SZA continues to surprise herself with the overwhelming success of SOS, her long-awaited sophomore album from December. It became her first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard 200 that month and has steadily broken records in the ensuing weeks.
Last month, SOS became the first album since Adele’s 30 (December 2021 to January 2022) to spend each of its first five weeks at No. 1. SZA began February by celebrating a seventh total week, citing that she, Adele and Taylor Swift are “the only female artists to have an album spend at least seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this century.”
By February 12, SOS logged its eighth nonconsecutive week and became the first album to tally that mark since Swift’s Folklore, and now, SZA is on Adele’s heels for yet another historic feat.
Per Billboard on Sunday, February 19, SOS sits at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated February 25, for a ninth total week.
“The last set by a female artist to spend at least nine weeks at No. 1 was Adele’s 25, which ruled for 10 nonconsecutive weeks between Dec. 12, 2015, and March 12, 2016,” Billboard‘s Keith Caulfield noted.
He later added:
“In the last 10 years, only three albums by women have spent at least nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: SOS, Adele’s 25 (10 in 2015-16) and Taylor Swift’s 1989 (11, 2014-15). The last R&B/hip-hop album with at least eight weeks atop the list was Drake’s Views, which [spent] 13 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 (May 21-Oct. 8, 2016). SOS has the most weeks at No. 1 for an R&B/hip-hop album by a woman, or an R&B album by a woman, since Mariah Carey’s self-titled debut spent 11 weeks, all consecutively, at No. 1 in 1991.”
SZA appeared as a presenter at the 2023 Grammys on February 5, and she’s likely to be there as a nominee next year.
“Last night was the first time I had a great time at an award show! (Prolly cause I ain’t have to do sh*t but cheer my friends on + announce ppl I Stan lmao),” SZA wrote on Instagram afterward. “My team also surprised me w a GANG OF PLATINUM and gold plaques for SOS [crying emoji] can’t believe the album is already eligible for double platinum. LOVE TO EVERYBODY THAT GOT ME HERE AND CONTINUES TO LIVE ME UP. I love you.”
After initial concerns that people wouldn’t like SOS, SZA has apparently settled into the rhythm of repetitive record-breaking. “Honestly I’m bored and could go for some aliens,” she tweeted last week. “Speaking for me only.”
In actuality, she’s preparing to take her blockbuster album on the road. Her SOS Tour is scheduled to begin tomorrow, February 21 in Columbus, Ohio. Omar Apollo will serve as her opener.
Omar Apollo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.