SZA has admitted that she is in debt to Beyoncé for using elements from her song Listen in her own track SOS, but the kind-hearted queen has not asked for repayment.
The singer shared this information in an Instagram comment, where she acknowledged incorporating Beyoncé’s melody and lyrics into her 2022 song.
Despite owing money to the music icon, SZA mentioned that Beyoncé has not followed up on the payment.
This statement was made in response to an Instagram reel by influencer Zuhaila Jama, highlighting the number of writers credited on Beyoncé’s songs and joking about her generosity in giving songwriting credits.
SZA commented, “I literally owe her half my publishing off interpolation alone on SOS and she never pressed me lmao (laughing my a*s off). A generous QUEEN (crying emoji).”
At the end of SOS, the title track of her 2022 album, the R&B singer references Listen by singing, “And I cried and cried / Said what’s on my mind.” That is a slight tweak of Beyoncé’s original lyrics: “And I’ve tried and tried / To say what’s on my mind.”
The 36-year-old, real name Solana Rowe, previously opened up about being a fan of the former Destiny’s Child star.
She told E! News last year that she was too “scared” to go over to the Halo hitmaker and introduce herself.
“I can’t speak unless she wants to speak, in my brain, because I don’t want to bother her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful,” she explained. “I just admire her. She’s a masterclass on poise, grace, artistry, beauty and kindness.”
