10 SZA songs that prove she’s one of the best songwriters of her generation

It’s hard to describe SZA’s music without using words like raw, real, and relatable. Since the release of Ctrl in 2017, she’s carved out a space that feels entirely her own somewhere between R&B, alternative, soul, and sheer honesty. Her songwriting doesn't just tell stories; it stitches together moments we’ve all lived, whether or not we knew how to say them out loud.

Whether she’s singing about heartbreak, healing, or the awkward mess in between, SZA has a way of making every word feel both intensely personal and universally familiar. It’s this ability to be vulnerable and yet powerful that has earned her a reputation as one of the most important songwriters of her generation.

Across her discography, SZA proves that you don't need elaborate metaphors or perfect endings to write great songs. You just need the guts to say what everyone else is too scared to admit. And she does it again and again.

Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

Why SZA Is One of the Best Songwriters of Her Generation

When you press play on a SZA song, you’re not just hearing lyrics, you’re stepping inside a moment. Her writing feels spontaneous, like a late-night text you weren’t sure you should send but did anyway. This sense of real-time emotion is exactly why fans feel so deeply connected to her music.

Unlike many artists who polish every feeling until it gleams, SZA leaves the bruises showing. She embraces the awkwardness of love, the confusion of growing up, the anger, the pettiness, the hope. There’s no fake empowerment anthem here, just the truth, even when it’s messy.

Her albums Ctrl and SOS aren’t just records; they’re emotional time capsules. Each track holds a piece of someone's coming-of-age story, usually hers, but often ours too. And with every new release, she cements her place not just as a star, but as a voice of this generation.

Here’s a look at 10 songs that prove why SZA stands on a songwriting pedestal few others can reach.

Good Days

Healing isn't linear, and "Good Days" reminds us of that. SZA wanders through mental clutter, reaching for peace that feels just out of grasp. It’s the kind of song that sounds like sunshine but hits you like a memory you didn’t know you missed.

Supermodel

"Supermodel" doesn’t ask for sympathy; it demands honesty. Stripped almost bare except for a simple guitar, she airs out betrayal, loneliness, and vulnerability with the kind of sharpness that only comes from true heartbreak.

Kill Bill

Plotting hypothetical crimes against your ex has never sounded this smooth. In "Kill Bill," SZA blends sweet melodies with sinister thoughts, making you hum along to feelings you’d never say out loud, and that’s exactly the point.

Broken Clocks

Adulting feels a lot like running in circles, and "Broken Clocks" nails that exhaustion. She captures the endless hustle without glamorizing it, turning the slog of 9-to-5 life into a surprisingly soulful anthem.

I Hate U

Few songs make resentment sound this catchy. "I Hate U" bottles up frustration and heartbreak into a minimalist beat and brutally honest lyrics, it's the breakup text you wish you had the nerve to send (or maybe already did).

Drew Barrymore

SZA uses Drew Barrymore not as a celebrity shoutout but as a symbol of lovable awkwardness. This song isn’t about idolizing anyone; it’s about realizing that maybe you don’t need to fit the mold to be worthy of love.

Snooze

"Snooze" isn’t about perfect love; it’s about messy, everyday affection. With delicate vocals and lines that feel lifted from whispered conversations, she shows that real love isn't always grand sometimes, it’s just refusing to give up.

20 Something

"20 Something" is basically an anthem for every anxious twenty-something trying to figure life out. It’s not motivational; it’s just honest, which is exactly why it hits harder than any "you got this" slogan ever could.

The Weekend

Cheating anthems are usually messy and defensive, but "The Weekend" feels refreshingly matter-of-fact. SZA doesn’t play the victim or the villain; she just lays out the situation with chilling calmness, letting the emotions speak for themselves.

Shirt

"Shirt" struts between vulnerability and swagger with perfect ease. She flips bruised emotions into confident declarations, proving once again that her pain isn't weakness, it’s a weapon.

SZA’s brilliance isn’t just in her voice or her beats, it’s in her words. She manages to articulate the things we feel but can’t explain, whether that’s the sting of heartbreak, the boredom of adulthood, or the quiet hope that better days are coming.

What makes her truly one of the best songwriters of her generation isn’t that she writes for us; it’s that she writes like us. Flawed, funny, fierce, and unfiltered.

And if these 10 tracks are anything to go by, she’s only just getting started.