Fans finally learn meaning behind SZA's name after an entire decade

SZA is one of the most talked-about artists in the music industry at the moment. As well as playing at Glastonbury in 2024, she sent fans wild with an incredible performance at the Super Bowl half time show with Kendrick Lamar.

The much anticipated performance was watched by millions of music and sport fans at home, while a number of celebrities had headed to the stadium in New Orleans. Jay Z, Taylor Swift and Ice Spice were all in attendance to see the pair pull off a spectacular show.

And now, the British public can get in on the action. Kendrick and SZA are currently on a UK tour, which is about to come to both Cardiff and London. People have been so excited for the shows they've been brushing up on their music trivia.

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And one piece of knowledge that people are only just learning about is the origins of SZA's name – how to pronounce it and what the acronym actually stands for.

The artist, whose real name is Solana Imani Rowe, launched her career in 2011, but it wasn't until the release of her Ctrl album in 2017 that she truly broke through.

Many fans were oblivious to the correct pronunciation of her name, leading some to turn to Reddit to question if they were alone in their confusion.

One asked: "Did anyone else initially assume that SZA's stage name was pronounced 'zah'?"

Others also confessed they'd been left baffled by the stage name, as one responder wrote: "Yes haha I also thought it was Zah, my second guess was S-Z-A. Didn't realise until I was told that it was Sizzah. Not very intuitive, at least not to me."

A second remarked: "I thought it was pronounced Ess Zee Ay, or Ess Zed Ay in Canada." And a third asked: "Doesn't S-followed by-Z make a 'sh' sound usually?"

If you are struggling, it's pronounced scissor! And now you've got that pronunciation down, it's time to think about the meaning behind the acronym.

SZA shared the significance of her moniker in previous interviews, revealing that each letter represents a unique concept from the Supreme Alphabet.

She said: "Each letter stands for a different ideology. So, S, stands for self-sovereignty, like saviour of one's self.

"Z stands for zig-zag, which is enlightenment of one's self, and then A stands for Allah, or a God, or whatever you consider the most high."

Upcoming UK tour dates

• July 19, 2025 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
• July 22, 2025 – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

European Tour Dates

• July 27, 2025 – Lisbon, Portugal – Estadio do Restelo
• July 30, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
• August 02, 2025 – Rome, Italy – Stadio Olimpico
• August 06, 2025 – Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy
• August 09, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – 3Arena