Solana Imani Rowe

: American R&B singer SZA performing at REBEL on August 23, 2017 in Toronto, Canada on Ctrl the Tour.“It starts with trusting yourself, even if people are telling you, you're too young to trust yourself.” - Sza.  Bullied, harassed, and taunted, Sza did not let it define her. Instead, it inspired her, she used her music to express herself and discuss many inspiring topics of women empowerment, self-esteem issues, and trusting yourself. Solana Imani Rowe is a 27-year-old R&B music artist, Sza is her stage name. Her music taste, jazz, was inspired by her dad. Sza was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her family later moved to Maplewood, New Jersey, where she grew up. After the 9/11 incident, she was bullied and harassed for being Muslim (Gale). Before she was in the music industry, she studied marine biology in college and later dropped out (Montgomery). She had independently released songs before she later teamed up with Top Dawg Entertainment. After working on her album for four years, she released her first full-length album, Ctrl, in 2017. Afterward, her music career soared, she worked with many other artists such as Rihanna, Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, and more. She was involved in the 61st annual Grammy Awards and was nominated for five Grammys. A hero should possess heroic traits such as the courage to express oneself and the determination to never give up.  Sza is both courageous and determined; through her bold music and decisions she has shown bravery and the tenacity to stay positive during tough times, making her a true hero.

Sza possesses the trait of courage which is showcased throughout her actions and everything she has overcome, which shapes her as a heroic person. After releasing her full-length album, Ctrl, she toured constantly for a year in the U.S and Europe in 2017. She later performed at a music festival in early 2018, but before joining her label for its Championship Tour, she had to pull out because of her vocal cords.  “...SZA shocked her fans this week by tweeting her vocal cords had been "permanently damaged" after a year of constant touring” (Durhat). Even after finding out her vocal cords had been permanently damaged, she took a break from touring and came back to pursue her dreams. It definitely takes courage to keep singing after finding out your vocal cords had been permanently damaged. Sza keeps following her passion and stays courageous even at tough times. After the 9/11 incident, Sza was bullied and harassed all throughout high school due to her religion. “‘Oh, you worship the devil,’” people would say to her. “They would snatch my hijab off and follow me home. My dad would be outside waiting for me." (Gale). After this incident, she remained courageous and told her story in an interview. Sza was not afraid to acknowledge what happened and that takes courage. Along with that, “SZA candidly addresses her inner thoughts to tell a universal story of struggle and redemption.” (Gale). She shows how much more there is to life and doesn't let her high school experience of being bullied define her as a person. Sza is courageous and this trait is shown through her actions, everything she overcame, and her positive attitude towards it all.

Sza is determined, she showcases this trait through the struggles she overcame in her music career.  As a teenager Sza was extremely determined and dedicated, and she carried this trait throughout her adult years. If she didn't, she wouldn't have gotten to where she is today. “The teenager was so dedicated to her chosen sport that by her sophomore year in high school Solána Rowe was the fifth-ranked gymnast in the United States” (Gale). Due to her determination, Solana Rowe follows her heart and does what she loves and that is what gets her so far in life doing the things she loves. When Sza was trying to produce her first labeled music album it took her quite a bit of time. “She wrote more than 200 songs before the label made her condense her work” (Gale). Despite how many tries it took, she stayed determined through the process, and got so far in the music industry because of her determination. When Top Dawg Entertainment first reached out to Sza in June 2013, they were going to release her first full-length album in 2015, however, there was a delay in the process: “SZA experienced difficulty and anxiety while trying to produce her debut album for Top Dawg. This led to a two-year delay in the process” (Gale). Sza nearly lost production for Ctrl due to her anxiety and tweeted out details, but then later deleted the tweet, and despite her anxiety and struggle in producing her album, she stayed determined, and in 2017, she released Ctrl. The meaning behind the album and why it means so much to her was to inspire black women of her generation that they can be themselves and take control of their lives. She explains the meaning behind the album in an interview and describes it as a concept that you can't control the future but you can focus on how you feel now and what you do in the present. Sza’s determination is highlighted from her teenage years to her adult years, it is shown through her actions and following her heart that got her to where she is presently.

Sza is hero through her courage and determination, through her bold music and decisions she is courageous and is determined to stay positive during tough times. After permanently damaging her vocal cords, being bullied and harassed, Sza stays courageous, acknowledges everything she has been through and tells her story in interviews and through her music. Sza is determined, she works hard to reach her goals no matter how long the delay. Sza inspires me and others because she follows her heart and her determination to never give up and possess the courage to get past tough times. She is expressive through her music and discusses topics that inspire women empowerment, self-esteem issues, and being yourself. Through her music, she gives a positive atmosphere, in an interview she says, “I want people to feel like they're loved and cared about and part of something way bigger than me, because to feel alone and not a part of anything was crazy growing up.” (Grammys). She lets everyone know that they are included and cared about because in high school she was bullied and wasn’t included.  Sza discusses the meaning behind one of her songs, “Supermodel”, in an interview about what an ex-boyfriend had taught her: “SZA said he taught her about what's truly important in a relationship and helped her realize why comparing herself to other women is toxic” (Grammys). Sza stays positive through a breakup and looks back to what it had truly taught her and discusses how comparing yourself to others is toxic. Sza truly inspires me to trust in myself and to follow my dreams no matter what it takes, therefore, Sza is my hero.

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