SZA on Redefining Hitmaker Status and Finding a Place For Her Sound After ‘Punching Up’ For So Long

variety.com:

SZA has been honored with Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year Award. After the release of her debut album “Ctrl” in 2017, the shapeshifting singer released her follow-up “SOS” to great anticipation.

And it paid off. Following its release in December last year, the album shattered records from Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin and would eventually become the longest-running No.

1 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. SZA, who brought her goddaughter, Nova, on stage with her at Variety’s Hitmakers event to accept the award, began by thanking her parents and her friends, only to be interrupted by an unexpected voice. “And Nova,” Nova piped. “And Nova,” the honoree answered with a big smile. “Thank you to Nova for bringing me joy and teaching me childlike wonder and reminding me what it’s like to not know what is going on and still be happy anyway,” the artist amended, drawing laughs from the crowd. “I just think it’s really ironic that I’m considered a hitmaker because punching up for so long, the whole conversation was, ‘I don’t make radio music.

I don’t have any radio hits. I don’t have a sound.’ I realized the biggest thank you is to those who saw me as a hitmaker before that,” said the “Kill Bill” singer. “To all my fans that listened to me before I ever went number one or anything like that.” “I really feel like being a hitmaker is just having other people, the public, believe what God and your inner circle that you’ve been blessed to have around you already sees in you.