SZA Keeps It Real On How She Feels When Her Music Is Leaked: "'F*** You Now I'm Not Releasing It'"  

BYZachary Horvath6.1K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
SZA Performs at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - February 27th, 2023 - SZA performs at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. during her SOS Tour. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
SZA shares a similar feeling that a lot of artists have.

SZA has been one of the most successful R&B artists for the past five years or so now. It is certainly well deserved, especially for how much quality she has put into the space. She just has something special to her that not many artists can say they have. Anytime the St. Louis, Missouri native drops a new single, an album, or even a feature, listeners are dying to hear it right on the spot. However, while that is all good and well, some get a little overzealous about it.

So much so, that her massive fan base finds a way to get a hold of the music before it is out. This is one of, if not the biggest pet peeve for an artist to deal with. SZA spoke about her feelings toward this dilemma. She did so in her recent feature with Variety, after claiming their Hitmaker of the Year title for 2023.

SZA Is Letting Out Her True Emotions

The Fader snagged some quotables from the interview and SZa was not afraid to get candid about it. "When people leak my songs, they ruin them. Then it's not mine anymore; it's actually yours. It's something unfinished that you decided was ready to be shared." She continues, "It's like, 'F*** you. Now I’m not releasing it.' Play your leak, but you're not gonna bully me into dropping music." SZA also mentions how it places her in an uncomfortable headspace. "I'm now embarrassed by this less-than-correct version that you put out. You've sent me into a weird space creatively when you could have just waited for me, but you're selfish."

What are your initial thoughts on what SZA had to say about her music getting leaked? Do you think this has to be the most gear-grinding thing for an artist to endure? How can the industry as a whole prevent songs from getting out unfinished? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around SZA. Furthermore, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.

About The Author
Zachary Horvath is one of the Music Freelance News Writers at HotNewHipHop and has held that title since August 2023. Prior to this position, he held another freelance gig covering local high school football, girls and boys varsity basketball, in addition to recapping Cleveland Cavaliers games remotely. He's taken the previous experience and used it to become a jack of all trades at HotNewHipHop. Zach has thoroughly enjoyed tackling some of the trending topics in sports, with a larger focus on hip-hop and pop culture. Some of those include Bronny James's draft stock, a multitude of angles swirling around the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, as well as Diddy's arrest and lawsuits. Separate from the headlines that everyone wants to hear about, he was fortunate enough to help spread Zaytoven's current thoughts at the time around mid-December in 2023. Even though being able to give his expertise on these stories is fulfilling, being able to share his passion for releases trumps that ever so slightly. Having the chance to express his excitement indirectly about what he thinks our readers should be checking out/revisiting grows his passion for writing that much more.
...