SZA sidesteps a funny Drake question while promoting “Grand National Tour” with Kendrick Lamar

SZA lit up “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” late Tuesday (March 11) and gave fans a glimpse into her upcoming “Grand National Tour” with Kendrick Lamar. During the sit-down, host Jimmy Kimmel probed whether the concerts would echo February’s dynamic Super Bowl LIX halftime performance. The “Saturn” singer made it clear that fans should expect the unexpected. “Oh, we’re doing a new thing,” she teased. “We’re both just kind of throwing all the paint at the wall... This is our first stadium show for both of us, so we pretty much have to go insane.”

That “insanity” isn’t just about the scale of the tour — it’s about the creative energy of two of music’s most forward-thinking artists. While they will share the stage, the Top Dawg Entertainment talent admitted that her former labelmate exists in another orbit. “Well, he’s a wizard, so that’s different,” she quipped. “Wizards tend to be solitary beings, from my observation... I think he’s doing the Merlin thing backstage, getting us ready to take off.” It’s a fitting analogy, given that Lamar’s meticulous approach long felt like something conjured in secret, only to be unleashed in ways that redefine music and art.

“But what if you-know-who shows up?”

Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper Kimmel interview without some lighthearted stirring of the pot. With a Toronto tour stop on the schedule, the host couldn’t resist nudging SZA about a certain Canadian rapper. “But what if you-know-who shows up?” he prodded, obviously referring to Lamar’s nemesis, Drake. The unbothered SOS star simply shrugged, “Who knows who?” Kimmel, ever the instigator, joked that Lamar would “wave his wand, and he will disappear.” Rolling with the bit, SZA replied, “That’s [why] he’s the man behind the curtain.”

For all the stadium spectacle, SZA revealed that one of her proudest recent moments happened on a much smaller stage: “Sesame Street.” She described her experience filming for the iconic children’s show with the kind of awe usually reserved for the Grammy Awards. “That was actually the most intense room of celebrities I’ve ever been in,” she humorously expressed. “Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch... I got to talk to Cookie Monster.” When asked about his conversational skills, she playfully critiqued his speech. “Terrible diction and alliteration. Very poor vocabulary, but tons of enthusiasm. I was so inspired!” she said with a laugh. But the significance wasn’t lost on her. “It was a true indicator that I’ve made it. Shout out to the Super Bowl, but ‘Sesame Street’...”

SZA the thespian

Kimmel also touched on SZA’s foray into acting, bringing up One of Them Days, her hit movie with Keke Palmer. When asked if a sequel was in the works, she suggested that Palmer might need a break from her. “Keke’s tired of me, she’s gotta be,” she said in jest before adding, “She’s chock-full of enthusiasm. I would be so honored to be involved in anything they did again.”

The “Grand National Tour” prepares for takeoff this April in Minneapolis. Those interested in the show can head here for dates and additional information.