SZA: “joni” | Pitchfork

“joni” ... The R&B musician's 98-second demo is a classic in the making. Like Joni Mitchell and Elliott Smith, SZA is a Los Angeles transplant, a ... SkiptomaincontentNewsReviewsBestNewMusicFeaturesListsThePitchVideoReviewsExplorerFestivalNewsletterPitchforkRadioLikeJoniMitchellandElliottSmith,SZAisaLosAngelestransplant,aCaliforniadreamerinthebestoftimesandastingingrealistintheworst.On“Joni,”therawstandoutamongherrecenttrioofloosies,shestronglyevokesbothofthesesinger-songwriters.Previouslyteasedas“atrapsongfromtheperspectiveofJoniMitchell”(there’salsoamoreproducedversion),thetrackisguidedbySZA’sstreamofconsciousness.Deepinamorosefeverdream,shemullsfamily,sex,money,moonlight,movingatyourownpace,andstrivingforperfectionwhilemakingyourown.Shecooslineslike,“Ifthemoneyright,isthepussygood?”overasampleofElliottSmith’sEither/Orhighlight“Angeles,”thecharmingsqueakofhisguitarstringsstillintact.It’ssomethingthatshouldn’tworkbuthitsonsuchasincere,off-the-cufflevelthatitdrawsyouin.Overaminuteandahalf,SZAmovesquicklyfromonescenetothenext,andthere’sacrucialshiftattheend—from“Igotperfecttiming”to“Wegotperfecttiming,”followedbythemomentwhenshecutsherselfoffwithanunrealwhistlenoteofbliss.SZA’svoiceaswellasherlanguagealwaysfeeleffortlessbutareclearlyfinelytunedtoherfrequency,andthewayshesayssomuchinjustafewwords(“Knowingthegoldenhourawaitsforme”)isreminiscentofFrankOcean.Thealbumversionof“Joni,”thesingerhasnoted,featuresaguest;here’shopingthatwheneverTDEletsSZAbefree,it’llbeFrankalongsideheronthisclassicinthemaking.ContentThiscontentcanalsobeviewedonthesiteitoriginatesfrom.CTRLZDualityLunaLiMotomamiRosalíaAreYouHappyNow?JensenMcRaeGetLiftedJohnLegendCrashCharliXCXForbiddenFeelingzNiaArchivesAlphaShenseeaOnlyLoveFromNowOnCarmenVillainDreamRiverHenryEarnestChainofCommandWiFiGawdbetterlucknexttime.EPMidwxstPAINLESSNilüferYanya