Following a string of EP releases, SZA, the sole female hailing out of the TDE collective, is prepping for her debut albumA. The first taste of it has been released in the form of ‘Sobriety,’ a dazzling track featuring simmering production that cascades throughout, and features a stellar bass line from Thundercat. SZA details the difficulties she endures with her current life, attempting to stay sober during it all, failing over the shortcomings of love. Where she shines most though is in her voice, luscious and sinful, her ability to bounce from cadence to decadent cadence gives the track a smooth, unwavering feel. Her surreal lyrics, starting with the opening lines “I had a dream last night you gave me a ring, with a fucking castle on it” gives the track a bittersweet vibe, chilling to the sounds of lost love as SZA attempts to cope with it. Her constant reassurance in the chorus, “I’ma be right anyway, better than you, better than her,” brings a resoundingly somber effect to the track, filled with regret, unable to move on, thus accounting for it by making boisterous claims to boost one’s ever-deflating ego. ‘Sobriety’ is a cool track that surfaces internal struggles, matching them with silky-soft, dream-like lullabies.
