At the beginning of 2020 (January 3, to be precise) SZA confirmed to fans that a new release was set to arrive this year, updating her previous claim (in August 2019) that it was coming “soon as fuck”. Now, however, the singer has suggested that the president of her label is holding back the new material.
In a since-deleted tweet, SZA pointed to the president of Top Dawg Entertainment, Punch – aka Terrence Louis Henderson – to explain the delay, writing, “At this point y'all gotta ask punch” and adding: “I've done all I can do.”
In a fan’s response to the tweet, which asked if this is due to a “hostile relationship”, SZA replied: “BEEN hostile.”
Elsewhere, in response to a tweet that appeared to show Punch refusing to set a date for the release, just writing “soon”, SZA replied: “This is all he says to me as well. Welcome to my fucking life.”
However, SZA has since tweeted, following a trending #FreeSZA hashtag: “Don’t nobody need to free me. Lmao I’m not held hostage n neither is my music!! me n punch be disagreeing... hes never steered me wrong and I trust Gods timing.”
“Sometimes u gotta be patient... sometimes no is a blessing... i trust the ppl around me.”
Top Dawg Entertainment also released SZA’s acclaimed debut album, Ctrl, in 2017 (one of Dazed’s albums of the year). Ahead of that release, SZA also tweeted then deleted claims that the label was applying pressure over the release.
On his own social media, Punch has retweeted criticisms from fans, and seemingly responded in posts reading: “I am a person and you guys are hurting my feelings,” and, “The way you guys show love hit different. Like whoa. Yea. But have a good day.”