Five years after releasing her acclaimed 2017 debut Ctrl, SZA finally returns today with her highly anticipated follow-up album, SOS. Naturally, all 23 tracks off the LP have climbed into the Top 25 on the Genius Top Songs chart. Leading the charge is the second cut off the project, “Kill Bill,” a lo-fi, electric bass-thumping banger about what SZA knows best: toxic exes.
SZA wrote “Kill Bill” with producers Rob Bisel and Carter Lang, both of whom earn production and writing credits on a number of other SOS tracks. The song’s title references Quentin Tarrantino’s 2003 action flick Kill Bill, starring Uma Thurman. In the film, Thurman’s character, a former assassin called only The Bride, seeks revenge after her jealous ex-lover Bill attempts to murder her on her wedding day. Similarly, SZA would like to kill her ex on this song—though more so to ease her own jealousy.
On the first verse, it pains SZA to see that her ex has moved on—not enough to rid her of the feelings she still has for him, though.
I’m still a fan even though I was salty
Hate to see you with some other broad, know you happy
On the pre-chorus, SZA takes mature steps to get over him, but none of it seems to work.
I’m so mature, I got me a therapist to tell me there’s other men
I don’t want none, I just want you
On the hook, she starts to think that her only remaining option is to go directly to the source of her torment. If she ends up in jail because of it, so be it.
I might kill my ex, not the best idea
His new girlfriend’s next, how’d I get here?
I might kill my ex, I still love him, though
Rather be in jail than alone
She stops holding out hope that her ex will return to her on the second verse.
I get the sense that it’s a lost cause
I get the sense that you might really love her
By the end of the verse, her despair drives her to commit murder.
Now I’m in amazement, playin’ on my patience
Now you layin’ face-down, got me sayin’ over a beat
She takes full responsibility for her crime on the bridge.
I did it all for love (Love)
I did it all on no drugs (Drugs)
I did it all of this sober
“Kill Bill” isn’t the only SOS track that finds SZA unleashing some of her anger over a failed relationship. “[The album is] about heartbreak, it’s about revenge, it’s about being pissed,” she told Glamour. “I’ve never raged the way that I should have. This is my villain era, and I’m very comfortable with that.”
You can read all the lyrics to “Kill Bill” on Genius now.
