Artist: SZA

Single Title: Saturn

Release Date: Feb. 22, 2024

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre: Neo-Soul, R&B

The sounds of celestial bells ding repeatedly and a mesmerizing, instantly familiar voice starts singing: SZA. Saturn by SZA was released on Feb. 22, to a variety of streaming applications. The ethereal song makes anyone who listens to it feel as if they are floating around space, yet the production is still calm and serene. Saturn’s mesmerizing melody and rhythm are the best sounds one can merge. Undoubtedly, Saturn is definitely one of SZA’s best songs and deserves more publicity.

“I’m absolutely in love with her new song [Saturn]. I love how she made multiple versions of the song and my favorite version was the live version. I love how heavenly she sounded yet her lyrics were depressing. The combination of these made the song even better. I also like how she used her platform to spread awareness of planting trees and this shows how much care she has for Earth,” freshman Lea Perez said.

As a sneak peek for her fans, SZA debuted Saturn through a commercial by MasterCard during the 2024 Grammys. The advertisement was launched to promote planting and restoring trees.  The scenery of the commercial fits the vibe of the song perfectly; SZA sings the soft lyrics to Saturn while descending from a vine into a magical forest. Within MasterCard’s Priceless Planet Coalition, as of Feb. 4 to Feb. 29, the first 500,000 Lyft riders who paid with a U.S. World or World Elite Mastercard will result in a tree being planted.

In addition, MasterCard launched an Instagram sweepstakes through which cardholders could win a tree seed printed on SZA’s performance outfit. SZA is utilizing her platform to restore forests around the world. At the end of the ad, she asks her fans to join her and restore trees around the world. This made fans love her personality even more. 

“When I heard Saturn for the first time I automatically knew this was going to be a good song. Honestly, it was amazing how she made different versions. I also like that she added it to one of her last albums, SOS. I feel like she has a kind of vibe that anyone can enjoy. I also like how I can listen to it at any time such as when I’m reading or when doing my makeup,” freshman Melanie Verduda said.

The song is both dreamy and heavenly; when these qualities are tangled together, they create a classic SZA song. Aside from the serene atmosphere, the lyrics are laced with sadness, making the track interesting and nuanced. In the song, SZA’s crisis has led her to grieve:  “None of this matters.”

Through the lyrics, she expresses her confusion about the world. To her, the world sounds dull, which makes her tired of it. For example, in the first verse, she sings that she craves something drastically different as if there was a different universe she would be ready to live in it, in which SZA sings she would be better off on Saturn. The anxious lyrics easily touch both those who are naturally calm and those who are overstimulated. This demonstrates her skill as a relatable lyricist.

“Saturn is very calming and relaxing that it makes me want to listen to it when I’m taking a break, playing soccer, or even studying. I noticed that it follows a similar pattern as her other songs which makes me like it even more. The minute I recommended the song to my friends and siblings, they also fell in love with it. I believe that any song SZA makes can easily relate to somebody and what they are going through,” sophomore Brooke Lawson said.

SZA’s fans absolutely loved this song, including R&B fans. Everyone loved how this song was similar to her songs on the Ctrl album. Social media users said nothing but good news, such as how they cannot wait for SZA’s upcoming album, LANA. Fans were extremely happy with the fact that she released five different versions of the song: the normal version, the live version, the sped-up version, the acapella version, and the instrumental version. Many fans favored the live version because SZA’s voice really stood out. Given the fact that the production of Saturn was so good, many concluded that this was by far one of SZA’s top five songs.

Apart from the depressing lyrics, the ethereal chorus captivates the listeners. The melody is melancholic yet graceful with minimal instrumentation. As for the harmony, it also adds an emotional depth to the song while still connecting with listeners. The dreamy sounds alo feature little beats and subtle basslines.

“I liked the vibe of the song and how meaningful and touching the lyrics were. It does follow a similar pattern to her other songs which I really liked. My favorite thing about SZA was how she was able to deliver a relatable and meaningful message through Saturn. It’s definitely a great calming and relaxing song that I’d listen to when I’m studying or when I want to be relaxed,” junior Andrea Rotondaro said.

The enchanting music, heartfelt vocals and melancholic lyrics all blend seamlessly, which shows SZA’s talent, considering how difficult it is to seamlessly tie all these elements together. Through the lyrics, SZA delivers a moving story of hope and empowerment that many people can relate to. This song will reach many places, including the Billboard Charts and many listeners’ hearts.