Not A Drill: We Could Be Getting New SZA Music Soon

SZA is teasing new music — or at least something big. The SOS singer shared a photo of her updated tour merchandise on Instagram Stories with the caption, “New tour merch, new set, new _____,” alongside the shushing emoji on June 23. And while the R&B singer-songwriter, who’s been crushing this summer’s festival circuit, could be referencing any number of possibilities, fans are hopeful that this means the long-promised follow-up to her 2022 sophomore album is around the corner.

In 2023, the “Kill Bill” singer told fans that the planned deluxe edition for SOS had blossomed into “a whole other album” of “seven to 10 songs” called Lana. The title, she revealed to Variety, came from a play on her real name Solana. “It’s the first tattoo I ever got, when I was 13,” she explained. “It was 10 bucks a letter and I only had $40, so that became my nickname for no reason.” Then, in December, she posted a series of album covers on Instagram marked with the “Parental Advisory” sticker, seemingly teasing four variants for the upcoming LP. When the dreamy standalone single “Saturn” dropped in March 2024, it seemed like another starry-eyed release was just around the corner.

However, just a few weeks later, after a handful of tracks leaked, SZA seemingly changed her tune. In a since-deleted tweet, the singer wrote, “Y’all leaked three songs from the deluxe. At this point, y’all can keep the throwaways and leaks. I’ll be starting [Lana] from scratch. Do not ask me about it again.” She added that the new record “[deserved] more time and music no one’s ever heard before.”

The singer implied that instead of dropping Lana, she would consolidate the leaks and add them to SOS before getting started on her third record, though a deluxe release has yet to materialize. That being said, there are a few tracks fans are expecting to drop eventually, including “Boy From South Detroit,” which she performed at a 2023 concert in Brooklyn, and the leaked trap tune “Joni,” which pays tribute to folk icon Joni Mitchell. (Drake himself begged for its release on social media in January.)

SZA is set to play a handful of festival dates through August, but her decision to change up the setlist and freshen up her tour merch feels like an indicator that a new era is upon us — but whether it’s a full-length album or just a few songs is to be seen. Regardless, we could use some soulful bops to get us through this Cancer season, even if the “Snooze” singer jokingly discriminates against the astrological sign. “I don’t make Cancer music,” she quipped in a TikTok for Apple Music earlier this year before doubling back: “Jk, I love y’all.”