SZA at Super Bowl 59: Get to know her best songs

Grammy winning R&B singer SZA is joining (Grammy winning) Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl 59 on Sunday.

SZA became a prominent force in music with the release of her debut album "CTRL" in 2017 and skyrocketed to mainstream success with her critically acclaimed sophomore release "SOS" in 2022. Currently, she is starring in Sony Pictures' new movie "One of Them Days" alongside Keke Palmer, which hit the No. 2 spot at the box office after its Jan. 24 release.

Lamar and SZA have been making music together since 2014, most recently releasing "30 for 30" on her new album "SOS Deluxe: Lana" in December. SZA also appeared on the tracks "Luther" and "Gloria" from Lamar's latest album "GNX," which dropped in November. Their 2018 track "All the Stars" from "Black Panther: The Album" received an Oscar and Golden Globes nomination for best original song and has since been streamed nearly 2 billion times on Spotify. In December, the duo announced they will perform together on the "Grand National Tour," which kicks off in April.

According to Stats.fm, an app that tracks your Spotify data, I’ve spent over 5,300 minutes listening to SZA (not including how often I spin "CTRL" on vinyl).

So if you're not sure where to start with her discography, you can trust me when I say these are the SZA songs you must listen to ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show.

'All the Stars' with Kendrick Lamar (2018)

“All the Stars” is the duo’s most mainstream hit –– and rightfully so. Appearing on the 2018 “Black Panther” soundtrack, it features sweeping synths and captivating dance beat, pieced together by SZA’s mesmerizing vocals and sharp verses from Lamar. It was nominated for four awards at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, including song of the year and record of the year.

'Saturn' (2024)

SZA won best R&B song and best R&B performance at the 2025 Grammys “Saturn,” a dreamy ballad that takes listeners on an intergalactic journey. The song platforms nihilism and begs for escape, calling out life’s unfairness while asking if there’s a better world away from Earth. Hearing it live at Governor’s Ball NYC last year was transcendent — despite its sonic subtleness, her performance proved to be immersive.

'Normal Girl' (2017)

Sneaking in my personal favorite — and No. 2 most streamed song on Spotify — because everyone needs this unconventional breakup anthem in their lives. “CTRL” is a fever dream of an album, serving as a visceral reminder of my own adolescence and a poignant incision into being “stuck in them 20 somethings.” On “Normal Girl,” SZA desires an emotionally fulfilling relationship and yearns to be seen as not just fierce, but also soft. It faces a harsh introspection –– does not finding the right person mean something is fundamentally wrong with you? It’s reminiscent of a speech delivered on HBO’s “Girls” in 2013, in which Lena Dunham’s character –– stuck haphazardly flailing through her 20s –– sheepishly tells Patrick Wilson: “Please don’t tell anyone this, but … I want to be happy. I want what everyone wants.”

'Kill Bill' (2023)

Ever hated your ex so much you could just kill them? Good news: SZA has a song for that. Her dark ballad “Kill Bill” is named after Quentin Tarantino's 2003 thriller, in which Uma Thurman seeks revenge on an ex-lover. The music video features slashing, action and SZA holding her ex’s bleeding heart. SZA achieved her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Kill Bill” in April 2023 after dropping a remix with Doja Cat.

'Good Days' (2020)

“Good Days” opens with a vast, angelic melody and the hopeful lyric, “Good day in mind / Safe to take a step out.” Released in December 2020 (and later included on “SOS” in 2022), the track brought a refreshing optimism as we all awaited better days. It also propelled SZA’s music to new audiences on TikTok with the viral line “I don’t miss no ex / I don’t miss no text / I choose not to respond.”

'30 For 30' with Kendrick Lamar (2024)

“30 for 30” is one of SZA and Lamar’s most recent collaboration, appearing on SZA’s album “SOS Deluxe: LANA." It’s a return to basics for the long-time collaborators — it flaunts a faster tempo than “Doves in the Wind” (2017), but maintains a consistent, stripped beat. Given its recent release, there may be a good chance we hear it live during Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SZA Super Bowl: Get to know her best songs