SZA‘s “Drew Barrymore” from her album CTRL has long been a fan favorite, but she recently got a chance to talk about it with the song’s namesake.
On Monday (January 13), the TDE singer appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show and explained that, contrary to the host’s initial impressions, the inspiration for the song went far beyond just a name.
AD LOADING...
“It was inspired by you, it wasn’t just the title,” she said to Barrymore. “[It was] the energy you carry… the way you’ve made me feel my entire life. The carefree, the understanding.
“I wrote you this letter that I never sent you, but it talked about how, when you’re younger, and you’re a Black woman, there’s not a lot of examples all the time. One of the few lovely white women that I looked up to so much on television was you, because you were so yourself.
AD LOADING...
“You were quirky. Your smile wasn’t perfect. I have a slight speech impediment, and people laugh [at it] all the time… I love the way you talk and the you-ness of you… Your laugh reminds me of all the things about myself that make me nervous, but on you, shine so brightly. It gave me permission to be myself.”
Check the exchange below.
In a different recent interview, SZA dropped another gem: that she’s all for doing a duo album with Kendrick Lamar.
She appeared on Sherri Shepherd’s show Sherri on Wednesday (January 8). The host praised SZA and Kendrick’s collaborations, saying they were the results of pairing “a genius with a genius.”
“Would you and Kendrick together consider doing a joint album?” Shepherd asked.
“I would love that,” SZA replied, to audience applause.
AD LOADING...
“I think that would be amazing,” she elaborated. “He’s such a genius, and part of his genius is him being so elusive and so mysterious. I don’t know what’s going on as much as you don’t know what’s going on. When ‘Luther’ came out, I said, okay, that’s the vocals we’re using. And same with ‘Gloria.’
“I love that… He’s a huge part of my ‘fumbling and finding’ era, because I’m just trusting all of his expertise and being thrust into these moments. He’s so good at saying yes and staying grounded, so I’m just like, ‘Teach me, Sensei, what you know.’”
