On Dec. 9, 2022, SZA unleashed her highly anticipated SOS album. Equipped with 23 records, the sophomore LP included appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Preceding the release were well-received singles like “Shirt,” “I Hate U,” and “Good Days.” SOS quickly grabbed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 thanks to the 125,000 album-equivalent units sold.
The dominance had just begun, as the St. Louis-born star would go on to top the charts for eight weeks. Today (Feb. 20), that number increased once again as SZA locked in her ninth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In the week ending Feb. 16, SOS moved 93,000 album-equivalent units in the U.S. This also officially marked “the most weeks atop the list for an album by a woman in nearly seven years,” Billboard reported.
The last female artist to hold the title was Adele for 25 in 2016. Taylor Swift’s 1989 also spent 11 weeks at No. 1 in 2015.
SZA recently sat down for an interview with The New York Times, where she revealed her inner struggles while creating SOS. “I didn’t even know how to make [the album] ’cause I didn’t have a purpose,” she said. “But now, it’s like I did everything I wanted to do.”
The “Go Gina” singer will also be honored with the Woman of the Year award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards. The honor marks the biggest award of the night, recognizing the singer for her talents as a songwriter, artist and trailblazer. She joins the list of previous winners that boasts names like Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Madonna and more. SZA will also officially head out on her North American arena tour later this month.