Solana Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, is a well-known R&B singer and songwriter with 63.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify and a net worth of about $6 million. The “SOS” tour was SZA’s first arena tour and was based on her most recent album “SOS.” This tour had a total of three legs consisting of shows in Europe and North America. The first leg of her tour in North America had 18 shows and earned her around $35 million with 238,000 tickets sold. Due to the success of her first leg, SZA extended the tour further and I could attend her show in Las Vegas, Nevada during the third leg. I’ve been a huge fan since her song “The Weekend (Funk Wav Remix)” was released in 2017. When I heard she was performing near me, I knew I had to go and finally experience her songs in person. My dad was able to obtain three tickets for him, my best friend, and me. Each ticket was approximately $290 including tax, but it was all worth the price.
My dad, best friend Taliyah, and I spent the whole day on the Las Vegas strip, so we were able to arrive at the T-Mobile stadium an hour before the doors opened. We ran straight to the merchandise booths, waited 30 minutes, and spent about $300 for two hoodies and two shirts. The price was intimidating, but the clothes were good quality with cute designs. We got our merch pretty early so we were able to explore the huge stadium. It’s fairly new, built in April 2016, and can seat 18,000 during an end-stage concert. Our seats had a good view and were connected to a lounge area that had food stations and bathrooms. I was very glad my view was not obstructed because that would’ve affected the experience.
The opening acts, d4vd and ImaniCarolyn, set the tone for the rest of the concert by creating a comfortable and fun atmosphere. ImaniCarolyn is a small underrated singer-songwriter, while d4vd is well known for his internet hits “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me.” After the artist’s performances, we waited around 15 minutes for SZA to get on stage. During the wait, I was overcome with excitement and felt like I was in my own bubble. A DJ was playing a bunch of popular artists like Nicki Minaj and Drake which helped pass the time. I was most excited for her to perform “Good Days” and “Garden (Say It Like Dat)” which is my most listened-to song on Spotify. “Good Days” is one of the songs you just have to experience in concert at least once in your life.
SZA started the show with “Seek & Destroy,” an upbeat song about the damage a relationship can bring to one’s mental health. It goes through the process of a breakup and tells the story of finding your worth. As she moved through songs, her backdrop changed with the mood. During her first few songs, the big screens behind her cast a sunrise that radiated yellow and orange light through the audience. Transitioning into her heart-wrenching songs, “Broken Clocks” and “Forgiveless,” the screens cast a boat dock on fire, representing her theme SOS, and the frustration these songs bring. Her props were outstanding, consisting of a life-sized sailboat and an anchor as tall as the stadium. My favorite part of the concert was when she got on a lifeboat and was lifted above the audience. In the lifeboat, she sang “Special,” one of the most emotional and relatable songs on any platform. This song goes through feelings of jealousy and self-consciousness felt in a relationship. She talks about giving all her effort to someone who just ended up hurting her, making her feel like a loser. This part was truly magical as the crowd waved their flashlights to the rhythm of the song.
During her last few songs, a beautiful sunset and night sky were revealed behind her as she sat on a diving board, replicating her “SOS” album cover. Her last song of the night was “Good Days” and it was the best song to close the show with. People started flooding out of the stadium to beat traffic, but then SZA came back on stage. She decided to bring the people with the most hype energy during the show backstage in thanks to helping her feel more comfortable and confident. Unfortunately, we did not go backstage but it was definitely a night to remember. We lost our voices for a little afterward but loved every minute of it. If you are a fan of R&B and rap or just need to scream emotional and relatable songs at the top of your lungs, you should definitely attend a SZA concert.
