SZA is one of the hottest hip hop/R&B acts on the face of the Earth right now, with her 2022 album SOS continuing to bring in accolades and drive incredible sales. The deluxe edition of the album, titled Lana, is expected to drop in the near future, with the "Kill Bill" singer initially claiming the project was slated for a Fall 2023 release. While SZA has remained highly cryptic with the details of the upcoming project, there are a few key pieces of information that we have confirmed thus far.
SZA Has Shared Over Half A Dozen Possible Covers For The Project
SZA took to Instagram to share a series of images, each highlighted by a caption reading simply "LANA." The images, which range from shots of the singer flanked by farm animals or camping out surrounded by nature, are a far cry from the cover image of SOS. On the SOS cover, SZA can be seen overlooking the crashing waves of a treacherous and choppy sea beneath her, from a vantage point atop a long diving board. The image invokes themes of solitude, loneliness, and misunderstanding, each representing central themes of the album's content.
If these new cover variants exist to provide fans with an understanding of the themes present on Lana, the album will likely focus on concepts such as growth, fertility, and tapping into the natural spaces around oneself. One image in particular sees SZA standing in a lush green field, draped with vines and leaves in place of her usual flowing locks.
The Album Will Contain Brand New Music
Though Lana was first billed as a deluxe outing for SOS, it seems the project has grown into a full-length creation all its own. SZA recently explained that the album began as a simple compilation of B-sides but now contains a host of new music that she has worked on since the release of her last studio album over one year ago.
When she first discussed the project back in August, SZA referred to Lana as a 7-10 track outing, which would be less focused on being a cohesive body of work and geared more toward releasing songs that couldn't find a home on the 23-track run of SOS. As she continued working on the project, it seemed as though SZA's perspective on Lana had changed, with the singer telling Variety, "I can’t tell if now’s the time to be careless, or consistent" back in September.
The Album's Title Carries A Special Significance
When SZA first announced Lana as a deluxe title for SOS, many fans wondered who or what the title could be referencing. Apparently, SZA, whose real name is Solána Imani Rowe, has taken on Lana as something of an alter ego. According to the "Gone Girl" performer, this stems from a tattoo she got when she was 13. Apparently, some friends were providing tattoos for $10 per letter, and SZA had $40 to spend, resulting in her choosing Lana for no particular reason.
Beyond that, the tracklist, release date, and features for Lana have all remained unconfirmed, leaving fans with very little information to parse through. Of course, SZA's latest photo dump of potential Lana covers seems to have signaled significant progress on the project, meaning a release could be just around the corner.
[Via]