We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about SZA, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the singer and musician that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: Success Runs in Her Blood. Both of SZA’s parents were very successful on their own. SZA’s mother was an executive at AT&T, and her father was an executive producer for CNN.
Number Seven: She Was Raised an Orthodox Muslim. SZA’s parents are from different religious sects; however, they raised her as Orthodox Muslim. Her father is Muslim, and her mother is Christian.
Number Six: She Was Bullied. Because SZA wore a Hijab in school, she was teased a lot – especially around the time of the September 11 attacks.
Number Five: She Gets Her Styles From the Big Screen. SZA has said that her fashion style is influenced by films, especially those films by Wes Anderson such as Moonrise Kingdom. She has also said that she is influenced by director Spike Lee.
Number Four: Her Name Has Meaning. SZA was born Solana Rowe, but her current name is not simply a shortening of her birth name. She told Complex that “SZA” comes from the Supreme Alphabet. The “S” could mean savior or sovereign, the “Z” stands for zig-zag, and the “A” stands for Allah.
Number Three: She Went to Three Different Colleges. When SZA graduated from secondary school, she cycled through three different colleges before eventually dropping out. She reportedly dropped out in freshman year because she was high too often.
Number Two: She Wears Pajamas on Stage. In an effort to optimize her vocal performance and comfort, SZA will sometimes wear pajamas on stage. She usually wears loose, free-flowing clothing to perform.
Number One: She Is Her Own Person. Above all, SZA has said that she wants to be thought of as her own person. She rejected comparisons to Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill because she said she has no “desire to be that.” Ultimately, she does not want to be pressured into making music she doesn’t want to make, and who can argue with that?