitar sound on that track. It’s this really interesting kind of hip-hop, almost like an acoustic hip-hop song in a way. I thought it was really, really cool. Her voice and flow are amazing on that song. It’s a great lyric, full of vitriol and really powerful, and I was excited for the rest of it. But that sound slowly starts to strip away, and towards the end it becomes much more of that dreamy alternative R&B sound that was very popular at the time. It just wasn’t as interesting to me. This album very much feels of its era. As well as that, she sounds extremely English in places. This is just an observation. I was amazed that she was American at all. She sounds exactly like Jorja Smith in a lot of these tunes. I don’t know who came first, but she just has a really English way of delivering things. I don’t know if that’s just me or not. Her voice also sounds quite ubiquitous now. You hear that kind of voice everywhere. I imagine she was quite influential because this kind of modern hip-hop and R&B sound for a female vocalist is everywhere. Look, she’s great. It is a genuinely great album, but it’s too long and thematically it’s too repetitive. If you wanted to just dip into it or hear a couple of singles here or there, it is really, really good. Really enjoyed it.

I've developed an affinity for SZA not an all out obsession but surely an appreciation. This album is chilled out and groovy, a but slow and lazy but production, vocal performance and features are great. Subject matter of the songs are suggestive but who really cares? Like people like sex, and ass and tiddies so why not sing about it.

Meh

I can tell she’s talented and I really like her voice but this style of music just ain’t it for me.

An insightful and emotional journey, lots of bangers

Meh

Catchy, melodic with understated beats and delivered. But it does no bring anything really different to the table. It's just well made and produced.

The first and second song (Supermodel - Love Galore) bored me to death. Ruined the rest of the album for me. I thought, “phew, 12 more songs“, but I gave it a chance. To be honest it felt like watching paint dry. Even the guests did not make it better. Definitely not for my taste of music. (Listened to it on Apple Music)

What absolute shit. Boring melodies. Way too fucking much auto-tune.

this just took over modern kosmology as my most recent generated album :) something i was actually around to witness

I thought it would be worse, than I expected, but in reality it is not that bad, so I put it tge middle

2.46

2/10

SZA’s Ctrl is an album built around oversharing, messy relationships and insecurity and, somewhat surprisingly, I actually liked parts of it. Modern R&B generally isn’t for me. I often find the production too repetitive, with similar beats running through track after track, and some of the language and lyrics can really put me off. There are definitely moments on Ctrl where I had exactly those problems, but there’s also much more storytelling here than I was expecting. SZA is incredibly open throughout the album. She writes about relationships, jealousy, sex, insecurity and getting older in a way that feels very personal, almost like you’re listening to someone’s diary. I didn’t always enjoy the way those stories were told, but at least there was something interesting going on beneath the music. “20 Something” was probably the track I connected with most. There’s something very relatable about that first point in your life when you suddenly realise you’re getting older and perhaps haven’t got everything figured out quite as much as you thought you would. Overall, this still isn’t really my type of music and there were plenty of tracks I struggled with, but I definitely enjoyed parts of Ctrl more than I expected to. Favourite track: “20 Something”. A decent track with a theme I could actually connect with. Least favourite track: “Doves in the Wind”. I really didn’t enjoy this one. The lyrics and language completely put me off, although there were several tracks I could have picked here. Album artwork: Lots of old TVs! I actually quite like it. It’s unusual and memorable.

Rab docela peak

Listened before?: yes, a few times. can't believe this album is nearly a decade old now Supermodel - 4/5 Love Galore - 4/5 Doves in the Wind - 5/5 Drew Barrymore - 5/5 Prom - 4/5 The Weekend - 5/5 Go Gina - 3/5 Garden (Say It Like Dat) - 4/5 Broken Clocks - 4/5 Anything - 3/5 Wavy (Interlude) - no rating Normal Girl - 4/5 Pretty Little Birds - 3/5 20 Something - 3/5 Average score: 3.9/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ i remember thinking more highly of this album when it first released than i do currently, but it's still a pretty good listen. only real complaint i have was some tracks sounded so similar to each other that they felt a little redundant (her vocals, the guitar strumming, etc). despite all that, she's got a lovely voice and the production is pretty tight side note: everyone has their own taste in music but damn, a lot of you dorks on this site heard ONE song about sexuality and lost your shit. is this album really so bad, or do you just hate women? (*black* women, particularly...)

um dos melhores albums de r&b do século. não é por nada que só por esse album a SZA virou um dos nomes principais do r&b e do pop. tem um valor replay absurdo e uma das escritas mais pessoais e reais da ultima década. ela consegue ir pra varios lugares interessantes sonoramente nesse álbum e todos ela executa com mestria. lista de feats tb é muito impressionante considerando que esse é o debut dela. cpa nao tenha nenhuma música que eu pularia. pessoalmente um dos meus álbuns favoritos de todos os tempos. musicas favoritas: drew barrymore, garden (say it like dat), supermodel. o deluxe do album é tão absurdo quanto o que diz muito.

Inoffensive.

I dreaded this album but after a few songs I am enjoying it a bit more than I thought. It's not really for me but it is far more interesting than I was expecting. Okay this album gets pretty repetitive after a while.

The only "Control" that belongs on this list is the one by Janet (Miss Jackson, if you're nasty).

I’m pleasantly shocked that this was on the list. Not a 5 but close enough.

Baba catch up

Highlights: Drew Barrymore, Broken Clocks In a nutshell: total control. This album isn't for me. It's for the kids that I didn't have. 2010's neo soul cum contemporary R&B was likely inspired by (Ms) Lauryn Hill, Estelle, Aliyah and Erykah Badu. By the looks of it, SZA gave the genre the breath of life when hip hop suffocated the (music) market. So I have to give her credit for that. Also, fair is fair. We've heard male identifying musicians talk about their dicks and sexual stamina for decades. There is nothing wrong about SZA singing about her pussy on Doves In The Wind. Chill, please. Overall: 4/10

Unbelievably overrated as an artist

This is Sports Direct musak.

This is a good album although I feel like the sophomore album ranked higher than the first one, but this is still a good album. SZA has a different style when it comes to writing in her melodies, but she brings it together well if that makes sense. This is the album that caught our eye when it came to her her or I should say cut our ear. She has a very different sound, and I love how she blended in the messages from her mom and her grandma rest in peace to her grandma and she is a true artist.

sza is a great talent who brings in great guests here. much of the album is good to very good. but i'm just so bored by almost all sexually explicit rap. it's not a problem with their work. it's just not interesting to me

3.5 stars I’ll admit this entire genre is bit of blind spot to me. SZA lyrics come off as authentic, warts and all. Obviously talented but also unique. Like an Amy Winehouse if she was making music for modern black American women. If this was my type of genre it would prob be a 5. Middle of the album kind of drags for me and quite frankly I’ll probably never play the whole album again. But it was good! I enjoyed it! Supermodel: there is a bit of a lo-fi aesthetic here, with a minimalist approach to the overall production. I say this as a compliment. Lyrically she seems very authentic. Love Galore: Good song. Until the Travis Scott part, I don’t see the appeal of him Doves in the Wind: in a word, pussy. Kendrick is fine on this. Song is fine. It’s not really for my demo Drew Barrymore: I believe this was the hit single? I can see that. Oddly catchy, great production, good performance and lyrics from SZA. Dig this song Prom: more good production. I can see why this was very critically acclaimed. The Weekend: Apt song title as the chorus sounds like it could be a song from The Weeknd’s early catalogue. Go Gina: it’s fine Garden (say it like dat): the production, while good, is starting to become a little repetitive at this point. Again, the lyrics are great. Broken Clocks: Again, album is getting a little stale. Song is fine. But it’s getting less engaging Anything: ok, this is different from the previous songs! Good song. But more importantly it gets you to reengage with the album. Wavy: short and sweet. The past two songs are good examples of “album songs”. You need them to keep an album interesting but would never release as a single. The only “great” album that doesn’t have one of these is Thriller. No one else is making a Thriller though. Normal Girl: song is fine. Another song I wouldn’t look out for but if it’s on, cool. Pretty Little Bird: one of better songs on the album. Really dig this one 20 something: good way to end an album. She’s 27/28 singing about her 20s. She’s ready to close the book on this part of her life and move on to the next, hoping it’s better. Perfect way to end a debut album in my opinion.

This is pretty good, far superior to Mariah Carey. 4.

I don't think it's a bad album, but i also think it wasn't that critical for me to listen to it before i'm dead. 2.5/5

fine but not fior me.

it's a nice break from white men

So easily does SZA tackle several different styles of music in this album. Introspective and melodious pieces. Straight raps. Classical RB. Great stuff, amazing voice.

7/10

I'll save my old man rant. Not for me.

Wonderful album, one of the first I've seen pop up on this generator that I was truly old enough to appreciate as it was released. Spent a lot of time with it in highschool, so I'm certainly biased.

Favorite track(s): Supermodel, Love Galore, Doves in the Wind, Prom, The Weekend, Garden (Say It Like Dat), Broken Clocks, 20 Something Lotta middle-aged white men heard this and got reminded that their wife doesn't fuck them anymore. Heard before Previous rating: 8/10

Better than I thought. I'm glad I tried

4.5. Really like this

I liked but didn't love this one. She has a nice style and voice, but I didn't fully connect with her. I'd be willing to try another album of hers in the future though.

Non mi fa impazzire il genere

it sounds nice but i cant relate to the lyrics

Pre-rant actual album review: This is a very well made album in the same vein as Blonde. Love the minimalism, and Sza has great vocals. Great features too. Not my absolute favorite so not a 5, but a very solid 4, and something I’d suggest people listen to. Rant: What is it about rap made post-2010 (with exception for Kendrick, god bless) that makes this website lose its collective mind? I have no clue. This review section is OBSCENE!!!! I thought Channel Orange was bad, but holy shit. God forbid a black woman sings about sex every once in a while, you’d think there was straight sexting happening on some of these tracks. I’d love to see these old white British boomers’ opinions on Iggy Pop singing about how bad he wants to fuck teenagers. Oh wait - THAT ALBUM IS RATED A 3.5!!!!!! The fact that this has a 2.92 (as of the time of writing, praying future reviewers will be kinder) is incredibly shocking. This is actually interesting and a welcome switch up compared to the umpteenth 80s britpop slop that shows up once a week. Fuck.

This was fine. We listened to it in the car so my attention was not quite undivided, but didn't love it or hate it.

It's fine -- SZA isn't my bag

Doves in the wind es la mejor del álbum, está muy weno. Un poco largo pa ser un disco rn&b hiphop pero amo la música así que te da ganas nomás de disociar tomando un cafesito frio

The way Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man…” provided an instant blueprint for other female soul singers to follow, SZA’s “Ctrl” gave 2010s R&B a new status quo. Intimate, diaristic, and catchy—this album is trap-soul made with actual soul. While not exactly a poet, SZA’s lyrics manage to capture the realities of love in the internet age without a hint of insincerity or pandering. I just adore this album, and while I fear she may never top it, I’d love to be proven wrong. Fav Tracks: Supermodel, Doves in the Wind, Drew Barrymore, Go Gina, Garden (Say It Like Dat), Anything, Normal Girl, 20 Something Least Fav: Pretty Little Birds Score: 9

i like. 3.50 sterne

Un poco demasiado auto tune para mi gusto pero se deja

Tried it. Hated it.

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.

Ctrl Let me tell you a secret, I’ve been secretly banging your homeboy Musically and rhythmically I really liked this. The drum sound and patterns throughout are great, particularly on Supermodel, Go Gina and Doves in the Wind, and I really like the woozy pitch shifting and synths on the latter. Prom has nice early 80s drum machine feel and The Weekend has an excellent synth line, and Anything has some enjoyable squiggles and drumming. But I really don’t enjoy her vocal affectations, particularly the rhoticism, sounding too much like John Lewis advert singing. Melodically it’s also a bit hit and miss, Love Galore and Doves in the Wind are nice, and Prom is very catchy, but too frequently it leans too heavily into horizontalness, meaning a lot of the songs don’t feel particularly memorable. Overall, it's a funny one, there’s lots I like, and it did grow on me, but the vocal style and vocal mannerisms and style are just a bit jarring. I’ll just scrape it to a low 3, mainly on the music and production. ⌨️⌨️⌨️ Playlist submission: Doves in the Wind

At what point did we become so numb to pussy and dick being banded about willy-nilly. Don't get me wrong, I like to cuss, and have had sex before - but this is genital-hungry. 'Love Galore' has lyrics that Gen Z probably consider the height of romance - "let me come inside you, plant the seed inside you" (and that's how I met your Grandad). 'Supermodel' ruins a good tune with a speech impediment ("tempowawy love") and talking about humping her man's homeboy. Whomever was employed as the explicit content moderator has had a mare on 'Doves', as one 'dick' in inexplicably bleeped, yet several other dicks, a few fucks, and many, many pussies are left untouched. And that's the rub, at least for side one. The genitally-fixated lyrics detract from tunes that are melodically a cut above SZA's peers. The first half of the album especially has a great run of languorous altern-RnB. 'Drew Barrymore' is the pick. So some very pleasing and interesting backing tracks with a number of catchy melodies. Some of it derailed by singing about cock n fanny. I think a low three is fair.

You can tell the talent is there. This isn’t my style of preferred music, but it’s better than some of the Brit pop that keeps coming up. A few of these songs sound a bit like Temu Taylor Swift, that isn’t a terrible thing.

The music was pretty good if I didn't listen to the lyrics.

Gritty, raw, occasionally crude neo-soul.

The hits were a nice throwback and a good memory of the past. The rest ehh 2.5