I still remember being in math class last April when my friends and I saw that R&B singer-songwriter SZA was coming to the United Center for the 43rd stop on her SOS tour. We all talked about buying tickets to see her hugely successful third-album tour, but I never really thought I would be able to go. Luckily, I got tickets, and on October 10 I was standing in the United Center with SZA performing a few hundred feet in front of me.
The concert began at 8:00 p.m. with an opening performance by alternative singer-songwriter D4vd. At 9:15, SZA came on-stage and played a total of 32 songs, beginning with “PSA” and ending with “Good Days”.
The flow of the concert was astoundingly smooth, from the costume changes to the transitions between songs. Her outfits, which ranged from long, flowy red dresses to sparkly jorts, were all exciting and eye-catching. The entire setup of the stage was clearly well thought out as well, specifically the boat that served as the centerpiece of the visual story told throughout the concert. When her performance began, SZA was at a boat house. Later in the concert, she was traveling on the boat. At the end of the show, the boat was gone, and she was sitting above the water. Throughout the story, the stage-effects really shone, with the lighting giving the illusion that SZA was floating on water. On all fronts, the aesthetics of the performance were flawless.
There were no times when you felt like you were just standing there and waiting for SZA to come back on. She was always moving, always had energy, always keeping the flow of the concert. I had seen stuff on social media about SZA’s voice not being stable when you see her live, and I worried the performance would be like that. However, when I saw her I didn’t feel like that at all. She had an incredibly strong stage presence and consistently engaged with the audience. She would occasionally speak directly to us, and at the end she called on people who she felt brought the most energy and invited them backstage to meet her. She was an amazing performer and she made the experience amazingly memorable.
Overall, the concert was incredible. SZA lived up to all my expectations in every way, and I would absolutely recommend going to her show. It was worth every penny, and I would go again if I could.
