As Hip-Hop became a booming music genre within the music industry and music videos grew to be the leading method of promotion, artists would use the appearance of curvy, scantily clad black women to exploit the societal fascination with these bodies. These videos effectively monetized the sexual objectification of black women and cemented a certain expectation of behavior within the global consciousness. With little to no media representation that has portrayed black women as kind or desirable, the daunting scene of modern dating has become increasingly taxing as black women are fetishized or due to stereotypes that audiences have been fed for generations. From this, black women have experienced marginalization due to the received idea that the way the media portrays them is genuinely who they are. Of course, this treatment affects individuals’ psyches within the community, with many internalizing these restricting ideas.
We can’t control the narrative that others place upon us, but that shouldn’t deter us from living the life we deserve.
That sentiment urged SZA to write her debut album, CTRL (Control). SZA, born Solana Imani Rowe, is an R&B singer-songwriter from Maplewood, New Jersey. Catching the eye of Terrence “Punch” Henderson, the co-president of Top Dawg Entertainment, she became the first woman signed under the label after being signed in 2013. On June 9th, 2017, CTRL was released on all streaming platforms with notable features like Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Isaiah Rashad. Spending 400 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200, the album earned SZA five Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. Beyond the chart-topping success, the album became a cultural staple for acted as a crutch for a misrepresented and misunderstood group of young women exploring themselves and the dating world around them.
I heard of SZA at the age of 13 when she released “Drew Barrymore”, a single off the album. Call it middle school angst, but growing up with this album by my side has felt as though I have had an older sister telling me stories of what she’s experienced as I go through them. From my first time getting cheated on to the feeling of turning twenty years old, CTRL was there for me to listen to when I was faced with feelings of inadequacy or stress over my growth progress.
The vulnerability and overarching focus on black girlhood make the listening experience all the more special for girls, like myself, who have similar experiences. SZA’s debut album CTRL, deconstructs modern-day black womanhood by exposing what is under the tough shell that society has forced Black women to adopt to survive. Using a vivid, diary-like format, listeners are drawn into what feels like a conversation with a childhood friend.
Track 1: “SUPERMODEL”
“Why I can't stay alone just by myself? / Wish I was comfortable just with myself /
But I need you…”
SZA opens her album with the song “Supermodel”, which is about a toxic relationship she felt stuck in. Her unfaithful boyfriend led her to feel inadequate in the relationship, comparing her to Instagram models that he followed on social media and ultimately cheated with. Seeing the person you love admire the attractiveness of someone you look nothing like is a gut-wrenching experience. Trying to get revenge for how much she is hurting, she sings about how she has been “secretly banging [his] homeboy” , but she continues to question herself and feel the pain that the treatment caused, as much as she wants to avoid it.
Traditionally, supermodels are known for their height, positively striking appearance, slim build, and smooth skin. Gracing the covers of prominent magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and even Sports Illustrated, a supermodel serves as an influential figure who represents a brand. While the modeling industry is now beginning to expand its representation of models it features, the attempts at diversification still fall behind severely.
This is proven by Vogue Business writers Lucy Maguire and Mahiha Sohaib’s evaluation of the 2025 Spring/Summer fashion shows in New York, Paris, London, and Milan. Noticing that of the 8,763 presentations, only 0.8 percent of them were displayed on plus-sized bodies, they conclude that is just the bare minimum a brand can do in regard to serving model inclusivity. Keeping traditional models and adding minority models as a means to say you did it is not being inclusive. A traditional model does not reflect everyday women, which leads their target audience to desire the unreasonable and women to experience strain trying to conform to unrealistic standards. With black women making up only 6% of models within the industry overall, this is just one form of publishing that is revered by society that excludes black women.
Growing into a curvier body at a predominantly white school, I have experienced my fair share of isolation based on my appearance. Being sometimes one of the only black girls in these spaces, as everyone was exploring social dynamics around me, it became apparent that I was undesirable. A short, plus-sized black girl who only had thin white friends, I was often the last girl to appear in many people’s eyes. Adapting to this norm that was established around me, I felt forced to accept at the age of 12 that the only way someone would be interested in me was for my body. Listening to “Supermodel” made me realize I’m not alone in my feelings of falling short in romantic relationships. In fact, it isn’t my fault for feeling that way at all. The media atmosphere has created a culture that only values the bodies of those who are thin and conventionally attractive, a culture that only values supermodel-like appearances. It was then my job to program my mind to understand that as a black girl, the world I live in was not built for me to exist in it comfortably. I am living in a world that my ancestors fought for me to exist in, but it is my responsibility to make it comfortable for the next generation of black girls.
Track 8: “GARDEN (SAY IT LIKE THAT)”
“ And hope you never find out who I really am…Cause you'll never love me, but I Believe you when you say it like that / Oh, do you mean it when you say it like that?”
After songs about terrible relationships with men who have done wrong by her, SZA continues with “Garden (Say It Like That)” where she finally gets into what seems to be a healthy relationship. While her partner supports and reassures her, her trauma from previous relationships prevents her from thinking she deserves the type of love she is receiving. Considering 41% of black women have experienced intimate partner violence/stalking and higher rates of being killed, her struggle is a reality faced by many women. With only 10% of Black women attending therapy after experiencing major life disturbances, whether due to lack of access or the stigma against therapy in the black community, Black women are disproportionately affected by partner violence and less likely to heal properly from it.
Currently, at the age of 21, I am experiencing my first non-toxic relationship. After being in situations where I was manipulated to change who I was for us to stay together, being cheated on, and being placed in unsafe situations for others’ pleasure, I now struggle with accepting something good for me. With SZA’s “Garden (Say It Like That)”, it reminds me and others who have been in these types of situations that I am worth the loving, healthy relationship that I have been given, but still carrying the hurt from my past relationships is completely normal. By exposing this feeling in “Garden (Say It Like That)”, SZA normalizes the healing process that comes from situations that we experience. It’s never a clear road.
Track 12: “NORMAL GIRL”
“Normal girl, oh / I wish I was a normal girl / How do I be, how do I be your baby? I wish I was a normal girl / I'll never be, no, never be a, oh”
What does it mean to be a “Normal Girl”? To the general public, it can be interpreted as the social expectation of a woman. However, depending on your walk of life, this could mean a variety of different things. In “Normal Girl”, SZA essentially breaks down as she wonders what it will take for her to achieve the qualities that she deems would make her good enough to be a good girlfriend to this person. As mentioned in “Supermodel” and “Garden (Say It Like That), she discusses her relationship’s dynamic and how she feels insufficient in loving them, due to both self-inflicted insecurity and the way the person treats her as a second option.
Personally, I interpret the term ‘Normal Girl” in multiple different ways, considering the different perspectives I see the world through. However, the most prevalent being that of my Non-Binary gender identity. To me, wishing I were a normal girl that someone could “Take home to mama”, includes the possibility of creating an uncomfortable situation where a family member doesn’t approve of me for my identity, a reality I have experienced.
The song’s ability to be interpreted by anyone who has a connection to girlhood has contributed to its popularity among young adult women. I spoke to a personal friend of mine, Mariana Waller, a Black Transgender Woman, about her connection with the phrase “Normal Girl” and what the song meant to her. In this discussion, she mentions that the concept of a normal girl implies the presence of a cisgender woman, “reflecting to a specific idea of a white woman who is educated but not more than her husband”. The song, however, reminds her of an ex-boyfriend whose family was both racist and queer-phobic. Though the Ex publically identified as Bi-sexual, the lyrics “Wish I was the type of girl that you take over to mama”, resonated similarly than it did for myself, as she received such an averse reaction from the mother of her boyfriend at the time. To her, the desire to be a “normal girl” is to be accepted as her full self in her romantic relationships instead of being fetishized and used to fill one’s desire. Mariana’s interpretation of this is one that so many people can relate to. Though SZA herself does not experience what Mariana and I do, the song still touches a soft spot for us as we also wish to be some form of “Normal Girl”.
Track 14: 20 SOMETHING
“How could it be? Twenty-something / All alone, still not a thing in my name / Ain't got nothin', runnin' from love, only know fear”
In “20 Something”, SZA settles down to dissect her 20s. Like many people know, your twenties are the years of firsts. Many experience their first apartment, first loves, and first time being fully independent, making it an unsettling period in many people’s lives. In “20 Something”, SZA admits to not having her life together or knowing her next steps. Expecting drastic changes to occur in this time frame, whether they’re in college, in the workforce, or starting their family, their journey in this time can be extremely stressful. With all of this being said, SZA essentially wishes new 20-somethings good luck on the journey they are embarking on. Knowing how rough this time is, it’s also essential to discuss Black Exceptionalism and its effect on young black women. Balck Exceptionalism stems from the height of #BlackGirlMagic and #BlackExcellence trends that shadowed the 2010s. While created with a positive intention, it has reached a point where the expectation is for black people to be excellent to “justify black humanity”.
The week leading up to my 20th birthday, I experienced the worst anxiety of my life. It felt as though the moment I left my teenage years, I was supposed to know the exact path I was supposed to follow. When the day came, I realized nothing had changed; And nothing will change so drastically overnight. Seeing” 20 Something” be related to by Black women of all ages reminds me that it’s twenty-something for a reason. The next 10 years may hold many milestones for me, but 10 years hold 3,652 days. 3,652 opportunities to not only do extraordinary things, but to do ordinary things like enjoy nature and learn from my failures.
SUMMARY
To this day, this twenty-one-song album continues to be a highly contested project, discussed for its timeless impact and ability to connect so deeply with not only black women, but a generation. By being relatable to people of all walks of life, not only does it reach more lives, but it also provides a way for listeners to hear the stories and perspectives of a black woman.
This project serves as a testament to the need for mass media to invest in the stories of black women. Not having outsiders writing stories about Black Women by making guesses on how they assume we experience the world, but letting us tell the world how we experience the world. CTRL by SZA has and will continue to guide young black girls to be the best versions of themselves. The stories told will forever be a letter of camaraderie to those in need, whenever they need it. Then, hopefully, they learn to take control of their narrative.
