If there’s one thing SZA is known for, it’s writing and singing songs about heartbreak that are all too relatable. Her 2017 debut studio album Ctrl was on repeat for anyone going through falling in love, being in love, and losing in love. Her 2022 follow-up SOS is full of even more songs about the complicated relationships that come into and out of our lives, and they’re just as moving.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1989 as Solána Imani Rowe, SZA started making music in the early 2010s. Her mother was an AT&T exec and her dad worked as an executive producer at CNN. Since her career took off, she’s worked with artists like Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Maroon 5, Rihanna, and Kendrick Lamar. She’s won an American Music Award, a Grammy Award, a Guild of Music Supervisors Award, and two awards from Billboard Women in Music.
Anyone would be curious as to who SZA is writing about, but the truth is the musical artist tends to keep her private life pretty private. Here’s what we do know about her life when she’s off the stage and everyone she’s been linked to romantically.
Kehlani
In 2021, it was rumored that fellow musical artist Kehlani and SZA were in a relationship. Most of the story hinged on a video taken in September of that year when Kehlani and SZA were filmed holding hands as they walked to a party being thrown by Rihanna. In April 2021, they were seen hanging out together as well, accompanied by Lizzo, and later that same month Kehlani came out on TikTok, saying, “It’s true, I am gay gay gay gay!!! I finally realized I’m a lesbian.”
They have never confirmed a relationship, and SZA has never commented publicly on her sexuality.
Drake
In a rare statement, SZA said in a tweet in 2020 that she and rapper Drake briefly dated in 2009. SZA was only 20 years old at the time. It came up because Drake released a new track with 21 Savage, titled “Mr. Right Now.”
In the song, he claims a woman says she wanted to have sex while listening to SZA, and Drake raps, “Wait, ’cause I used to date SZA back in ’08.”
She commented on the lyrics, saying, “It was actually 2009 lol…I just didn’t want anybody thinking anything underage or creepy was happening. Completely innocent. Lifetimes ago.”
Sasso Scott
Entertainment executive and clothing designer behind the brand 10Deep, Scott Sasso is supposedly a past romance of SZA’s, but once again, nothing confirmed.
Bill Nye
Popular science educator Bill Nye never dated SZA, but when her hit song “Kill Bill” came out, it became a joke rumor that he was the cheating paramour who gets murdered in the story. The jokes took off with a viral tweet from December 2022 featuring pics of the two stars together.
The singer shared a screenshot of the tweet with the words, “To hell .. yall gotta go to hell” along with a bunch of crying emojis.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.
