It's just under a month until SZA takes to the stage for her American Express presents BST Hyde Park show and the special guests for the day have been announced.
The full line-up for the first Saturday of BST Hyde Park’s three weekends includes Elmiene, No Guidnce, Sekou, Hope Tala, Fabiana Palladino, Nia Smith, and Jessy Blakemore. They join previously announced special guests Sampha and Snoh Aalegra. Tickets are on sale now, available at www.bst-hydepark.com.
A distinct force in contemporary R&B, SZA has set herself apart with a vulnerable and casually poetic songwriting style and a voice conveying a multitude of emotions with subtle twists and turns. She established herself with a trio of spaced-out EPs and collaborations with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna, and continued her ascent with ‘Ctrl' (2017), a Top Ten album that resulted in five Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist.
These accolades proved to be no fluke, as SZA earned almost as many Grammy nominations the next year by assisting Kendrick Lamar with ‘All the Stars’, a Top Ten hit, only one in a slew of platinum singles she has scored as a headliner or featured artist. Her rich and complex second album, ‘SOS' (2022), went straight to No.1 on the Billboard 200, produced four Top Ten pop singles – including the chart-topping revenge fantasy ‘Kill Bill’ – and earned the artist three Grammy awards. On 2nd March, SZA was also crowned ‘International Artist of the Year’ at the BRIT Awards 2024.
Last June, as part of her international SOS tour, SZA performed four back-to-back nights at London's O2 Arena, as well as nights in Glasgow and Manchester, to an incredible critical reception, with many highlighting SZA’s vocals and the stunning set design. Now, the acclaimed US R&B superstar is making a triumphant return to the capital for her BST Hyde Park debut, and we are counting down the days.
