What does it mean to be in control of your emotions? For most of us, it’s a lifelong project of balancing our insecurities, ambitions, heartbreaks, and the pressure to present a version of ourselves to the world. It is beneficial to look back at this album because it offers valuable knowledge that women should acquire. With “Ctrl”, SZA shows us her missteps and bad decisions, while also explaining what control feels like.
In “Ctrl,” SZA uses personal lyrics to dismantle the myth of the “perfect woman,” embracing vulnerability, emotional honesty, and imperfection to explore self-worth, femininity, and the hardships couples face in their relationships, ultimately defining what it means to be in control. It helps show young women things to look out for, so it is an excellent album to re-read.
Released on June 9, 2017, “Ctrl” was SZA’s long-awaited debut album. It connected her through her music, showing her audience that no woman is perfect and that it is okay to be vulnerable. SZA made this album to watch her mom and grandmother grow up, and seeing how their guide helped her at a young age, she wanted to do the same for younger girls, too. The album was number three on the US Billboard 200 and was nominated for four Grammy Awards.
In Control, SZA showcased vulnerability and emotional flaws not as weaknesses, but as a powerful form of resistance, challenging the notion of traditional femininity and embracing imperfection. SZA’s honesty in songs like “ Drew Barrymore” and “ Normal Girl” confronts the pressure to be the ideal woman. It makes women poised, desirable, and always in control. She sings, “I wish I were the type of girl you take over to mama/ The apple of a girl, I know my daddy, he’d be proud of,” reflecting how patriarchy shapes women’s self-image and romantic expectations. Through lyrics like these, SZA exposes her insecurities, but she also connects with listeners who feel the same. As Album of the Year (AOTY) puts it, “ the way she articulates her insecurities and thoughts is simply so magical,” making every line feel even more powerful.
“Ctrl” shows strong feelings about self-worth and love that many women can relate to, especially those going through breakups or struggling with self-image. SZA’s honest lyrics make people feel seen and understood. In “The Weekend,” SZA flips traditional relationship norms by openly describing a shared partner situation without judgment. She sang, “My man is my man is your man/ heard it’s her man too.” This kind of honesty reflects the complexities of modern dating, especially in a world shaped by social media. In “20 something,” a feeling that hits home for a generation dealing with instability in relationships, careers, and adulthood. “When she sings, ‘really wish I was I was a normal girl,” it’s a powerful reminder that in a world with so many ways to connect, there are just as many ways to get hurt”. Her openness about not feeling “normal” gives other girls permission to be imperfect too, creating space for realness.
Sza’s Ctrl isn’t about having it all figured out; it’s about the messy beauty of not knowing or learning to let go of performing and embracing uncertainty. By turning her insecurities into a song, she permits listeners to be vulnerable. In a culture that rewards perfection, “Ctrl” is a display of honesty, and honesty is a true form of power.
