Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, is an American singer and songwriter. Rowe was born in St. Louis, Missouri but raised in Maplewood, New Jersey. She released her self-released debut EP, See.SZA.Run in October 2012.
In April 2013, SZA released her S EP to good critical reviews— in July of that same year, it was announced she was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and began working on her Z EP, which would eventually become a full-fledged album.
SZA’s “Shirt” is about feeling unmoored in the midst of an obsessive relationship.
First previewed as a snippet posted on SZA’s Instagram story on October 7, 2020, “Shirt” gained traction on TikTok in early 2021 after a dance challenge using the audio originated on the platform.
Originally untitled, the song was tentatively referred to as “Shirt” by fans, to which SZA reacted on Twitter on January 8, 2021:
"I heard y'all named the Tik Tok song “shirt” lol. I’m fine w that"
The song was teased at the end of the official music video for “Good Days”, which was released on March 5, 2021.
When questioned by fans about the song’s release on twitter after releasing “Joni”, “I Hate You”, and “Nightbird” on August 22, 2021, she responded saying:
"She next"
The track then was officially released as a single for "SOS" with a music video on October 28, 2022.
In the video, SZA and Lakeith Stanfield shoot up a cast of eccentric characters like a fucked-up Bonnie and Clyde, echoing the song’s destructive relationship dynamics. In one scene, they pretend to be deliverymen, pulling rifles out of pizza boxes; in another, SZA gives the Atlanta actor, a lap dance and caressing his face while he’s tied up in a chair. Moments after, she walks away, leaving him to the whims of a knife-wielding gang. The music video reveals a new side of SZA, which fans call her "New Era".
Credits to Genius.
