Kayla Clayton '23
SZA’s SOS tour started on February 21, 2023 and will end mid to late May. Her shows run for about three and a half hours, including the opener. She is still touring all of the U.S. and will be touring Europe shortly after. After her show at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, she will be heading to High Altar in Hobart.
Omar Apollo was the opener for her Madison Square Garden show, and his set lasted for 30-40 minutes. He performed some of his hit songs and some songs that not many people know about. Overall, his performance was really good. His stage presence was great, his vocals were great, and the visuals were great.
SZA opened up her set with her unreleased song “PSA” and she sang the song on a ledge similar to the one on her album cover. At the end of the song, the screen came down and it showed her jumping into the water from the edge, symbolizing the start of the show. Once the screen came back up, she sang her song “Seek & Destroy.” This song is a favorite among her fans, so hearing it live was truly amazing. Her set had five acts, and every act had a different vibe. She looked so good in every outfit she had on. She performed 28 songs and they were all songs that even new fans would know.
I went to her March 5th sold-out Madison Square Garden show. When I say sold out, I mean sold out, like every seat in the arena was taken. So even getting into the venue was chaotic in itself because everyone was pushing and shoving trying to get to the front of the line quicker. I got there around 6 pm, and I didn't actually get to my seat until 7:30-7:45. It was a long and unnecessary process getting into the venue. There were barely any security guards to help direct everyone to the entrance so we were all just in one big crowd trying to push through one door. I’ve definitely had better experiences coming to a show at Madison Square Garden.
Once the show started, the crowd went absolutely insane. I sang every word and lost my voice because of how much I was screaming, but it was so worth it. The energy from the people around me was so uplifting. As soon as she came out, it felt as though Beyonce or Taylor Swift was standing in front of us.
When asked about what her favorite part of the show was, Katherine Soto ‘23, said, “I really enjoyed when she sang ‘F2F’ because that is my favorite song on the album. Her vocals were amazing and she looked incredible.”
The visuals are one thing that amazed me. Each visual matched the theme of the song. The whole tour was based on being out at sea. I thought that this concept was so brilliant.
I can’t wait to see what else she has planned for this year. I’m sure that all of her fans can not wait to show her all of the love and support she deserves.
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