During an interview with Dazed, a news platform for youth and pop culture provocateurs, SZA was asked how she describes her sound.
In response, the Grammy winner noted: “The only reason I’m defined as an R&B artiste is because I’m black. It’s almost a little reductive in that it leaves no room for one to try or be anything different”.
She continued by mentioning Justin Bieber as an artiste who experiments with R&B but isn’t technically classified as such.
“It’s simple: I just want to be given the same freedom to create anything I want, free from labels based on my skin tone, my running group, or the sounds I choose. Songs such as F2F, Nobody Gets Me, and Kill Bill should be recognized for what they are”.
Surprisingly, Justin Bieber has also voiced the same grievance as a white artiste who enjoys R&B; he had previously objected to his R&B record, Changes, being considered for a 2020 Pop Music Grammy nomination.
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Justin once indicated he was honored to have his talent recognized and valued by the Grammy Awards, adding that it was odd that the album was not recognized as an R&B record.
“I’ve always loved R&B music, so I wanted to start a project that would capture that vibe, and Changes was and still is an R&B record,” he stated.
SZA opined she doesn’t pay any attention to labels, even if she thinks they’re not correct.
However, she told Dazed, “It’s nothing to get too worked up about because that’s just how people are perceiving you. As long as I don’t think of myself in that manner. I try not to put myself in any particular category. All I’m doing is trying to feel good and have fun while creating music.
The Open Arms hitmaker spoke candidly about the typical labeling of black women, saying, “It’s really odd! Even after we’re gone, there will be work to be done to change how black women are perceived in the world and who we are permitted to be, with all of our diversity and facets.
As mankind continues to evolve, I believe that we will reveal to one another our true selves, going beyond the narrow descriptions that our minds constantly repeat from what we have seen online, studied in college, or socialized into at home. That’s just a part of being human; we’ll get past it. I accept that I am human”.