Ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, SZA engaged in a friendly handstand competition with gold medalist Simone Biles. The light-hearted challenge was part of a promotional clip shared on Monday (July 1), in which the “Hit Different” hitmaker expressed her admiration for the gymnast's unparalleled skill.
“I don’t care about my nails. I’m scared to lose,” SZA humorously confided to Biles during their warm-up. The singer, who transitioned from gymnastics to music, remarked on her continuous competitive spirit, which she evidently carried into her career as an artist. "You’re like my wildest dream," the St. Louis native said. "I was nowhere near as cool as you […] I just have never seen anything like you — no one has."
The contest ended with SZA managing to outlast Biles by a few seconds. "That was so good,” the 27-time gold medal winner reacted. The two-minute video concluded with a "to be continued" title card, hinting at more collaborations between the pair.
“SZA and Simone’s mutual admiration for each other’s talents provide a preview of the incredible competition in store at the Paris Olympics,” said Joseph Lee, the Senior Vice President of NBC Universal, in a press statement. “Their shared joy in being together shows the cultural excitement we will experience as we watch these athletes compete.”
On Sunday (June 30), Biles competed in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She posted a total of 117.225 points to secure the single automatic spot on the five-woman team. The Games, which will occur from July 26 to Aug. 11 in Paris, will mark her third time participating in the international multi-sport event.
Meanwhile, SZA is gearing up for her next full-length project. At BST Hyde Park 2024, the songstress probed her fans, asking, “New album, you ready?” She also shared a snippet of an unreleased record titled “Storytime” on her social media accounts.