SZA is Billboard’s Woman of the Year for 2023, and the New Jersey singer gave a motivating speech about acceptance while accepting the award in front of her peers and fans.
Presented the accolade by fellow Jersey native Coi Leray at the Los Angeles ceremony on Wednesday (March 1), SZA spoke to the crowd about her struggles with self-confidence and how she’s managed to push through her feelings of self doubt.
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“There’s so many women in this room right now that I respect so deeply,” SZA said after thanking her team. “This could have been any of us in this room and whether it’s Lana Del Rey or Olivia Rodrigo or Chlöe [Bailey] or Doechii who’s a fucking star or Latto or even Coi [Leray], my very own Jersey baby … I just, I really think sometimes there’s a misconception that like, everybody always feels like that girl. Like, ‘Oh I know I’m that bitch and I have a lot of confidence.’ And I feel like it’s okay to not be that person all the time.
“And I used to feel like I didn’t belong because I don’t always feel like that but I realized that the key is to stay open and available for whatever the universe or God wants to do with your life. And it’s like even when you don’t know who you are or you may not see – I don’t know why I’m 10 weeks on Billboard. I’m grateful!”
She continued: “But I really just want my life to be more than music, to be more than an artist. I want to serve others. I want to serve people. I want to be open and available to whatever God wants for me. And saying yes to everything that’s scary, to everything that feels like it’s not for you or where you don’t belong is really the only way that we walk through those doors.
“So I just encourage everybody to continue to be inspired and just stay available. You don’t have to be confident, you don’t have to even know that you are the one or anything like that. You just have to say yes to the possibility and I’m grateful. And thank y’all for saying yes to me.”
Billboard announced that the chart-topping R&B singer-songwriter had officially been crowned their 2023 Woman of the Year in early February with an accompanying cover story.
“Since she burst onto the scene in 2017, SZA has defied genres and continually released raw, powerful songs which have landed her music on the Billboard charts,” said Hannah Karp, Billboard’s editorial director, in a press statement. “The release of her latest album, SOS, has solidified her as a distinct force in contemporary R&B, and catapulted her into superstardom. We can’t wait to honor her as Woman of the Year.”
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The news comes as no surprise to fans following the monumental success of her sophomore album SOS, which to date has racked up a series of accolades and dominated the charts.
The album is currently sitting at its 10th week atop the Billboard 200.
