View source for S (EP)

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = S
| type       = ep
| artist     = [[SZA (singer)|SZA]]
| cover      = S - ep - by - SZA.png
| alt        =
| released   = April 12, 2013
| recorded   = 2013
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Alternative R&B]]|[[neo soul]]}}
| length     = 28:09
| label      = Self-released
| producer   = {{hlist|Zodiac|Patrick Lukens|[[Brandun DeShay]]|WNDRBRD|Waren Vaughn|Felix Snow}}
| prev_title = [[See.SZA.Run]]
| prev_year  = 2012
| next_title = [[Z (EP)|Z]]
| next_year  = 2014
| misc         = {{Singles
| type        = EP
| single1     = Ice.Moon
| single1date = February 22, 2013
| single2     = Castles
| single2date = August 16, 2013
}}
}}
'''''S''''' is the second [[extended play]] by American singer [[SZA (singer)|SZA]]; it was self-released on April 10, 2013. After meeting members of independent label [[Top Dawg Entertainment|Top Dawg]] and releasing her debut EP ''[[See.SZA.Run]]'' (2012), SZA began working on ''S'', beginning recording in May 2013. SZA worked with a variety of producers on the album, including Zodiac, Patrick Lukens, [[Brandun DeShay]], WNDRBRD, Waren Vaughn and Felix Snow. ''S'' is characterized as an alt-R&B album with production that "twists and mutates."<ref name="cos">{{cite web|url=http://consequence.net/2013/04/album-review-sza-s-ep/|title=SZA — S EP {{!}} Album Reviews|date=April 22, 2013|author=Kivel, Adam|work=Consequence of Sound|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref>
SZA promoted the mixtape with the release of a music video for the song "Ice Moon"; the video was directed by Lemar & Dauley.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.complex.com/music/2013/11/sza-ice-moon-video | title=SZA Releases Mystical Video For "Ice Moon" | publisher=[[Complex Media]] | work=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] | date=November 13, 2013 | accessdate=April 4, 2014}}</ref>
== Background ==
SZA first met members of Top Dawg Entertainment during the CMJ Music Marathon in 2011, when her boyfriend's clothing company sponsored a show in which [[Kendrick Lamar]] was performing. A friend attending the show with her presented early SZA songs to TDE president [[Punch (rapper)|Terrence "Punch" Henderson]], who enjoyed the material and stayed in touch.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6041313/sza-talks-z-album-being-the-only-girl-in-top-dawg-entertainment|title=SZA Talks 'Z' Album & Being the Only Girl In Top Dawg Entertainment|magazine=Billboard|author=Ugwu, Reggie|date=April 7, 2014|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> On October 29, 2012, SZA released her debut self-released extended play entitled ''See.SZA.Run'', which featured production from Brandun DeShay, APSuperProducer, among others.<ref>{{cite web | author=Frydenlund, Zach | url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/10/ep-premiere-sza-see-sza-run | title=EP Premiere: SZA "See SZA Run" | publisher=[[Complex Media]] | work=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] | date=October 29, 2012 | accessdate=April 4, 2014}}</ref> In June 2013, Top Dawg Entertainment stated plans to sign two more artists,<ref name="rashadsigning">{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.24176/title.tde-reportedly-signs-chattanooga-tennessee-rapper-isaiah-rashad|title=TDE reportedly signs Chattanooga, Tennessee rapper Isaiah Rashad|author=Paine, Jake|work=HipHopDX|date=June 3, 2013|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2013/06/kendrick-lamar-confirms-theres-a-new-artist-joining-tde|title=Kendrick Lamar confirms there's a new artist joining TDE|author=Josephs, Brian|work=Complex|date=June 2, 2013|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> announcing on July 14 that SZA had been signed to the label.<ref name="thesource.com">{{cite web|url=http://thesource.com/2013/08/14/presenting-tdes-new-songstress-listen-to-szas-new-song-teen-spirit/|title=Presenting TDE's New Songstress|work=The Source|date=August 14, 2013|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref>
== Recording ==
In May 2013, SZA revealed that she had been working with producers [[Holy Other]] and Emile Haynie, the latter of whom had previously worked with [[Lana Del Rey]] and [[Kid Cudi]].<ref name="BillboardMay2013">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/1563547/sza-talks-quitting-her-day-job-working-with-other-emile-haynie|author= Ugwu, Reggie |title=SZA Talks Quitting Her Day Job, Working With Holy Other & Emile Haynie|magazine= Billboard.com|date= May 23, 2013|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> SZA met Holy Other through mutual friends. After being in the same area as one another and working in the same studio, the pair began working together.<ref name="BillboardMay2013"/> SZA met producer Felix Snow via a mutual friend and they later began "hanging out", SZA described Felix as being "completely not the textbook producer" continuing to expand on working with Felix SZA said;
<blockquote>
If you've ever seen him he wears sunglasses inside all day and sandals all year round. He's basically always in yacht mode. He has a [[Tamagotchi|Tamagachi]]{{sic}} and a [[Giga Pet]], so he's a character-and-a-half. But we're like family. I went to his house in Connecticut and played with his menagerie of animals and met his parents and ate soup.<ref name="BillboardMay2013"/>
</blockquote>
In a June 2014 interview with the YouTube channel "Star Sessions", SZA revealed that the songs "Terror.Dome", "Castles" and "Wings" were all recorded the night before the EP was released. She additionally described that 2013 was a tough time in her life as she was going through a lot of personal changes, and when it came to music: "I was just kinda winging it, like SUPER winging it".
== Critical reception ==
Adam Kevil of ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'' gave a positive review of the EP. Praising the album's musical direction, Kevil called the work sincere and "cool", continuing on to note how SZA's courage proves "she's equally as aware of her strengths as she is the potential for constant maturation and growth".<ref name="cos"/>
== Track listing ==
{{Track listing
| headline        =
| all_writing     = [[SZA (singer)|SZA]]
| extra_column    = Producer(s)
| total_length    = 28:09
| writing_credits =
| title1 = Castles
| extra1 = Felix Snow
| length1 = 3:02
| title2 = Terror.Dome
| extra2 = Waren Vaughn
| length2 = 4:26
| title3 = Aftermath
| extra3 = WNDRBRD
| length3 = 3:38
| title4 = The Odyssey
| extra4 = [[brandUn DeShay]]
| length4 = 3:22
| title5 = Pray
| extra5 = Snow
| length5 = 3:18
| title6 = Ice.Moon
| extra6 = {{hlist|Snow|Patrick Lukens}}
| length6 = 3:10
| title7 = Wings
| extra7 = Lukens
| length7 = 4:26
| title8 = Kismet
| extra8 = Zodiac
| length8 = 2:47
}}
'''Sample credits'''
* "Castles" contains samples of "[[Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac song)|Everywhere]]", written by [[Christine McVie]], and performed by [[Fleetwood Mac]].
* "Terror.Dome" and "Kismet (Outro)" contain snippets from the 1968 horror film, ''[[Rosemary's Baby (film)|Rosemary's Baby]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://consequence.net/2013/04/album-review-sza-s-ep/|title=Album Review: SZA – S EP|date=April 22, 2013|website=consequence.net|accessdate=June 14, 2017}}</ref>
* "The Odyssey" contains a sample of an interview with [[Eartha Kitt]] from the 1982 documentary ''All By Myself - The Eartha Kitt Story''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGYwf7e_cr8|title='Eartha Kitt on love and compromise', excerpt from ''All By Myself – The Eartha Kitt Story'' (1982)|website=Youtube.com|date=March 20, 2013|accessdate=March 25, 2018}}</ref>
== Release history ==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Format
! scope="col"| [[Record Label|Label]]
|-
! scope="row" | United States
|| April 10, 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.datpiff.com/SZA-S-EP-mixtape.544592.html|title=SZA - S // Free Mixtape|work=[[DatPiff]]|publisher=Idle Media Inc|date=October 28, 2013|accessdate=April 4, 2014}}</ref>
|| [[Music download|Digital download]]
|| Self-released
|}
==See also==
*[[Alternative R&B]]
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.IAMSZA.com/}}
{{SZA}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:2013 EPs]]
[[Category:Contemporary R&B EPs]]
[[Category:SZA albums]]