new music: sza reveals long-awaited debut studio album ‘ctrl’ at afropunk hosted release party–with mermaids!

Finally! Gearing up for her AFROPUNK Brooklyn 2017 performance this August, singer/songwriter SZA has at long last dropped her first studio album Ctrl, and you can stream it below now! Initially slated for February, the much-delayed project features collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott (on her sexy hit single “Love Galore”), James Fauntleroy and Isaiah Rashad.

The St. Louis starlet previewed the album last night at an exclusive party hosted by AFROPUNK at the gorgeous World of McIntosh Townhouse in Manhattan, where she thanked fans and explained that the motivation behind Ctrl was her trying “to tell the truth” (clip below). The album, which is slightly more radio-friendly than her previous offerings yet retains the distinctive, genre-defying sound that makes SZA so unique, is full of truths, with deep reflections love lost, overcoming insecurities, and finding oneself.

By Hari Ziyad*, AFROPUNK Writer

Mermaids and flower crowns exemplified the night’s vibes, and SZA also previewed two videos from the new album at the event, including the infectious “Drew Barrymore” (my favorite) which features a “surprise” guest appearance, along with the video for the revenge fantasy opening track “Supermodel”.

Stream the album and check out photos from last night below!:

Photos via Hari Ziyad / AFROPUNK
Mermaids via @shienartists
Flower crowns by @leyleydaboss

*Hari Ziyad is a New York based storyteller and writer for AFROPUNK. They are also the editor-in-chief of RaceBaitR, deputy editor of Black Youth Project, and assistant editor of Vinyl Poetry & Prose. You can follow them on Twitter @hariziyad.