What Prompted SZA To Go Off On Body-Shamers?

SZA has never been one to shy away from speaking her truth, and this time, she's calling out body-shamers for crossing the line.

This follows the release of "Lana" last Friday, December 20, nearly a year after SZA first began teasing it. Instead of being a separate project, "Lana" serves as a deluxe edition of her acclaimed 2022 album, "SOS."

In addition to calling out the body-shamers, SZA also clapped back at haters who attacked her singing capabilities online.

After a fan page shared a throwback photo of the "S.O.S." singer embracing wanderlust during the 2020 quarantine, another fan commented on her BBL surgery and weight gain — and SZA didn’t hold back.

SZA opened up about the profound challenges she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the heartbreaking loss of her grandmother and a difficult battle with depression. These experiences left deep emotional scars, making insensitive comments about her body even harder to endure. She admitted that such remarks have caused her to withdraw from her fanbase, despite their unwavering support.

In an effort to safeguard her peace, SZA has been making intentional changes—tightening her inner circle and even changing her phone number.

SZA revealed that comments like these have made her pull away from her fans, despite their unwavering loyalty.

“I’m never off the clock for my fans, because I love that sh-t,” she said in the October 2023 edition of Rolling Stone. “They’re my family, and they’re my people. I know what it’s like to feel small or like somebody doesn’t care, because that’s who I was my whole life. In middle school, elementary school, I wasn’t popular.”

She added, “So I try to make sure n-ggas know ‘I hear you, I see you. I have time to stop for you. Yes, we can smoke together, you can come backstage. You can come to my house if you want.’ Hella fans have spent the night with me and been to my house many times.”

She previously defended Lizzo against body-shamers, taking to social media to express,

“I be wondering where all the virtue signaling, well spoken sh-t talking , internet warriors are when someone genuine needs defending. Where the f-ck do y’all be at for lizzo ? Do y’all actually know how to support others or only tear them down?”

SZA added, “It’s been on my mind for a minute .. makes me upset."

Lizzo has previously addressed critics commenting on her weight, emphasizing that her “brand” holds far more significance than her physical appearance. “I JUST logged on and the app and this is the type of sh-t I see about me on a daily basis. It’s really starting to make me hate the world,” she wrote on Twitter, adding, she “stopped eating fast food years ago.”

She added that she is just trying to live a healthy life. “I’m not trying to BE fat. I’m not trying to BE smaller. I’m literally just trying to live and be healthy,” Lizzo added. “This is what my body looks like even when I’m eating super clean and working out! Yall speak on sh-t y’all know nothing about and I’m starting to get heated.”

In an interview with British Vogue, SZA shared how fame has significantly altered her day-to-day reality since stepping into the spotlight.

The SOS singer admitted to frequently feeling an overwhelming sense of paranoia, particularly in public spaces, where she worries fans might secretly take photos or record her. “It always exposes the ego and vanity,” SZA admitted. “When you’re in historical [places] or beautiful nature and you’re like, ‘It’s clearly me.’ But that’s the psychosis of fame. It makes you so paranoid.”

“You’re not even in touch with reality, because you’re so scared,” she added of feeling disconnected from reality.

To stay grounded, SZA relies on her friends and team to help her balance fan expectations without getting too caught up in the noise of online conversations. “They keep me abreast of everything,” she explained. “I’ll be like, ‘Guys, should I delete this?’ They’ll be like, ‘No, you’re fine. But you should probably drop another version of that song because people want to hear that.’ They let me know so I don’t have to go look on the internet.”