“I didn’t even know what I was signing up for”

R&B singer-songwriter SZA is opening up about her complicated relationship with fame.

in a candid conversation one of the days Alongside Issa Rae and Keke Palmer, SZA (real name Solana Imani Rowe) admits that even after more than a decade in the spotlight, she still feels “weird” being in the public eye.

“Some people are very accustomed to being perceived by others and have different mechanisms to deal with this,” she explains. “Keke has a crazy network of mechanics where everything feels like it’s flowing, even when the camera is on.”

For SZA which dropped last month SOS Deluxe Edition: Lanafame is a foreign concept. “I really don’t know what happened. I don’t know what happened,” she continued.

“I’m not famous, I grew up in the suburbs, I went to regular schools, went to regular colleges, and worked regular odd jobs until it all worked out.”

The four-time Grammy winner elaborated: “I’ve never been scrutinized like this. … I feel comfortable, putting my shoulders down, knowing that I’m not in danger just because I’m being looked at by someone I don’t know. Here it comes. She echoed Keke Palmer’s sentiments, describing fame as “weird” and admitting that people often think she’s more comfortable with it, but she’s not.

SZA also reflected on her unexpected rise to superstardom: “They’d be like, ‘This is what you signed up for,’ and I’d be like, ‘Actually, I didn’t even know what I signed up for.'” I Just made a few songs and was happy that people liked them and then I just kept writing.

In a recent social media post in January, SZA shared her intention to create two children’s albums, saying the move was a way to be creative while thinking about a future outside of mainstream music.

“I think every day, ‘Am I tired of music?’ Maybe I just don’t want to be famous — I’m crashing and burning and acting erratically,” the singer told British Vogue last year.

“It’s not for me because I’m very anxious. But if I’m not supposed to do this, why would God put me in this position? So I just keep trying to deal with the situation. But I also just think, ‘Come on, this is the occasion. What a great experience.

SZA’s recent achievements suggest otherwise. Her latest album, SOS Deluxe Edition: LanaReleased on December 20, 2024, built on Ask for help”, the song stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for several weeks. Ask for help After 22 months, the album returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in December, thanks in large part to the buzz generated by the album’s deluxe reissue.

In addition to her solo work, SZA collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on “30 for 30” SOS Deluxe Edition: Lana The album debuted at No. 1 on the Hot R&B Songs chart, and the two artists will embark on a joint tour in 2025.