Kehlani and SZA Studio Updates
Kehlani has finished her new album for an April release while SZA is back in the studio working on her third LP. Both artists are generating buzz for their upcoming projects in what's shaping up to be a strong year for R&B. The timing suggests potential spring competition between two of the genre's biggest stars.
SZA is coming off of the monumental success of her 2022 album, "SOS." The record spent ten non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, the longest for an R&B album by a woman since 1991. The album was also a critical darling, earning a Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album and nine total nominations. The commercial success of "SOS" was massive, debuting with 318,000 album-equivalent units sold in its first week. The single "Kill Bill" became SZA's first to top the Billboard Hot 100. The album has been so dominant that it became the first by a woman to spend 100 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. For her upcoming third album, SZA has been working with longtime producer Carter Lang, who recorded sounds from various countries while on tour. She has also had studio sessions with a live band and artist Steve Lacy, aiming to channel "awesome humanity shit." Kehlani's previous full-length studio album, "It Was Good Until It Wasn't," arrived in 2020 and marked a career-high for the singer. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 83,000 album-equivalent units, her highest chart position and biggest sales week to date. Her most recent album, 2022's "Blue Water Road," was met with critical acclaim for its exploration of spiritual practice and self-love. The project, largely produced by Pop Wansel, was seen as a more centered and "lighter" follow-up to her previous work, debuting at number 13 on the Billboard 200. While the two have never officially collaborated on a track, Kehlani revealed in an Instagram Live session that a collaboration with SZA was planned for one of her previous albums but couldn't be completed due to scheduling conflicts. In a 2021 interview, SZA named Kehlani as one of her favorite artists.
