Many artists may be annoyed with the Grammys at the moment, but SZA isn’t one of them.
Amongst the many messed-up things which 2020 included were a set of Grammy nominations that seemed to not accurately reflect the musicians who had done well during the preceding year. The Weeknd was one such artist who was unfairly overlooked as his record-breaking fourth studio album, After Hours, did not earn him a single nod despite it and its singles dominating the charts for weeks. The “Blinding Lights” singer accused the Recording Academy of being corrupt, while Drake called out the musical powers that be for snubbing Black artists.
One Black artist who does not seem that fazed that the Academy didn’t call out her name when she received a nomination is SZA. Back in 2018, the New Jersey singer was in the running for Best New Artist thanks to her first studio album, Ctrl, which debuted in 3rd spot on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. On the night, Alessia Cara was favored over the “Good Days” singer, but as she has now explained to Cosmopolitan, that may have been a blessing in disguise. “Once you’ve been nominated and lost, you’re very much free because you’re not concerned. I passed that threshold years ago — it’s an old energy to me. Why would I be mad?”
SZA shared with the publication that her life as a Grammy-nominated artist turned out a lot differently than she originally planned… “I thought I was going to be a gymnast and a f***ing business accountant somewhere. Or working at Nike corporate or some s*** in Portland,” said the 30-year-old who grew up in the suburbs as the daughter of parents who worked at CNN and AT&T.
