In the week leading up to the release of “SOS,” SZA suffered the fits and starts many artists experience before their projects premiere, though those bursts were sieved through her specific anxieties. SZA told me about “weird, negative” remarks people made to her as she was prepping “SOS” for release. When she speaks about album release dates, responses escalate quickly from ripple to tidal wave. In an interview last February, SZA said that her next album would be ready in time for summer. SZA and Punch traded surly tweets, and as it all went viral, a messy narrative was set: SZA and her label were at odds.

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Persons: Wu, Tang Clan’s RZA, “, ”, ” SZA, SZA, Terrence Henderson, Punch, surly, Nicki Minaj’s, Sade Organizations: RCA Records, Dawg Entertainment