SZA’s struggles with self-doubt are well-documented; from re-recording her album so many times that Punch and Top Dawg had to steal her hard drive, to nearly quitting music altogether via a very public Twitter post, SZA definitely had to build her self-confidence to release such personal and vulnerable (and well-beloved!) songs about finding strength through heartbreak.
Fortunately for her, she did that before Jay-Z said he thought she was a fluke. In an interview with BBC, she relates the story of meeting the “4:44” rap mogul, who was “the first person to tell me that he thought I was a fluke, to my face,” she says, before adding, “I laughed and I said, ‘So do I!'” She elaborates, “He was just like, “You’re really good, you’re pretty good,” and I was like, “Thanks!” He said ‘I thought you were a fluke’ and I was like, ‘Me too!’”
She also explains her feelings of self-criticism that almost made her give up the game for good: “I question how I got into this mess, all the time, and then I question, do I want to stay in this mess all the time and then I question, do I love this mess? Or is there any other mess I’d rather be in? And it’s like, nah I guess I’ll keep this mess and pursue the rest of this mess.”
It seems fortunate for her that she stuck with it; CTRL is one of the most talked-about, critically-hailed albums of 2017, and her song “The Weekend” has become a favorite of fans and peers alike. It looks like everybody can relate to being insecure and feeling a little imposter syndrome at times, but it’s easier getting through it knowing that a “fluke” can become the future of R&B.
