SZA : 15 Things You Should Know About The First Lady Of TDE

After selling out Auckland’s Powerstation in 2018, and then relocating and selling out Logan Campbell Centre, it was only right that the First Lady of TDE perform at Spark Arena in 2019.

SZA has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about SZA.

15: She Wants to Be a SeaWorld Trainer. 
Before SZA pursued a career in music, she was studying marine biology and actually wanted to be a SeaWorld trainer. She says that she still has aspirations of working in a zoo someday.

14: She Is a Trained Gymnast. 
As a child, SZA trained as a gymnast for an impressive 13 years! She says that she still sometimes breaks out into a handstand. Her background in gymnastics helped to fuel her dream of being a SeaWorld trainer.

13: She Is a Jazz Fan.
 SZA grew up very sheltered from pop culture, so she was exposed to a lot of jazz growing up. She grew up listening to Incognito, Jamiroquai and Groove Theory. She likes that her sound – especially her raspiness – is similar to Ella Fitzgerald’s.

12: She Was Fired From a Bartending Job. 
SZA was bartending and asked for time off. Though she told her boss she had to babysit for her sister, in reality, she had to go play a show. Her boss subsequently fired her, although we’re guessing she doesn’t mind so much now.

11: She Writes Poetry. 
SZA has been writing poetry since she was just a teenager. Her music is highly influenced by poetry as well. As a child, SZA grew up with Emily Dickinson and Shel Silverstein.

10: She Starts Most of Her Songs Off as Freestyles. 
SZA says that she channels her creativity by freestyling, and that’s how most of her songs come to fruition.

9: She Is the Only Female Artist Under Top Dawg Entertainment. 
The label represents Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q as well.

8: Success Runs in Her Blood.
 Both of SZA’s parents were very successful on their own. SZA’s mother was an executive at AT&T, and her father was an executive producer for CNN.

7: She Was Raised an Orthodox Muslim.
 SZA’s parents are from different religious sects; however, they raised her as Orthodox Muslim. Her father is Muslim, and her mother is Christian.

6: She Was Bullied.
 Because SZA wore a Hijab in school, she was teased a lot – especially around the time of the September 11 attacks.

5: She Gets Her Styles From the Big Screen. 
SZA has said that her fashion style is influenced by films, especially those films by Wes Anderson such as Moonrise Kingdom. She has also said that she is influenced by director Spike Lee.

4: Her Name Has Meaning. 
SZA was born Solana Rowe, but her current name is not simply a shortening of her birth name. She told Complex that “SZA” comes from the Supreme Alphabet. The “S” could mean savior or sovereign, the “Z” stands for zig-zag, and the “A” stands for Allah.

3: She Went to Three Different Colleges. 
When SZA graduated from secondary school, she cycled through three different colleges before eventually dropping out. She reportedly dropped out in freshman year because she was high too often.

2: She Would Wear Pajamas on Stage. 
In an effort to optimize her vocal performance and comfort, SZA will sometimes wear pajamas on stage. She usually wears loose, free-flowing clothing to perform.

1: She Is Her Own Person. 
Above all, SZA has said that she wants to be thought of as her own person. She rejected comparisons to Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill because she said she has no “desire to be that.” Ultimately, she does not want to be pressured into making music she doesn’t want to make, and who can argue with that?

Purchase your tickets HERE to see SZA live.