SZA Breaks Record on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart and Enjoys Successful Tour

KEY TAKEAWAYS

SZA's single "Kill Bill" sets new record for most weeks at No. 1 by a lead female artist on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, at 16 weeks, surpassing Mary J. Blige's previous record of 15 weeks.

SZA's album "SOS" debuts at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and breaks records for biggest streaming week ever for an R&B album and the second-largest streaming week for an album by a female artist.

SZA's SOS tour grosses $34.5 million across 17 North American cities, averaging 12,812 tickets per night and $1.9 million per show.

SZA's stage name is an acronym inspired by her Islamic faith and the Supreme Alphabet, a code developed by Clarence 13X, an Islamic thought pioneer in America in the mid-1900s.

SZA plans to release a deluxe version of "SOS" with 10 additional tracks.

SZA’s single “Kill Bill” has set a new record on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for the most weeks at No. 1 by a lead female artist in the list’s nearly 65-year history.

The song has now held the top spot for 16 weeks, breaking the previous record set by Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You” in 2006, which held the No. 1 position for 15 weeks.

SZA’s “Kill Bill” is now the fourth-longest-leading track on the chart since 1958, tying with Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.”

The track has earned 23.4 million official U.S. streams, and despite a 5% decline in streams, it has retained its No. 1 position on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart for 15 non-consecutive weeks.

Furthermore, “Kill Bill” sold 6,000 downloads in a week, helped by a 69-cent sale pricing on the iTunes Store, prompting a 3-1 jump on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart.

In terms of radio airplay, “Kill Bill” registered 93 million in total audience for the week, remaining steady week-over-week.

Phenomenal Album Success

SZA’s latest album, “SOS,” has been a juggernaut in the genre, debuting at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and garnering 404.58 million official streams in its first week.

This massive success led to the album breaking two significant records: the biggest streaming week ever for an R&B album and the second-largest streaming week for an album by a female artist.

“SOS” also marks SZA’s second No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, following her previous hit “I Hate U.”

SZA’s first national arena tour, following the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album “SOS,” has reportedly grossed $34.5 million across 17 North American cities in just over a month. The tour has averaged 12,812 tickets per night and $1.9 million per show.

SOS Tour Rakes in $34.5 Million

SZA’s first national arena tour, following the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album “SOS,” has reportedly grossed $34.5 million across 17 North American cities in just over a month. The tour has averaged 12,812 tickets per night and $1.9 million per show.

With a total of 35 shows, the “Gone Girl” singer has made a significant impact on the music scene, attracting large audiences and consistently selling out venues.

Handling Fame and Future Plans

Top Dawg Entertainment President Terrance “Punch” Henderson spoke about SZA’s positive experiences on tour during a recent Rap Radar podcast episode.

He highlighted the energy exchange between the artist and her fans, stating that SZA is handling fame much better now.

The singer, however, is not quite ready to bask in the glory of her accomplishments just yet. She has plans to release a deluxe version of “SOS” with 10 additional tracks before fully embracing her success.

SZA told Billboard, “I’m looking forward to actually feeling proud of myself and not just smiling and nodding at accolades, but really feeling it internally and knowing that I’m good enough.”

The Story Behind SZA’s Name

Born Solána Imani Rowe, SZA’s stage name is inspired by her Islamic faith and the Supreme Alphabet, a code developed by Clarence 13X, an Islamic thought pioneer in America in the mid-1900s.

The name itself is an acronym, with the “S” standing for Sovereign or Self, Savior, the “Z” for Zig-Zag-Zig, representing enlightenment and self-awareness, and the “A” for Allah, the most high of all.

Raised by a Christian mother and a Muslim father, SZA has always aligned with the Nation of Islam. When faced with the challenge of deciding on a stage name, she turned to her faith and the Supreme Alphabet for inspiration.

The Supreme Alphabet is used to give deeper meaning to letters based on God and religion. It has been adopted by other artists, such as RZA and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan.

The Z and A in their names, as well as SZA’s, represent self-awareness and praise for God.