SZA is one of the biggest names in music, but that doesn’t mean she loves being on the biggest stage.
The “Kill Bill” singer spoke about her complicated relationship with the Grammy Awards, which despite nominating her in five categories in 2018 made her leave at the end of the night empty-handed. Now, she has gone on to paint a bleak picture of the music industry’s biggest awards show.
“It’s not normal,” SZA told Rolling Stone, referring to the awards show and mingling with other artists and music industry influencers. “I hate that [other artists] Acting like this is normal and no one talks about it at all.”
“There are so many things missing there,” SZA continued, calling the Grammys room “one of the strangest rooms ever.”
“Wanting to be noticed, wanting to be recognized, winning, wanting to simply be among [other artists] in the room, wanting to feel valuable or validated. All of us are there fighting for something.
“It’s like a dark, thirsty space,” he added.
SZA also recalled the awkward and difficult task of having to perform her song “Broken Clocks” in front of the audience at Madison Square Garden and live on television during the 2018 Grammys, right after losing in every category in which she was nominated. She called the situation “strange.”
She previously said she was over her losses at the Grammys, telling Cosmopolitan in 2021: “Once you’re nominated and you lose, you’re very free because you don’t worry. I passed that threshold years ago; For me it is an old energy. Why would I be angry?
Since then, SZA has become a household name. He won his first and only Grammy in 2022, for pop duo group performance for “Kiss Me More” alongside Doja Cat. His last album, the smash hit “SOS,” was praised by critics and fans alike. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing Taylor Swift’s “Midnights,” and held the top spot for more than two months. SZA also toured the hit album throughout 2023, including two sold-out nights at the Kia Forum in Inglewood. This year, “SOS” is expected to gain support from Grammy voters. However, this awards season, SZA has already generated headlines about yet another snub.
Last month, her longtime manager, Terrence “Punch” Henderson, revealed that he had removed SZA from talks to perform at the 2023 VMAs, citing the fact that she had not been nominated for artist of the year. despite its recent commercial and critical success, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Nominees included Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Karol G, Nicki Minaj, Shakira and Taylor Swift, with Swift taking home the award.
Nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards will be announced on November 10, and the ceremony will take place on February 4 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
“It means something, but it’s not everything,” SZA said of the Grammys in the Rolling Stone article. “But it is something important that it is here. In some ways it matters.”
