![\"SZA\"](\"http:\/\/illsocietymag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SZA.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nWhile listening to SZA<\/a>\u2019s CTRL<\/em>, I found the hairs on my arms stand erect as SZA sang several aspects of my life that I have otherwise struggled to voice.\u00a0A concept album that pairs\u00a0SZA\u2019s confessional RnB-Trap songs with her mother\u2019s lecture on having control intermitted between each track, CTRL<\/em>\u00a0serves as a memoir for SZA and a lesson for all of us, as it portrays a chapter in her life that we all go through or are currently experiencing \u2013 one where we become self-aware of our flaws and strengths, and we begin to regain control.<\/p>\n At the beginning of the album, while listening to \u201cSupermodel,\u201d I was immediately touched when her mother says, \u201cThat\u2019s my greatest fear, that if I lost control or did not have control, things would just, you know, be fatal.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s true. A lack of control in any aspect of our lives is overwhelming, emotionally draining, and can kill off our joy. I\u2019ve been there. I know how it feels to lose control and hit rock bottom; I know you know how it feels too. <\/p>\n With lyrics that are raw and explicit, SZA truthfully showcases her insecurities, flaws and even her strengths throughout CTRL. Displaying an array of emotions through blends of lofi, RnB-trap sounds with some more upbeat ones, SZA effectively covers topics that are prevalent with romance and the youth today, such as temporary and ambiguous lovers (\u201cSupermodel\u201d, \u201cBroken Clocks\u201d), the thoughts of being a side chick (\u201cThe Weekend\u201d), and the emotions behind casual relationships that lead nowhere (\u201cLove Galore\u201d). Aside from the typical topic of love in every RnB album, SZA also explores her identity, such as in \u201cDrew Barrymore\u201d where she points out her loneliness and insecurities and how they get in the way of her desire to seduce an ex-lover, and in \u201cProm,\u201d where she promises to herself that she will become more confident with age. She even covers female empowerment in \u201cDoves in the Wind\u201d, and how a female\u2019s true control over men is due to the power of the pussy, as most men desperately seek it. With all of these tracks covering SZA\u2019s ideals of romance and identity, this album becomes a reflection of her own life at “20 Something” – the most pivotal & defining ages of our life when we transition from teenager to an adult, and we experience the most pain and self-reflection.\u00a0She come\u2019s full circle in the album as she sings, \u201cPraying that 20 Somethings don\u2019t kill me.\u201d I am praying for that too. <\/p>\n \u00a0In a world where all our actions seem to be influenced or determined by everything we see, SZA sings to us about finding control within ourselves, and the cover art reflects this. The use of t.v.\u2019s and computers in the cover art places her on the forefront of media expectations of how an individual should act, behave, or even express themselves.\u00a0Though the album seems mainly directed at women, this album truly encompasses anyone who is learning to acquire a sense of control in their life outside of these expectations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re an old fan or new fan of SZA\u2019s, a 20-something year old or someone in need of some self-reflection, CTRL<\/em> is a memoir for any one going through the motions and trying to regain control. <\/p>\n Listen to this album now, and watch the video for “Love Galore” feat. Travis Scott below.<\/p>\n Words by Caroline Cardenas<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n