SZA during arrivals at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, Calif. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via TNS

The expectations for the “SOS” tour were high, and SZA may have exceeded them.

SZA’s long-awaited sophomore studio album “SOS” was released December 2022, with her official announcement only days before its release, according to her Instagram. In the two and-a-half months since the album’s release, it has dominated the charts and social media platforms, like TikTok. Her most popular song off the album, “Kill Bill” has over half a billion streams alone, according to Spotify. 

“SOS” follows her 2017 major-label debut album “Ctrl,” landing in the number one spot of Billboard’s top R&B albums and certified platinum three times, according to Billboard. 

Less than a week after the release of “SOS,” SZA announced the “SOS” North American tour Dec. 13, 2022, on Instagram. Her first arena tour includes 17 American cities — such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles with opener Omar Apollo. SZA and her team decided to open the tour at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, the first ever arena performance for both Apollo and SZA. 

Although SZA performed at a variety of festivals, her hiatus of over five years from touring created anticipation for “SOS.” In Columbus, the Schott was filled with an excitement that most other tours are unable to replicate. 

Apollo arrived on stage shortly after 8 p.m. His performance was raw, and he was able to bring the passion, energy and emotion that was needed to set the evening’s tone. Notably, Apollo performed his newly released song “3 Boys” for the first time. Apollo was also visibly enjoying his time onstage and performed his viral hit “Evergreen,” which the crowd loved. Although his performance was highly enjoyable, it felt a bit short with it being around 30-40 minutes. The crew immediately began setting up the set when he left the stage, which after watching the show, the amount of time they needed to set up is understandable. 

As the crowd anxiously awaited for SZA to appear onstage, it was clear that this experience was one that many in the crowd had dreamed of. Their anticipation filled the atmosphere with the positive hum of excited chatter. 

From the moment that SZA arrived onstage, it was clear that her mission was to tell a story. The show opened with the onstage screens projecting images of water, similar to her album cover. One of the screens lifted and revealed her sitting elevated above stage on a diving board, singing the unreleased “PSA”. From there, the screen descended down to cover her again, but projected the visual of a woman, presumed to represent SZA, jumping into the water. The show began as if it were a movie with opening credits “presenting” SZA. 

The screen once again opened, and she began performing “Seek and Destroy.” SZA, alongside four dancers, began performing a rigorously choreographed dance, beginning the night with high energy. Her next song, “Notice Me,” continued this and SZA had a playful, fun tone. 

The set and the show took the audience on the journey of a shipwreck — hence the title “SOS.” SZA’s discography can be said to do the same thing, taking listeners through emotional experiences — such as heartbreak, joy and vulnerability. SZA had moments that allowed the audience to experience these emotions several times throughout the night. 

The show consisted of an extravagant set design, multiple costume changes and meticulous choreography. However, none of it outshined SZA’s outstanding vocal performance. All of these moving parts considered makes her ability to perform at such a high level even more impressive. 

SZA performed multiple songs off of “Ctrl,” such as “Love Galore,” “Broken Clocks” and “Prom,” but the fan favorite may have been “Drew Barrymore.” Whether it be the song’s relatable lyrics, or infectious tune, the Columbus crowd had a strong connection to it.

After one of SZA’s many wardrobe changes, one of the screens lifted to reveal a large boat that had been built onstage while she was performing and changing. From here she began performing “All the Stars,” and the screens were able to simulate the ship sailing through sea. 

Later in the show, this same ship began sailing through a storm — seemingly the climax — during SZA’s performance of “Low.” SZA and her dancers performed with intensity and after this song, the boat splits and sinks. Suddenly, a raft appeared on the side of the stage,  and SZA — who had yet again changed her outfit — got into the raft which was then suspended in the air and floated above the audience. This moment was truly ethereal, as SZA sang some of her more emotional songs — such as “Supermodel,” “Special” and “Nobody Gets Me” — while tossing flower petals off of her raft.

When SZA eventually floated back down to the stage, she continued with the shipwrecked theme, with the screens projecting underwater scenes. However, she switched things up for her performance of “Kill Bill” paying homage to the titular Quentin Tarantino series with red lighting and fight choreography. 

SZA ended her show and her story with a performance of “Good Days.” She sat and sang in a large billowing red dress on an elevated platform above the stage, the same one she initially started on. The visuals projected showed the sun rising over the ocean, the calm after the storm, which then transitioned into nightfall, overlooking the Earth and Moon. The end of the show served as a reminder to the audience that despite the call for SOS, there are always good days to look forward to. 

As the show ended, the screen closed over SZA like a curtain, projecting “The End” in cursive stars. The credits then rolled, to indicate the end of the “movie.” 

SZA’s opening show of “SOS” established her not only as a talented singer and songwriter, but as a true performer and storyteller. She managed to tell a cohesive story all while delivering a performance of the highest caliber. SZA left Columbus and the Schott with an exciting, memorable show that she hopefully continues to deliver for the duration of her “SOS” tour.

Rating: 5/5