The songbird rescues herself, as well as the rest of us, during her sold-out voyage to Austin’s Moody Center.
SZA is no stranger to pushing boundaries. The genre-elusive songstress managed to to set the bar for an arena tour at a complete new level. Given the fact that this is her first one ever, that’s pretty impressive.
The Moody Center grounds were ablaze with fired up attendees well before doors opened. Everyone seemed exceedingly eager to have their grievances affirmed, their heartbreaks assuaged, their ex’s demise vicariously executed. Whatever the reason, swarms of people gathered in the muggy Austin weather to have their souls soothed.
The evening kicked off with a performance from Omar Apollo, who riled up the crowd with a mixture of his fans beloved favorites, including several from his recent debut album, Ivory, which has been met with critical acclaim. Viral hits like, “Evergreen” and “Want U Around” were met with resounding recitation from a swooning collective of young hearts in the crowd. It’s worth noting how emotive his performance was, captivating listeners with his painstakingly heartfelt lyrics, as well as spunky dance numbers. He was the perfect opener for a night filled with melodic splendor.
As the stadium darkened (following a hyperactive intermission of tunes and dancing), the audience roared. A glimmering, cyan-rippled background defines the opening scene for the evening. This is quickly recognized as larger than life replica of the singer’s iconic cover of her sophomore offering. SZA sat peacefully on a diving board, head bowed, as the bellows of the excited crowd echoed through the halls. “I don’t want anyone calling me but number one,” she hymns, beginning the night with the album teaser, PSA.
Austin is the halfway point for SZA’s North American tour, and is also the 3-month anniversary of SOS, which has remained at the top of several Billboard album charts, holding the #1 spot for 10 weeks prior. For the first night of then entire tour, SZA took the stage with bouncy coils of ginger hair – a style from the CTRL era that her core fans adore. Adorning a black jersey that read, “Gratitude” on the back, and black baggy cargos, the look definitely could have been a nod towards the “moodiness” of the Center’s aesthetic. She and her backup dancers, also dressed in black, began a routine to “Seek & Destroy,” sending the crowd into a frenzy as they paced the stage.
Austin is special in that it’s the only tour stop to have seen the ginger hair look from the star so far, and the crowd immediately took notice as she began a second dance routine to “Notice Me.” Singing cuts from SOS nearly in its entirety, and popular favorites from CTRL, the singer certainly gave her fans their money’s worth. Oh yeah, and dispelling all live singing rumors – SZA had her mic on their ENTIRE night.
Aquatic inspired visuals compelled onlookers as SZA and her shipwrecked crew of dancers made their crusade across the ocean. Mystical images of crashing waves, colorful fish and sharks slow across the screens through the treachery and mystique of the sea. Fitting for each scene was an aligning portion of her catalog, creating an immersive experience throughout the course of the performance. Towards the end, SZA floats away on an orange life raft.
With justifiable reason, the SOS tour is one of the most anticipated shows of 2023, which inevitably prompted surging ticket prices after the tour sold out across the country. If you’re fortunate enough to witness the show firsthand, you are in for a treat.
Setlist
PSA
Seek & Destroy
Notice Me
Love Galore
Broken Clocks
Forgiveless
Used
Bag Lady
Blind
Shirt
All the Stars
Prom
Garden (Say It Like Dat)
F2F
Drew Barrymore
Low
Supermodel/Special
Nobody Gets Me
Gone Girl
SOS
Kiss Me More
Love Language
Snooze
Kill Bill
I Hate U
The Weekend
Good Days
