Upon the debut of her sophomore album, SOS, SZA checked in with Audacy and V103 Atlanta’s Big Tigger. Fans are overjoyed as it's been five long years since her first album, Ctrl.

Big Tigger asked where the idea to title the album SOS came from, concerned because "S.O.S" is typically used in times of distress but SZA assured that it in part came from a friendly nickname, “Sos,” being short for Solána. She then goes on to break down her stage name and that “Sza is an acronym derived from the supreme alphabet,” with the ‘S’ meaning ‘self-savior.’

“You know it stands for 'save our souls,' 'save our ship,' that kind of thing, so it's like, yeah we all need a little bit of saving, and sometimes that person is you who has to do that,” she told Tigger.

She also opened up about how she oftentimes has to save herself from her own mind: “Harsh criticism of myself, judgment of oneself,” she answered when asked what she needs saving from.

While SZA feels her inner voice can be very exhausting, music helps her overcome the exhaustion. “Expressing it in music is helpful," she says. "It helps kill like some of the overdrive of that dialogue and like puts it in a healthy check.”

Fans can look forward to some surprises as she admits that she is stepping into new territory with this project. “There's a song where I’m just straight rapping,” she said, “there's a pop rock song… I always wanted to make that.” While her inner voice has her terrified about the release she is also excited for fans to hear these new sides of her. And you might want to start saving your coins: “The tour is finna be wild, I’m taking the creative farther than I’ve ever taken it before,” she said -- and if this album is as monumental and life-changing as Ctrl was, you’re not going to want to miss her tour.

Keep SZA on your radar because she’s in her, “change the world era.” She’s getting into acting, directing, conservation of the planet, dropping makeup, and investing in skin care -- all while heavily focused on growing and becoming the best version of herself.

“I’m going to be the person I wanted to see in the world when I was like 16.”

Don't miss the full interview with Big Tigger and SZA above, and stay tuned for even more conversations with your favorite artists on Audacy.com/Live.

Words by Yasmeen Akbar + Joe Cingrana Interview by Big Tigger

Upon the debut of her sophomore album, SOS, SZA checked in with Audacy and V103 Atlanta’s Big Tigger. Fans are overjoyed as it's been five long years since her first album, Ctrl.
Big Tigger asked where the idea to title the album SOS came from, concerned because "S.O.S" is typically used in times of distress but SZA assured that it in part came from a friendly nickname, “Sos,” being short for Solána. She then goes on to break down her stage name and that “Sza is an acronym derived from the supreme alphabet,” with the ‘S’ meaning ‘self-savior.’
“You know it stands for 'save our souls,' 'save our ship,' that kind of thing, so it's like, yeah we all need a little bit of saving, and sometimes that person is you who has to do that,” she told Tigger.
She also opened up about how she oftentimes has to save herself from her own mind: “Harsh criticism of myself, judgment of oneself,” she answered when asked what she needs saving from.
While SZA feels her inner voice can be very exhausting, music helps her overcome the exhaustion. “Expressing it in music is helpful," she says. "It helps kill like some of the overdrive of that dialogue and like puts it in a healthy check.”
Fans can look forward to some surprises as she admits that she is stepping into new territory with this project. “There's a song where I’m just straight rapping,” she said, “there's a pop rock song… I always wanted to make that.” While her inner voice has her terrified about the release she is also excited for fans to hear these new sides of her. And you might want to start saving your coins: “The tour is finna be wild, I’m taking the creative farther than I’ve ever taken it before,” she said -- and if this album is as monumental and life-changing as Ctrl was, you’re not going to want to miss her tour.
Keep SZA on your radar because she’s in her, “change the world era.” She’s getting into acting, directing, conservation of the planet, dropping makeup, and investing in skin care -- all while heavily focused on growing and becoming the best version of herself.
“I’m going to be the person I wanted to see in the world when I was like 16.”
Don't miss the full interview with Big Tigger and SZA above, and stay tuned for even more conversations with your favorite artists on <a href="https://www.audacy.com/live">Audacy.com/Live</a>.
Words by Yasmeen Akbar + Joe Cingrana Interview by Big Tigger

Listen as our favorite artists Check In for candid conversations about music and more.

Listen as our favorite artists Check In for candid conversations about music and more.

Audacy Check-In

SZA | Audacy Check In | 12.9.22

Saweetie stopped by the Hard Rock Hotel in New York for an Audacy Check In with 97.4 The Block’s Jen to chat all about how she always knew she wanted to rap, the inspiration behind “Richtivites” and “NANi,” the deeper meaning behind cutting off all of her hair, and more.

Starting off the conversation talking about her reasons for opting for a more intimate birthday party this year, her Filipino and Chinese culture on her mother’s side, and being a first generation kid, as well as her college experience, Saweetie spoke about the transition of going from school kid to bona fide rapper.

“So I always wanted to be a rapper,” Saweetie expressed. “I actually have a clip, I found my old MacBook and I have tons of videos of me talking to myself and I would just, I would pretend I was a rapper. I would pretend like I was interviewed by someone like you, no one was on the other side though. And this was happening as early as my senior year in high school girl, lots of videos.”

Noting “that was one of the main reasons why I did want to stay at home because I was like, maybe I should just work on a mixtape, but then I eventually went to college,” which she previously explained was due to a plethora of inspiring and convincing reasons, one of which was J.Cole getting his degree at St. Johns.

Referring to another one of her sit down interviews, Jen praised Saweetie for how open she is about her journey to finding success. Noting, “a lot of these artists, they only show the good side when they make it… But you are so transparent with where you were and where you are now. Specifically what stuck out to me was that ‘broke’ video,” adding, “I don't mean to say it like that, but that's what it was.”

Going on to say, she “mentioned it because, you know, a lot of people are going through rough times right now and they want to hear words of encouragement, things are going to be OK.” Jen then asked Saweetie to reflect on that time in her life, and more than just not having money, but about the mental and psychological affects that time had on her life.

“I would say what was difficult for me was having to figure out how I was going to pay my bills each month because after I pay my bills, my account would go down to whatever the amount would go down to, that was stressful.” Also finding a glass half full outlook on that time, Saweetie, noted, “my body was really in shape because all I would eat was like ground turkey rice, peanut butter sandwiches… because that's all I could afford.”

Next, Saweetie dove into the topic of music, discussing her singles “Richtivities” and “NANi,” and how as Jen put it, she makes tracks that “very women empowerment centric.”

Sharing the thought process that goes into putting together a record, Saweetie expressed, “It depends on what kind of record it is. For ‘Richtivities,’ that was very topic based and it actually came from an experience where I was on a yacht with me and my homegirls. We were drinking champagne, we were riding jet skis, we were ordering food to the boat, the food was being delivered to us. It was like a crazy experience, and I was like, this is a rich-tivity, a rich activity, and that's what inspired that song.”

“So when it comes to a topic based song that's like flexin’, poppin’ s***, the undertone and the underlying message is if you work hard, this is what you reap… you reap the rewards of working hard. So I think it's a song to either celebrate your wins or it's a song to listen to when you're trying to reach certain goals.”

As for “NANi,” Saweetie revealed, “it wasn't ‘NANi’ at first, it was a different word, it was body. I wanted to change it because I wanted a different word and we were trying to figure out the word.” After some deliberation she settled on Nana or Nani. “You know how Foxy Brown would talk about that Nana, and I love the way she was able to apply different meanings to it. So I was like, let's take that and apply it to this song, but let's use Nani and not Nana. So Nani is kind of like a derivative from Foxy Brown's brand, so shout out to Foxy Brown.”

Saweetie also talked about how her mom’s love of music of all genre types has led to her love of experimenting with music. “I don't really put out the records where I'm experimenting with different genres, however I have, and I would say my love for other types of music comes from my mom.” Going on to share that her favorite studio session was with Dijit Dosanjh, when they worked together on “Khutti.”

Saweetie also touched on her decision to cut her hair, but not before having a little fun first. “I had decided I was going to cut my hair when I dyed my hair blonde… I didn't want to cut a whole bunch of healthy hair. so I dyed my hair blonde, auburn red.” Delving into the deeper meaning behind the chop, Saweetie revealed, “during that time I had discovered meditation. and through meditation there was a lot of self-discovery that I had learned about myself. And when I was doing my research on certain things… an article explained how hair holds on to memory and energy of the past. So it was like, I feel like I'm becoming a new woman, I want a fresh start, top of next year I'm going to cut off all my hair, I’m about to drop my album, It’s going to be my look for the roll out. I feel like it just made sense for every part of my life.”

And while she admittedly felt “naked” and "exposed,” she also felt “extremely liberated.” Revealing, “I think that it actually jumpstarted the work, the self-work that was to come for the next two years. I feel like I'm finally coming out of that journey of self-discovery and me shaving my head kind of like really pushed me to do that.”

“It definitely… cleansed my energy. But it also, like I thought it was going to solve all my problems. I thought I was going to start fresh.” But instead, “it really made me have to reevaluate almost every aspect and part of my life.”

For all that and more, check out Saweetie’s entire Check In above.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Jen

Saweetie stopped by the Hard Rock Hotel in New York for an Audacy Check In with 97.4 The Block’s Jen to chat all about how she always knew she wanted to rap, the inspiration behind “Richtivites” and “NANi,” the deeper meaning behind cutting off all of her hair, and more.
Starting off the conversation talking about her reasons for opting for a more intimate birthday party this year, her Filipino and Chinese culture on her mother’s side, and being a first generation kid, as well as her college experience, Saweetie spoke about the transition of going from school kid to bona fide rapper.
“So I always wanted to be a rapper,” Saweetie expressed. “I actually have a clip, I found my old MacBook and I have tons of videos of me talking to myself and I would just, I would pretend I was a rapper. I would pretend like I was interviewed by someone like you, no one was on the other side though. And this was happening as early as my senior year in high school girl, lots of videos.”
Noting “that was one of the main reasons why I did want to stay at home because I was like, maybe I should just work on a mixtape, but then I eventually went to college,” which she previously explained was due to a plethora of inspiring and convincing reasons, one of which was J.Cole getting his degree at St. Johns.
Referring to another one of her sit down interviews, Jen praised Saweetie for how open she is about her journey to finding success. Noting, “a lot of these artists, they only show the good side when they make it… But you are so transparent with where you were and where you are now. Specifically what stuck out to me was that ‘broke’ video,” adding, “I don't mean to say it like that, but that's what it was.”
Going on to say, she “mentioned it because, you know, a lot of people are going through rough times right now and they want to hear words of encouragement, things are going to be OK.” Jen then asked Saweetie to reflect on that time in her life, and more than just not having money, but about the mental and psychological affects that time had on her life.
“I would say what was difficult for me was having to figure out how I was going to pay my bills each month because after I pay my bills, my account would go down to whatever the amount would go down to, that was stressful.” Also finding a glass half full outlook on that time, Saweetie, noted, “my body was really in shape because all I would eat was like ground turkey rice, peanut butter sandwiches… because that's all I could afford.”
Next, Saweetie dove into the topic of music, discussing her singles “Richtivities” and “NANi,” and how as Jen put it, she makes tracks that “very women empowerment centric.”
Sharing the thought process that goes into putting together a record, Saweetie expressed, “It depends on what kind of record it is. For ‘Richtivities,’ that was very topic based and it actually came from an experience where I was on a yacht with me and my homegirls. We were drinking champagne, we were riding jet skis, we were ordering food to the boat, the food was being delivered to us. It was like a crazy experience, and I was like, this is a rich-tivity, a rich activity, and that's what inspired that song.”
“So when it comes to a topic based song that's like flexin’, poppin’ s***, the undertone and the underlying message is if you work hard, this is what you reap… you reap the rewards of working hard. So I think it's a song to either celebrate your wins or it's a song to listen to when you're trying to reach certain goals.”
As for “NANi,” Saweetie revealed, “it wasn't ‘NANi’ at first, it was a different word, it was body. I wanted to change it because I wanted a different word and we were trying to figure out the word.” After some deliberation she settled on Nana or Nani. “You know how Foxy Brown would talk about that Nana, and I love the way she was able to apply different meanings to it. So I was like, let's take that and apply it to this song, but let's use Nani and not Nana. So Nani is kind of like a derivative from Foxy Brown's brand, so shout out to Foxy Brown.”
Saweetie also talked about how her mom’s love of music of all genre types has led to her love of experimenting with music. “I don't really put out the records where I'm experimenting with different genres, however I have, and I would say my love for other types of music comes from my mom.” Going on to share that her favorite studio session was with Dijit Dosanjh, when they worked together on “Khutti.”
Saweetie also touched on her decision to cut her hair, but not before having a little fun first. “I had decided I was going to cut my hair when I dyed my hair blonde… I didn't want to cut a whole bunch of healthy hair. so I dyed my hair blonde, auburn red.” Delving into the deeper meaning behind the chop, Saweetie revealed, “during that time I had discovered meditation. and through meditation there was a lot of self-discovery that I had learned about myself. And when I was doing my research on certain things… an article explained how hair holds on to memory and energy of the past. So it was like, I feel like I'm becoming a new woman, I want a fresh start, top of next year I'm going to cut off all my hair, I’m about to drop my album, It’s going to be my look for the roll out. I feel like it just made sense for every part of my life.”
And while she admittedly felt “naked” and "exposed,” she also felt “extremely liberated.” Revealing, “I think that it actually jumpstarted the work, the self-work that was to come for the next two years. I feel like I'm finally coming out of that journey of self-discovery and me shaving my head kind of like really pushed me to do that.”
“It definitely… cleansed my energy. But it also, like I thought it was going to solve all my problems. I thought I was going to start fresh.” But instead, “it really made me have to reevaluate almost every aspect and part of my life.”
For all that and more, check out Saweetie’s entire Check In above.
Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Jen

Saweetie | Audacy Check In | 7.19.24

It’s officially Freak Show release day, so obviously G-Eazy had to Check In with Audacy’s Bru to chat all about it -- touching on his new music era, his favorite track off the album, going viral with a throwback song, and a whole lot more.

After a whirlwind week of debuting his new era, announcing a new album, dropping its lead single “Anxiety,” (with a music video), and sharing the news of his world tour, G-Eazy took some time out of his busy schedule to fill us in and welcome us all into the Freak Show.

After taking some time to “live some life, to be able to tell the stories... find the inspiration,” and "get the perspective,” G-Eazy is now back with new music. “You know, I traveled a lot, I spent time in Paris, I spent time in London. That's where the album really started," he tells Bru. "You know, I started refining the inspiration, and then obviously moved to New York,” Eazy shared of his album-making process this time around and switching from West Coast to East Coast living.

That’s not the only thing that’s changed. With all of his newfound inspiration, G-Eazy has shifted gears into a new musical era as well. Describing his new sound, he says, “Sonically, musically, I'd say it's more eclectic, it’s more diverse. It’s drawing from a lot of my different influences and inspirations musically.

“I mean… there's a Clash sample on the album, there's a song with Burna Boy… there’s a song with Leon Bridges. You know, it taps into some of the kind of cabaret, dark circus style of music that I was listening to a lot," he explains, "that sonically kind of shaped the world of 'Freak Show.'”

Sharing his favorite song off of the album, Eazy admits, "‘Anxiety’ is the one I'm most proud of. It was really raw and real, from a really honest, human perspective and place. It’s like the subject I'm talking about, and then I'm cutting myself open and pouring it out, revealing hard truths about myself. I'm asking myself tough questions, owning up to s***, you know?”

G-Eazy also went on to discuss what it was like working with Coi Leray (another featured artist on Freak Show). “Coy is incredible, you know, super talented and it was an honor to get to work with her. And she just walks on that beat, she just floats, you know. So she killed it,” G-Eazy noted, referring to her contribution to “Femme Fatale,” which also features Kaliii.

Towards the end of the conversation, Eazy quickly dove into what it’s been like having his 2012 track “Lady Killers” go viral over a decade after its release. “Oh man, it's just one of those full circle… just like, dude, what is life? It’s kind of surreal, you know. But you just take it in stride, and you take it with a thank you. A thank you to the universe… however that happened and just count your blessings.”

Also in their chat, G-Eazy shared with Bru the special meaning behind his new album’s release date, where he tends to find his creative space, and plenty more. To hear it all, check out the entire interview above. 

G-Eazy U.S. Tour Dates:
Oct 24, 2024 / The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley / Berkeley, CA
Oct 25, 2024 / Shrine Expo Hall / Los Angeles, CA
Oct 26, 2024 / Soma / San Diego, CA
Oct 28, 2024 / The Van Buren / Phoenix, AZ
Oct 30, 2024 / Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater / Austin, TX
Nov 1, 2024 / South Side Ballroom / Dallas, TX
Nov 2, 2024 / 713 Music Hall / Houston, TX
Nov 4, 2024 / Avondale Brewing Company / Birmingham, AL
Nov 7, 2024 / Jannus Live / St. Petersburg, FL
Nov 8, 2024 / The Eastern / Atlanta, GA
Nov 9, 2024 / The Ritz / Raleigh, NC
Nov 12, 2024 / Echostage / Washington, DC
Nov 14, 2024 / Roadrunner / Boston, MA
Nov 15, 2024 / Brooklyn Paramount / New York, NY
Nov 16, 2024 / Franklin Music Hall / Philadelphia, PA
Nov 19, 2024 / Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom / Chicago, IL
Nov 20, 2024 / The Fillmore Minneapolis / Minneapolis, MN
Nov 22, 2024 / The Mission Ballroom / Denver, CO
Nov 23, 2024 / Rockwell at The Complex / Salt Lake City, UT
Nov 24, 2024 / Revolution Concert House / Boise, ID
Nov 26, 2024 / Showbox SoDo / Seattle, WA
Nov 27, 2024 / Showbox SoDo / Seattle, WA

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Bru

It’s officially Freak Show release day, so obviously G-Eazy had to Check In with Audacy’s Bru to chat all about it -- touching on his new music era, his favorite track off the album, going viral with a throwback song, and a whole lot more.
After a whirlwind week of debuting his new era, announcing a new album, dropping its lead single “Anxiety,” (with a music video), and sharing the news of his world tour, G-Eazy took some time out of his busy schedule to fill us in and welcome us all into the Freak Show.
After taking some time to “live some life, to be able to tell the stories... find the inspiration,” and "get the perspective,” G-Eazy is now back with new music. “You know, I traveled a lot, I spent time in Paris, I spent time in London. That's where the album really started," he tells Bru. "You know, I started refining the inspiration, and then obviously moved to New York,” Eazy shared of his album-making process this time around and switching from West Coast to East Coast living.
That’s not the only thing that’s changed. With all of his newfound inspiration, G-Eazy has shifted gears into a new musical era as well. Describing his new sound, he says, “Sonically, musically, I'd say it's more eclectic, it’s more diverse. It’s drawing from a lot of my different influences and inspirations musically.
“I mean… there's a Clash sample on the album, there's a song with Burna Boy… there’s a song with Leon Bridges. You know, it taps into some of the kind of cabaret, dark circus style of music that I was listening to a lot," he explains, "that sonically kind of shaped the world of 'Freak Show.'”
Sharing his favorite song off of the album, Eazy admits, "‘Anxiety’ is the one I'm most proud of. It was really raw and real, from a really honest, human perspective and place. It’s like the subject I'm talking about, and then I'm cutting myself open and pouring it out, revealing hard truths about myself. I'm asking myself tough questions, owning up to s***, you know?”
G-Eazy also went on to discuss what it was like working with Coi Leray (another featured artist on Freak Show). “Coy is incredible, you know, super talented and it was an honor to get to work with her. And she just walks on that beat, she just floats, you know. So she killed it,” G-Eazy noted, referring to her contribution to “Femme Fatale,” which also features Kaliii.
Towards the end of the conversation, Eazy quickly dove into what it’s been like having his 2012 track “Lady Killers” go viral over a decade after its release. “Oh man, it's just one of those full circle… just like, dude, what is life? It’s kind of surreal, you know. But you just take it in stride, and you take it with a thank you. A thank you to the universe… however that happened and just count your blessings.”
Also in their chat, G-Eazy shared with Bru the special meaning behind his new album’s release date, where he tends to find his creative space, and plenty more. To hear it all, check out the entire interview above. 
G-Eazy U.S. Tour Dates: Oct 24, 2024 / The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley / Berkeley, CA Oct 25, 2024 / Shrine Expo Hall / Los Angeles, CA Oct 26, 2024 / Soma / San Diego, CA Oct 28, 2024 / The Van Buren / Phoenix, AZ Oct 30, 2024 / Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater / Austin, TX Nov 1, 2024 / South Side Ballroom / Dallas, TX Nov 2, 2024 / 713 Music Hall / Houston, TX Nov 4, 2024 / Avondale Brewing Company / Birmingham, AL Nov 7, 2024 / Jannus Live / St. Petersburg, FL Nov 8, 2024 / The Eastern / Atlanta, GA Nov 9, 2024 / The Ritz / Raleigh, NC Nov 12, 2024 / Echostage / Washington, DC Nov 14, 2024 / Roadrunner / Boston, MA Nov 15, 2024 / Brooklyn Paramount / New York, NY Nov 16, 2024 / Franklin Music Hall / Philadelphia, PA Nov 19, 2024 / Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom / Chicago, IL Nov 20, 2024 / The Fillmore Minneapolis / Minneapolis, MN Nov 22, 2024 / The Mission Ballroom / Denver, CO Nov 23, 2024 / Rockwell at The Complex / Salt Lake City, UT Nov 24, 2024 / Revolution Concert House / Boise, ID Nov 26, 2024 / Showbox SoDo / Seattle, WA Nov 27, 2024 / Showbox SoDo / Seattle, WA
Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Bru

G-Eazy | Audacy Check In | 6.21.24

With a cleansed IG feed, a brand new self-titled album out, and a current North American tour underway, Bryson Tiller Checked In with Jen From BK of Audacy NYC's 94.7 The Block at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York to catch us up on this latest phase in his career, and a whole lot more.

After sharing his favorite cities to perform in and his usual pre-show ritual, Bryson spoke on his love for video games -- which he’s very into developing -- and actually was the inspiration for his new album’s cover art.

Tiller went on to discuss the evolution of his musicality and admitted his reason for delving into new sounds on his latest album came from the natural drive of not wanting to stay stagnant.

“Well… I’m just bored making the same stuff over and over," Bryson expressed. "It just gets so boring and repetitive, same stuff... I’m just like... I love all music, I’m trying to do everything. So, I think that’s the main reason, well, no, one of the reasons.”

“The main reason,” Bryson continued, “is just because I really wanted to show people my versatility as an artist and where I could take it -- and just kind of take my creative control back ‘cause I feel like a lot of fans and people thought that they had creative control over my life and what I do, what I create. So, I’m a rebel, always have been, and… nobody can tell me what to do. I like to do my own thing.”

Another way in which Tiller decided to take control of the discourse was with the title of the album. While usually it’s an artist's first album that gets the self-title treatment, Bryson shared why he dubbed his fourth album after himself.

“I just feel like people just keep talking about this album and that album and… they would just make that my identity. My only identity is that I’m Bryson Tiller, you know what I mean? I know how to do everything, you know? And I’m gonna try new things and things that I’ve never done before. You know, I can hang with the people who do that type of stuff. I just wanna be able to prove that. And if I didn’t prove it this time… just know that I will continue to do stuff that will shock you for sure…”

Discussing the sequencing of the album, and sharing why he decided to start with an instrumental intro, he says, “I wanted to give people some time to think, you know, and give them a cool sound to think over,” Tiller expressed. “Every time I heard that… it would just put me in a zone and a vibe and I would just start thinking and reflecting on everything that I've done thus far and what's about to happen."

“I just wanted to create that kind of somber build-up for the album… I had to start that and take it back to like R&B that I've studied for so many years,” Bryson added about the wordless track that he admitted was very Trapsoul coded, before delving his different and various songwriting processes.

Bryson also shared that he recorded a Christmas song with his oldest daughter, and how fatherhood has changed him, including if his kids recognize that their dad is famous. Bryson additionally opened up about being “super honest” about mental health, feeling “confident and unstoppable,” and making music for fans while evolving at the same time.

To hear Bryson’s entire conversation, press play on the interview above.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Jen From BK

With a cleansed IG feed, a brand new self-titled album out, and a current North American tour underway, Bryson Tiller Checked In with Jen From BK of Audacy NYC's 94.7 The Block at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York to catch us up on this latest phase in his career, and a whole lot more.
After sharing his favorite cities to perform in and his usual pre-show ritual, <a href="https://www.audacy.com/topic/bryson-tiller">Bryson</a> spoke on his love for video games -- which he’s very into developing -- and actually was the inspiration for his new album’s cover art.
Tiller went on to discuss the evolution of his musicality and admitted his reason for delving into new sounds on his latest album came from the natural drive of not wanting to stay stagnant.
“Well… I’m just bored making the same stuff over and over," Bryson expressed. "It just gets so boring and repetitive, same stuff... I’m just like... I love all music, I’m trying to do everything. So, I think that’s the main reason, well, no, one of the reasons.”
“The main reason,” Bryson continued, “is just because I really wanted to show people my versatility as an artist and where I could take it -- and just kind of take my creative control back ‘cause I feel like a lot of fans and people thought that they had creative control over my life and what I do, what I create. So, I’m a rebel, always have been, and… nobody can tell me what to do. I like to do my own thing.”
Another way in which Tiller decided to take control of the discourse was with the title of the album. While usually it’s an artist's first album that gets the self-title treatment, Bryson shared why he dubbed his fourth album after himself.
“I just feel like people just keep talking about this album and that album and… they would just make that my identity. My only identity is that I’m Bryson Tiller, you know what I mean? I know how to do everything, you know? And I’m gonna try new things and things that I’ve never done before. You know, I can hang with the people who do that type of stuff. I just wanna be able to prove that. And if I didn’t prove it this time… just know that I will continue to do stuff that will shock you for sure…”
Discussing the sequencing of the album, and sharing why he decided to start with an instrumental intro, he says, “I wanted to give people some time to think, you know, and give them a cool sound to think over,” Tiller expressed. “Every time I heard that… it would just put me in a zone and a vibe and I would just start thinking and reflecting on everything that I've done thus far and what's about to happen."
“I just wanted to create that kind of somber build-up for the album… I had to start that and take it back to like R&amp;B that I've studied for so many years,” Bryson added about the wordless track that he admitted was very Trapsoul coded, before delving his different and various songwriting processes.
Bryson also shared that he recorded a Christmas song with his oldest daughter, and how fatherhood has changed him, including if his kids recognize that their dad is famous. Bryson additionally opened up about being “super honest” about mental health, feeling “confident and unstoppable,” and making music for fans while evolving at the same time.
To hear Bryson’s entire conversation, press play on the interview above.
Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Jen From BK

SZA | Audacy Check In | 12.9.22

In 1 playlist(s)

Audacy Check-In

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips