On December 9th 2022 Grammy winner SZA released her long awaited album SOS to fans’ excitement. Since her previous album Ctrl, released back in 2017, fans only took days after the release to start posting about the album across all social media. Trends started popping up on platforms like TikTok with fans using songs from the new album to show how they looked for the release of Ctrl vs SOS, because of the 5 year gap between them. Quickly captivating everyone’s screens, SOS rapidly rose to the top of the charts on the Billboard 200, and stayed there for 7 weeks. Soon after that, the album started breaking records. 

The anticipation and high expectations had fans streaming the album 24/7 after it dropped. Within the first week of being released, SOS broke the record for biggest streaming week for an R&B album in US history, reaching 404.58 million streams. “Number 1 two weeks in a row … God is incredible. I won’t repeat it all, but thank you everybody for supporting me and speaking power n love into me,” the artist captioned her post December 27, 2022, 18 days after the album drop.  

After only two weeks on the charts SZA became the first Black female artist to chart in two weeks since Beyonce’s self titled album in 2013. As the weeks went on and fans continued to stream, post, and rave about the album, SOS became the first R&B album by a female artist to spend the first four weeks on the Billboard 200 since Janet Jackson’s Janet, in 1993. In reply to this SZA took to Instagram to post, “Thank you to God my ancestors my family my team and ALL OF YOU THAT RIDE FOR ME.” 

Recently on Feb. 6, 2023, SOS was certified platinum at the Grammys by the Recording Industry Association of America. SZA posted this milestone captioning it, “Last night was the first time I  had a great time at an award show! My team also surprised me w a GANG OF PLATINUM and gold plaques for SOS cant believe this album is already eligible for double platinum. LOVE TO EVERYBODY THAT GOT ME HERE AND CONTINUES TO LIFT ME UP.”

With it being nine weeks since the initial release of the album, it has charted all nine since then. Breaking the record of being first R&B album by a female artist to spend the first seven weeks at #1 since Whitney Houston’s Whitney in 1987. SOS has continued to hold the #1 spot for eight of the nine weeks. Falling to the #2 spot to TEMPTATION by TOMORROW X TOGETHER for the week of Feb. 11. But, later reclaiming its spot at #1 on the week of Feb. 18, where it has continued to stay since. 

As the album continues to grow many songs from the album became hits on Tiktok, including Kill Bill, Blind, and Ghost in the Machine ft Phoebe Bridgers, each song receiving their own trend. With all of the immense support from fans on Dec. 13, SZA announced, “SOS TOUR STARTS FEBRUARY.” With the album still topping the charts and first date of the tour arriving quickly, fans are all anticipating what is to come next from this brilliant artist.