SZA performed on Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage this June, making her debut to the UK’s biggest festival, occupying the Sunday night headline slot. The ‘Broken Clocks’ singer spoke about her Glastonbury set during a tell all interview with British Vogue, where she revealed the pressures placed on artists to perform during prestigious festivals like Glastonbury.
Her debut performance at Glastonbury soon gained publicity after its occurrence due to photos and videos surfacing online depicting SZA performing to a sparse crowd, due to the festival’s scheduling conflicts with having James Blake, Justice, London Grammar and The National performing at the same time but at opposing stages. This came as a shock to many as the day prior SZA headlined a show at BST Hyde Park in London to an energetic and overflowing crowd.
Glastonbury is facing criticism for choosing SZA as a headliner after her set pulled in a smaller than average number of people for the Pyramid Stage.
While SZA would be a no brainer for a headlining act in the U.S., some Brits claimed that she’s not as well-known there.… pic.twitter.com/javBMzzrvV
— Mr. Pop (@MrPopOfficial) July 1, 2024
Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, is an American singer-songwriter with over 65 million monthly Spotify listeners to her name. She gained acclaim through the release of her second and third albums, respectively ‘Ctrl’ and ‘SOS’, which displayed her carefully conducted experimentation with alternative and minimalist R&B which delved into themes of sexuality and nostalgia. ‘SOS’ peaked at Number 2 on the UK Official Albums Chart, featuring the iconic tracks ‘Kill Bill’, ‘Snooze’, ‘Good Days’ and ‘Nobody Gets Me’.
The ‘Supermodel’ performer provided hindsight to her appearance at Glastonbury this summer. She revealed to British Vogue: “I just felt like nothing I could do would be enough for Glastonbury, no matter what I did”.
She continued: “It scared me. I was like, well, I wish I wasn’t doing it, but I couldn’t walk away from it… I want to be the second Black woman in history, but then it’s such a fucking tall order. It’s like, no matter what you do here, you will be subject to criticism. Because of who you are. But that’s life. That’s life, you know?”
SZA’s confession about the pressures artists face at festivals is telling. There is truth about no matter what artists deliver, the spectacle will always leave fans, spectators and critics demanding more. As musicians are stretched to their limits to provide exclusive and captivating sets during festival season, it can often leave a mental strain on artists when they feel like they aren’t doing enough as performers.
The ‘Saturn’ singer expanded on external pressures at Glastonbury and her attempts at finding solace during performances with attendees in the crowd. She recalled: “I’m like, I’m freaked out right now. I’m scared. I feel like I’m drowning on stage and I feel like I’m failing”. However, SZA’s discomfort on stage was minimised when she claimed she received a sign from African Goddess, Yemayá, which acted as a reminder that “your guardians are with you. Everyone’s here. Even beyond. Keep going.”
As Glastonbury’s 2025 tickets went on sale this weekend, SZA’s remarks about the festival provide a telling reality to critics, fans and attendees who await next year’s legendary performances from an array of musicians.
