SZA is one of the most acclaimed R&B artists of her generation. Her debut album Ctrl earned five Grammy nominations and regularly lands on best-albums-of-the-decade lists, and she has since collaborated with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Doja Cat, and Justin Timberlake.
But how much do you actually know about her? Here are 15 verified facts about the woman born Solána Imani Rowe.
SZA's stage name is pronounced "Sizza" and comes from the Supreme Alphabet, a system used by the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan to interpret letters and words. In that system, S-Z-A stands for "Sovereign," "Zig-Zag," and "Allah."
She was born Solána Imani Rowe on November 8, 1989, in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up mainly in Maplewood, New Jersey.
SZA was raised in an Orthodox Muslim household. She stopped wearing the hijab after the September 11 attacks but still identifies as Muslim.
Before music, SZA was a competitive gymnast for about 13 years and once hoped to compete at the Olympic level, until a knee injury ended that ambition.
She studied marine biology at Delaware State University, leaving college during her final semester to pursue music full-time.
SZA didn't start her music career until her early twenties, initially recording songs to cope with the boredom of a retail job.
Her debut EP, "See.SZA.Run," was released independently in 2012, two years before she signed with Top Dawg Entertainment.
Her debut studio album, "Ctrl" (2017), received five Grammy nominations, including Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best New Artist.
"Ctrl" features guest appearances from Travis Scott, James Fauntleroy, and Isaiah Rashad.
Her 2018 collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, "All the Stars" from the "Black Panther" soundtrack, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and won the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
SZA won her first Grammy in 2022, taking Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Kiss Me More" with Doja Cat.
Her second studio album, "SOS" (2022), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
SZA has been open about her struggles with anxiety and depression, discussing them in interviews and in her music.
She is a vocal advocate for body positivity, frequently speaking about her own path to self-acceptance.
In 2018, SZA partnered with Tarte Cosmetics on a limited-edition lipstick as part of the brand's Rainforest of the Sea collection.
Her stated musical influences include Billie Holiday, Lauryn Hill, Björk, Miles Davis, and Wu-Tang Clan, spanning jazz, folk, and hip-hop.
Because she was born on November 8, SZA's zodiac sign is Scorpio.
We write every article to be genuinely fun — and genuinely true. Each fact is checked against reputable sources before it goes live. Spotted something off? Tell us and read our fact-check policy.
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