SZA celebrated the fifth anniversary of her critically acclaimed debut album Ctrl on Thursday (June 9) by treating fans to the deluxe edition.
The expanded version — which also comes with new cover art — brings seven additional songs to streaming services, featuring a mix of never-before-heard material and previously-released SoundCloud loosies.
Further showcasing the range and introspection she displayed on the album, the bonus batch includes the Tyler, The Creator-produced “Jodie,” “Miles” and an alternate version of “Love Galore” featuring an additional verse from SZA in place of co-star Travis Scott.
Elsewhere, the short-but-sweet “Percolator” finds Solána delving deeper into her anxiety and trust issues, while “2AM” — which first landed on the internet in 2016 — puts her sultry spin on PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s “Come and See Me.”
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As the TDE songstress made clear on Twitter, the deluxe edition songs were recorded between 2014 and 2017, so they aren’t technically “new.”
Released on June 9, 2017 — four years after she signed to Top Dawg Entertainment — Ctrl solidified SZA as one of R&B’s brightest stars. The project peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 while receiving critical acclaim across the board.
Supported by collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Isaiah Rashad and James Fauntleroy, Ctrl yielded five nominations at the 2018 Grammy Awards — including Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best R&B Song and Best New Artist — and has since been certified double platinum.
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SZA Says Her New Album Is 'Ready To Go': 'It’ll Be A SZA Summer'
SZA’s fans have been patiently awaiting the follow-up to Ctrl and were given promising news in May when the 32-year-old singer hinted her highly anticipated sophomore album will arrive this summer.
“My album’s, like, finally ready to go, more than I’ve ever felt before,” she told Vogue on the red carpet of the 2022 Met Gala in New York City. “So this summer will be a SZA Summer.”
The project is supported by the singles “Hit Different” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and The Neptunes, “Good Days” and “I Hate U” — the latter two of which both cracked the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Stream SZA’s Ctrl (Deluxe) below.
