What's The Real Meaning Of Snooze By SZA? Here's What We Think
"Snooze" by SZA was among 2023's most popular songs. That July, the sultry, catchy track reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs charts. However, it still has a firm hold over music lovers. As of February 2024, "Snooze" holds the No. 5 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. For several months, it was also a favorite among TikTok users until the app's dispute with UMG saw the platform lose access to many popular artists' songs in January 2024. And while SZA wasn't actually signed to the label, some of her songwriters were, so her songs have also been removed. Unsurprisingly, that minor setback has done little to thwart the success of "Snooze," which was released as part of SZA's second album, "SOS."
Months after SZA released her star-studded video for "Snooze," which featured a cameo from Justin Bieber, the popular track secured her one of her three 2024 Grammy Awards, including best R&B song. And while SZA was a little late for her acceptance speech, she managed to fit in a tribute to her friend and presenter Lizzo, and one of her idols, Taylor Swift, who teased the name of her next album at the 2024 Grammys. SZA also took to the main stage to perform "Snooze" at the event. But what's behind those bold, risqué lyrics? The song's real meaning may surprise you.
Snooze is about unconditional love
SZA's "Snooze" appears to be about a woman willing to risk it all for her other half. And by all, we mean everything. The song's opening lines read, "I'll touch that fire for you/I'll do that three, four times, again, I'll testify for you," which is enough for her to set the stage as the ultimate ride-or-die. However, the song soon escalates dramatically as she details the bonkers lengths she's willing to go to for the person she loves. "I told that lie, I'd kill that b***h/I do what all of them around you scared to do, I'm not/Long as you juggin' out here for me, I got it." If you're keeping track, so far, that's touching fire, lying, and murder. However, as SZA sings later, she's also willing to mob, scheme, loot, and hide bodies.
Unfortunately, it appears that SZA is willing to put herself in harm's way because of an insecure attachment to her partner. After spending the chorus crooning about how happy she is when they're together, she turns a corner during the bridge. "How you frontin' on me and I'm the main one tryin/ How you blame it on me and you the main one lyin'?/How you threatenin' to leave and I'm the main one cryin'?/Just tryna be your everything." It's also possible that SZA's partner is entertaining multiple love interests and/or unwilling to give her the security that she seeks.
Let's hope that "Snooze" isn't about SZA's real love life.
What Snooze's creators have said about it
SZA may be the vocalist who sings and performs "Snooze," but it wasn't exactly her brainchild. The song was produced by R&B singer/songwriter Babyface and former "Victorious" star Leon Thomas, who's worked with SZA in the past. As she explained, she stumbled upon Thomas creating the beat for the song during a studio session. "I went to the session just to work on another song and they were making the beat," SZA said during an interview with Wild 49 FM. "They were making the beat in the hallway, and Leon's voice is actually the sample in the beat ... so when I heard that, I was like what is that?" After wandering into the room, SZA cut her version of the song and sent it to Thomas and Babyface.
As Thomas revealed to Revolt, "Snooze" wasn't originally created as a solo track for SZA, but rather a collaboration with her and R&B singer/songwriter Babyface. "We were essentially just getting creative and having Babyface walk in and out of the room and lay parts," said Thomas. However, the creation process was very fulfilling. "Building the whole thing from scratch was beautiful. There was no ego; we were trying to make something cool that day. We did the beat that same day, and she recorded the song on the same day. That was a year and a couple of months ago," said Thomas in January 2023.