It
was
all
about
love,
love,
love
as
SZA
won
Variety’s
Hitmaker
of
the
Year
award!
The
“Good
Days”
singer
was
accompanied
on
stage
by
her
goddaughter,
Nova,
when
she
accepted
the
award
presented
by
Variety’s
Executive
Editor
of
Music,
Jem
Aswad.
SZA
thanked
her
loved
ones
in
the
speech.
After
listing
her
parents
and
homies,
her
goddaughter’s
sweet
voice
interrupted,
“And
Nova.”
“And
Nova,”
the
honoree
echoed.
“Thank
you
to
Nova
for
bringing
me
joy
and
teaching
me
childlike
wonder
and
reminding
me
what
it’s
like
to
not
know
what
is
going
on
and
still
be
happy
anyway,”
the
artist
improvised,
inciting
giggles
from
the
audience.
Related
Stories
SZA
built
a
following
in
the
underground
music
scene
by
making
fan
favorites
like
“Babylon”
and
“Child’s
Play.”
However,
some
critics
claimed
her
tunes
weren’t
radio-friendly.
“I
just
think
it’s
really
ironic
that
I’m
considered
a
hitmaker
because
punching
up
for
so
long,
the
whole
conversation
was,
‘I
don’t
make
radio
music.
I
don’t
have
any
radio
hits.
I
don’t
have
a
sound.’
I
realized
the
biggest
thank
you
is
to
those
who
saw
me
as
a
hitmaker
before
that,”
said
the
“All
The
Stars”
singer.
“To
all
my
fans
that
listened
to
me
before
I
ever
went
number
one
or
anything
like
that.”
SZA
then
explained
how
her
definition
of
a
hitmaker
wasn’t
in
the
traditional
sense.
“I
really
feel
like
being
a
hitmaker
is
just
having
other
people,
the
public,
believe
what
God
and
your
inner
circle
that
you’ve
been
blessed
to
have
around
you
already
sees
in
you.
And
I’m
grateful
to
have
an
exceptional
inner
circle.”
She
continued,
“Thank
you
for
taking
the
time
to
break
it
down
for
me
and
just
give
me
patience
and
encourage
me
to
believe
that,
‘It’s
okay.
There
will
be
a
time
for
you
to
do
your
thing
and
they’ll
play
you
one
day.
And
that
day
did
come.
And
I’m
so
grateful.”
Aswad
told
the
audience,
“It’s
very
rare
for
an
album
to
top
the
charts,
the
critics’
polls,
and
win
people’s
hearts
the
way
SZA’s
album,
SOS,
has
done.
She
was
our
first
choice
for
Hitmaker
of
the
Year.”
The
34-year-old
has
been
making
waves
since
her
debut
album
Ctrl
in
2017.
After
the
release
of
her
highly
anticipated
sophomore
album,
SOS,
she
solidified
herself
as
a
chart-topping
artist.
The
Grammy
winner
has
smashed
not
only
Whitney
Houston’s
records
but
the
Queen
of
Soul,
Aretha
Franklin’s.
In
addition,
SZA
—
born
Solana
Rowe
—
has
had
the
longest-running
No.
1
song
on
the
Billboard
Top
R&B
charts.
In
addition,
Variety’s
honoree
earned
nine
Grammy
nominations
for
the
2024
ceremony
—
more
than
any
other
artist.
The
noms
were
a
magical
way
to
end
her
tour,
which
has
received
stellar
reviews.
Fans
spoke
glowingly
about
the
signer’s
delivery
and
stage
presence.
SZA’s
Next
Album
Is
Already
In
The
Pipeline
Source:
Christopher
Polk
/
Getty
Solana
plans
to
release
a
deluxe
version
of
SOS
titled
Lana
that
will
only
expand
her
reach
and
impact.
The
“Broken
Clocks”
singer
admits
she
is
unclear
about
the
exact
direction
of
the
album.
Like
many
Beyhivers,
she
asks,
“What
would
Beyonce
do?”
when
she’s
in
a
jam.
“It’s
definitely
turning
into
its
own
album…
and
I
guess
I
could
drop
a
new
album
randomly,
because
no
one’s
actually
expecting
that
from
me
right
now,”
she
told
the
publication.
“But
I
can’t
tell
if
now’s
the
time
to
be
consistent,
or
carefree.”
On
the
one
hand
it’s
like,
‘What
would
Beyonce
do?,’
but
I
am
also
deeply
inspired
by
people
who
do
whatever
the
f**k
they
want,
like
Frank
Ocean
and
Andre
3000.
Some
of
my
favorite
songs
were
the
ones
that
I
dropped
on
SoundCloud
[early
in
her
career],
because
it
was
so
stress
free.”
If
you
missed
her
tour
(and
you’re
willing
to
take
a
trip
over
the
pond),
no
worries!
The
highly
decorated
Artist
has
a
second
European
tour
leg
for
“SOS”
in
the
works.
The
“Conceited”
singer’s
2023
has
been
stellar,
and
her
2024
is
set
to
be
just
as
amazing.
SZA
once
said,
“I’m
bettin
on
me,”
and
it
is
undoubtedly
paying
off.
