Of the many amazing artists that have been snubbed by the Recording Academy at the Grammy Awards, SZA's is one that is most perplexing. Her critically acclaimed debut album CTRL earned the singer four nominations at the 60th Annual ceremony in 2018, as well as landing her a spot on the Best New Artist nominees list. She lost the category to Alessia Cara, causing an intense backlash from many music fans confused as to how the young pop singer beat SZA.
SZA herself, however, does not hold any grudges about the snub. “I’m just a girl from the ’burbs. I never had dreams of being nominated for a Grammy,” she said during a cover interview for the February Cosmopolitan. “I thought I was going to be a gymnast and a f**king business accountant somewhere. Or working at Nike corporate or some s**t in Portland. Who knows, but something that involved a power suit,” she continued.
“So it’s not a heavy burden. Once you’ve been nominated and lost, you’re very much free because you’re not concerned. I passed that threshold years ago—it’s an old energy to me. Why would I be mad?”
All that the 30-year-old "Good Days" singer is focused on now is cultivating her person. “Right now, more than ever, I’m just figuring it out—who I am and what I want that to be,” she went on. “Before, it was more about letting people know that I was a good writer and that I shouldn’t be counted out. And now it’s more, You have power; you can shape the world based on the things you genuinely care about.”
The February issue of Cosmopolitan that SZA graces the cover on will be available to purchase on January 12th.