Despite being nominated for Best New Artist, Best R&B Song, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best R&B Performance, SZA did not win any Grammys at the 2018 ceremony. The artist seems to have had a ton of social media support, as every time she wasn't named the winner of a category, Twitter took off in equal parts support for SZA and annoyance at her snub. Over the course of the night, SZA was beat out by the likes of Alessia Cara for Best New Artist, Bruno Mars for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance, The Weeknd for Best Urban Contemporary Album, and Kendrick Lamar feat. Rihanna for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
These artists are certainly nothing to turn our noses up at — though SZA didn't nab any Grammys on Sunday night, she was in amazing company, beat out by some of the biggest names in today's music industry. That, however, didn't stop Twitter from taking off with a vengeance once it became clear that she wasn't coming out on top. Many, it seems, felt a little like SZA's music and persona had an individuality and substance that they didn't necessarily feel among the artists who ultimately were handed the awards.
Though fans are frustrated at the lack of awards for SZA, the singer exudes a vibe that suggests she won’t be sweating it. "You know what’s weird, I’m not really a basker. I’m sure everyone on my team hates me because I refuse to bask,” she told Cosmopolitan in early 2017 when she was asked how she felt about the success of her album. “I’m more concerned about the things that I need to correct for the next album: song structure, clarity of ideas, avoiding redundancy. I want a vocal coach. I’ve never had a vocal coach in my life.”
It's only human to be a little disappointed as you go home from something like the Grammys empty-handed, but SZA has made such a splash that she shouldn't be worried about it. If this year is any indicator, she's going to be sweeping awards left and right as her career goes on. SZA's music, it seems, has also brought her much more than a shiny gold statue ever would. In the same Cosmo interview, she talked about what some of these songs reflect for her, and the meaning they hold in her own personal development.
"I wanted to not talk too much, slow down and not stutter. I didn’t want to have ADHD. I wanted to be a normal person," she said when asked about the lyrics to "Go Gina." "And I think that craving and the editing of myself hindered me, so I just stopped editing. And that was all. The embarrassment of being me still stands and exists all the time, every moment, but it’s also learning the acceptance part and also being down to see where me takes me is the part that set me free."
Her album, Ctrl, is so deeply personal, and it seems like it's really motivating her for what she'll do in her future — whether it wins awards or not will likely rile up fans, but it probably isn't what she'll dwell on. "It took me a while to completely let go of what people want from me or what they think of me, and I had to just start doing sh-t for myself," she said in the same interview. "This is the first time I ever made music for myself and it’s something I have to keep doing for the rest of my life."
SZA fans, you have a right to be heartbroken for the singer — her talent and star power arguably should have earned her more than just a nomination this year — but you've got plenty more to look forward to as she continues to kill the game.
