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Max Martin: Why a Pop-Hit Songwriter and Producer Created a Musical

March 31, 2023

Even if you don’t know who Max Martin is, you’ve definitely heard his songs. Hit-pop songs are kind of his thing after all. Martin first stepped into the music world in 1985 as a frontman for....

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MANILA GREY: Vancouver's Rising R&B Duo

March 18, 2023

The Filipino-Canadian duo from Vancouver has been releasing new tracks left and right, and they are known for their most streamed songs on Spotify, “Timezones,” and “Silver Skies.” Previously .......

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How did Miley Cyrus’ Heartbreak Song “Flowers” Break the Spotify Record?

March 17, 2023

The singer, songwriter, and actress Miley Cyrus has recently released a record-breaking song called “Flowers” in January 2023. This song recites her 10-year long relationship with her ex-husband....

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Men I Trust: Canada’s DIY Indie Band That Could Be Your New Favourite

March 4, 2023

Men I Trust is a Canadian indie pop band known for their dreamy and mellow sound. Their music is laid back, incorporating elements of funk, disco, and R&B to create a smooth and groovy vibe that is

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Basics For Building an At-Home Recording Studio

March 3, 2023

Artists like Kaytranada have proved that you don’t need access to a professional recording studio to create well-produced music. As technology and social media have advanced, it is now easier than eve

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Facing the Music: Legal Challenges With AI and Copyright Laws

February 25, 2023

People draw inspiration from others when forming their ideas, it’s a fact of life. Sampling in music is no exception - and artists do it for a variety of reasons. Traditionally, copyright laws and

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Tobias Jesso Jr.: GRAMMY-Winning Canadian Sells His Song Rights

February 23, 2023

Tobias Jesso Jr. You may know his name from his 2015 solo album Goon. Or maybe from his work on various popular songs, such as “When We Were Young” by Adele and “Alive” by Sia. Or even from his rece

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How Popular TV Shows and Movies Resurrect Classic Songs

February 23, 2023

HBO’s The Last of Us is arguably the hottest show out right now, receiving near universal acclaim from viewers and critics alike. This holds especially true for episode three: “Long, Long Time”.

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Ginalina: Bringing Her Taiwan Roots Into Her Latest Album

February 21, 2023

Folk singer. Songwriter. Canadian. Polyglot. All of these titles belong to Gina Lam, also known by her stage name Ginalina. In November 2022, she released her latest album titled Going Back: Remembe

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Rihanna’s Super Bowl Performance

February 21, 2023

Rihanna is an illustrious artist. She is among the best selling female artists of all time, and was one of the greatest hitmakers of the 2000s and 2010s. She has since grown to become the richest...

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How do Streaming Platforms Pay Artists - Is It Fair?

February 20, 2023

Streaming is now the driving force of the music industry, making up 84% of the industry revenue in the U.S. While streaming is much more convenient for listeners, many artists argue that it is near im

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Why Jay-Z Was Named The #1 Rapper Of All Time

February 23, 2023

Who is the greatest rapper of all time? Is it even possible to crown just one person? Well, Billboard and Vibe did exactly that. And, according to them, that person is Jay-Z. In honor of Hip-Hop’s

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Breaking Down The Genius of SZA’s Album ‘SOS’

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92.5 The Beat

Since SZA has released her latest album ‘SOS’, it has made a lot of buzz in the music industry. The album has received positive reviews for its combination of R&B, pop, and hip-hop and featured other artists like Travis Scott, Doja Cat, Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

The strong vocals and relatable lyrics in the album resonated with fans for its honesty and vulnerability, addressing self-love, heartbreak and empowerment from her ex-fiance. With her hit song “I Hate U” becoming a viral trend all over social media in 2021, the release of SOS was highly anticipated.

Billboard

This isn’t SZA’s first rodeo of album success. When her album ‘Ctrl’ came out in 2017, that’s when she started gaining recognition. The theme of ‘Ctrl’ was similar to ‘SOS’ but what makes her latest album different is its raw and blunt lyrics in a variety of the tracks.

The most played track in the album “Kill Bill,” has received over 800,000,000 million streams on Spotify. This song is not like many other songs, SZA’a ability to express her sarcasm in a catchy and soulful way is what got fans addicted to it.

Despite the fact that ‘SOS’ became a big hit, SZA revealed in an interview with HOT 97 that the process of creating it was so stressful that she never wanted to put music out again. It seems like a lot of artists can feel this way when there's a lot of pressure to succeed.

Streetz 94.5

Other viral tracks in the album also include “Blind,” and “Nobody Gets Me,”which are both amazing songs where fans can feel the vulnerability just by listening to the lyrics. It’s hard when you can’t see the red flags and no one else understands (pun intended).

As you listen to the other tracks, a majority of the album is inspired from SZA’s breakup with her ex-fiance. It just goes to show that celebrities are capable of experiencing love and pain as she shares her personal journey to her fans.

he album's title alone, 'SOS', speaks to the challenges that she has overcome and may even be a cry for help. It’s an evocative and powerful album that has captured many fans’ hearts.

Check the full interview of SZA by HOT 97, down below.