Ctrl (SZA album)
Ctrl (pronounced "Control") is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released through Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records on June 9, 2017.[1] The album features guest appearances from Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, James Fauntleroy, and Isaiah Rashad. Production was handled by Craig Balmoris, Frank Dukes, Carter Lang, Scum, and ThankGod4Cody, among others. The album was supported by five singles: "Drew Barrymore", "Love Galore", "The Weekend", "Broken Clocks", and "Garden (Say It like Dat)", all of which are certified Platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Ctrl
June 9, 2017
2014–2017
- No Excuses
- The Lake House in Michigan
- EngineEars
- Platinum Sounds
- Top Dawg House of Pain
- Josef Leimberg's studios
- Windmark
- 1500 or Nothin' Studios
49:01
- The Antydote
- Bēkon
- Craig Balmoris
- The Donuts
- Ging
- Hector Castro
- Cam O'bi
- LoveDragon
- Prophit
- Carter Lang
- Josef Leimberg
- Tyler, the Creator
- Scum
- ThankGod4Cody
Upon release, Ctrl was a massive critical and commercial success, and catapulted SZA into stardom. The album received acclaim from music critics, many of whom praised its cohesiveness and production, as well as SZA's vocal delivery. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, moving 60,000 equivalent-album units in its first week. The album and its songs were nominated for four Grammy Awards, while SZA was nominated for Best New Artist. It was also included in several year-end best music lists by publications. The album was ranked at 472 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.[2]
Background[edit]
After meeting members of Top Dawg Entertainment during the CMJ 2011, a friend attending the show with her foisted early SZA songs onto TDE president Terrence "Punch" Henderson, who liked the material and stayed in touch.[3] Two years later, in June 2013, Top Dawg Entertainment announced they were planning to sign two more artists.[4][5] On July 14, it was revealed Top Dawg had signed an upcoming female singer named SZA to the label; through this deal, SZA released Z (2014).[6] Following the release of Z, SZA began working on her debut album and writing for other artists including Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj, and Anti's opening track "Consideration" for Rihanna, which she featured on. The debut album faced various setbacks, initially promised at the end of 2015, then at the start of 2016. In October 2016, she criticized her label for the delays and stated she would be quitting.[7]
SZA revealed that her debut would be similar to S (2013) and would include trap influences with more aggressive lyrics, she also announced that she began working with James Fauntleroy, Hit-Boy, and long time collaborator Felix Snow.[8] Speaking on the conception of the album, SZA stated that she had spent four years just doing music: "I've been burying friends, burying family members, burying weight, the way I feel about myself, the way I feel about God, the way I process information."[9] The album was also inspired by SZA's view of control in her life. Speaking on this she stated "Ctrl is a concept. I've lacked control my whole life and I think I've craved it my whole life."[9]
Commercial performance[edit]
Ctrl debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 60,000 album-equivalent units (including 20,000 copies as pure album sales) in its first week.[109] This became SZA's first US top-ten debut.[109] The album also accumulated 49.52 million streams for its songs that week.[109] In its second week, the album dropped to #11 on the charts. In August 2022, the album was certified triple platinum by the RIAA for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over three million units in the United States.[110] As of June 2023, the album has spent 311 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the second longest-charting R&B album by a woman, behind Anti by Rihanna, according to The New York Times.[111]
Notes
Sample credits