SZA Performs on ‘SNL,’ Announces Release Date for New Album ‘S.O.S.’

On Saturday (December 3), genre-bending artist SZA performed two songs on the variety show, Saturday Night Live.

SZA also revealed during her performance the upcoming release date for her forthcoming sophomore album, S.O.S. The new record, which is her follow-up after her 2017 Grammy-nominated LP, Ctrl, is set to release on December 9.

The 33-year-old SZA also shared the news on Instagram, posting a video on the social media platform and adding, “SOS 12/09.”

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On SNL, SZA performed her hit song, “Shirt,” and the new track, “Blind.” It was during “Shirt” that she shared the release date for the new record when it flashed on the screen behind her, following the conclusion of the performance.

SZA’s S.O.S. comes five years after she released her acclaimed debut LP, Ctrl.

Elsewhere in the episode, SZA joined the night’s host, actor Keke Palmer (who revealed she was pregnant in her opening monologue), along with several other cast members for a digital short titled, “Big Boys,” which was a tribute to larger-bodied men in the chilly wintertime.

Earlier this year, SZA announced, via a Billboard cover story, that her new album would drop in December but now the actual date has been revealed.

In an interview with People, SZA said of the new LP, “The sound is a little bit of literally everything. It’s a little angry as an overview, but some of it is really beautiful and soft and heartfelt. It’s about heartbreak, it’s about being lost, it’s about being pissed.”

SZA also said she doesn’t want to be creatively “boxed into anything” concerning the sounds on her new LP. It will include a “wordy” tracklist with “definitely a lot of yelling.”

She added, “It’s my first album in five years, so I’m ready to be a different person and step into this new part of my life. Really exemplify who this character is and get to know myself better while everyone else gets to know me live at the same time.”

Check out SZA’s SNL performances below, including “Big Boys” and her recent IG post, too.

Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage