Portrait · Erin Cazes / The Come Up Show / CC BY 2.0

SZA

Singer, songwriter and actor

Born 1989

SZA is the American singer and songwriter Solána Imani Rowe. Born in St. Louis and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, she studied marine biology at Delaware State University before leaving college. As a child she competed in gymnastics and later joined her school’s cheerleading team. Early singing on her brother Daniel’s recordings led her to write melodies and lyrics of her own. In 2011, while distributing clothing merchandise at a Kendrick Lamar show, she met TDE president Punch. Independent EPs See.SZA.Run and S preceded her signing to Top Dawg Entertainment and the Z EP. She also co-wrote Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé’s Feeling Myself and Travis Scott’s Ok Alright before her major-label debut. Ctrl brought candid, conversational songwriting into an eclectic mix of R&B, soul and alternative music; SOS extended that range with songs including Kill Bill, Snooze and Nobody Gets Me. Collaborations span Kendrick Lamar, Doja Cat, Phoebe Bridgers and Drake. The LANA expansion develops SOS rather than constituting a third studio album. Her work with Lamar includes All the Stars, the Grand National Tour and Luther, which won two Grammy categories in 2026. She played Alyssa opposite Keke Palmer in One of Them Days, performed on Sesame Street and joined the forthcoming CoComelon film as Princess Harmony. Beyond recording, she founded Not Beauty and became Vans’ artistic director through a creative partnership. Her recent work includes a guest appearance on Victoria Monét’s Frequency of Love.

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