SZA is very much so a star on paper after boasting big streaming numbers and four Grammy awards – but was she cut out for her headline Glastonbury Festival spot? Well, in short, it appears not. Despite not having the pleasure of being part of the 210,000 human-cattle to take over Worthy Farm this weekend, I got a glimpse of the American R&B artist at BST Hyde Park the night before. And it's obvious why SZA(pronounced Sizza) couldn't live up to the iconic Pyramid stage where social media Glasto commentators have said her crowd to be the 'lowest ever' for a headliner.
Already, there were signs from 24 hours before hinting that SZA's Glastonbury set would not be one to go down in the music history books for the right reasons. Despite the BST Hyde Park website claiming that the 34-year-old managed to sell-out her headline spot on Saturday, some sections were looking sparse – perhaps foreshadowing the turnout for her closing performance at Glasto. – so toilet and pint queues couldn't be blamed for this one.
But, it did appear that the waiting was worth it for her most dedicated fans. In spectacular fashion, SZA was elevated onto the stage on a podium where she towered above those the sea of mobile phones below. Her powerful yet delicate voice was quick to enchant with first song PSA.
For me though, most songs sounded the same and flowed into one another making them indistinguishable. That, and the muffled sound at the beginning. Though hardcore fans were able to sing the lyr.
