
Source: Phillip Faraone / Getty
SZA is speaking out the real reason she has yet to release her follow up album.
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On Thursday (Aug 19), just two months after celebrating the three-year anniversary of her debut album CTRL, SZA took to Twitter in a since-deleted tweet to address questions of why her record has been delayed.
“At this point y’all gotta ask punch,” SZA wrote, telling her fans to forward their questions to TDE’s president, Punch. “I’ve done all I can do . .”
Following the statement, a fan asked the “Weekend” songstress if she would call her current work environment “adverse, hostile or out of her hands”, SZA replied, “BEEN hostile.”
While SZA didn’t expound further on the comment regarding her work relationship with Punch, she did note that her answer from the super label’s president doesn’t differ from that which he gave a fan regarding the release of SZA’s album, telling them it would be coming “soon,” saying, “This is all he says to me as well. Welcome to my f*cking life.”
Although there wasn’t much said after the brief exchange, Punch was made aware of SZA’s complaints and took to Twitter to seemingly make the singer aware that her complaints were heard, tweeting, “What’s poppin? What y’all on?” before retweeting a fan who sent him messages, chastising him about how he and TDE are apparently treating SZA. “I am a person and you guys are hurting my feelings,” he seemingly sarcastically tweeted.
While his feelings may not have actually been hurt in real life, that didn’t stop fans and Black Twitter from calling out the label by creating the #FreeSZA hashtag on Twitter.
After being dragged and messaged, it appears that fans did eventually get to him after Punch hopped back on Twitter calling out fans who were talking recklessly, letting them know he doesn’t plan on forgetting any faces, before adding that SZA’s fans “love hits different.”
“I’m gonna remember you niggas once the meet and greets pop off again.”
SZA’s sophomore album has been on the radar for a while after SZA began teasing the follow-up to 2017’s Ctrl as well as a project consisting of unreleased tracks. In 2017 SZA detailed her relationship with TDE and Punch specifically during the process of recording CTRL telling The Guardian that the head honcho would frequently intervene in the process.
“They cut me off,” she said. “They just took my hard drive from me. That was all. I just kept fucking everything up. I just kept moving shit around. I was choosing from 150, 200 songs, so I’m just like, who knows what’s good any more?”
Check out what Black Twitter had to say below.
SZA Says Album Delay Due To “Hostile” Relationship With Label, Sparks #FreeSza Hashtag was originally published on hiphopwired.com
1.
how you think sza feels? pic.twitter.com/sNEaJ8IOrv
— 7h pisces venus just leave me alone😔💯 (@niasinterlude) August 20, 2020
2.
artists should be able to create and release music freely. labels shouldn’t treat their artists like this. #FreeSZA https://t.co/nTsBhkVJ43
— miguel (@moonlightmiguel) August 20, 2020
3.
This whole time I thought Sza was stalling with the new music but it was manager who’s been stalling...this whole time..baby...#FreeSza pic.twitter.com/5n525kfPbX
— myah 💕 (@Bruhthatsmyah) August 20, 2020
4.
#FreeSza WE RIDE AT DAWN
— mile🦋 (@7SEASFRHYE) August 20, 2020
pic.twitter.com/gV9OUXfgdp
5.
Twitter: After seeing sza manager with no security #FreeSza pic.twitter.com/THO6epXQjv
— Johntrey (@treymarley22) August 20, 2020
6.
Sza manager: Every, time she tries to release music💀#FreeSza pic.twitter.com/67KDRzah9n
— Johntrey (@treymarley22) August 20, 2020
7.
#FreeSza homegirl we gon get you out of there. pic.twitter.com/J0FMGVXe6r
— Bee-yawn-sày ➐ (@RYANSTARLITE) August 20, 2020
8.
me when i see szas manager #FreeSza pic.twitter.com/k8pVdDG1NJ
— ava (@imhful) August 20, 2020
9.
It’s clear some of this managers/label heads legit were bullied and got picked on in school. Hold her music hostage for what? To build anticipation? Free @sza until it’s backwards. #freesza
— The Hope Dealer 🧡🌙📿🔮 (@itsvickiemae) August 20, 2020
10.
#FreeSza that big fat bowling pin looking ass nigga need to stop playing with my sis @iamstillpunch
— vaniamilbin (@VaniaMilbin) August 20, 2020
11.
Everyone outside SZA manager crib #FreeSza pic.twitter.com/kVLLBLgfVN
— 2021🇹🇹 (@kye_the_kingz) August 20, 2020