SZA’s learned the importance of shutting out noise.
After attending a week-plus silent retreat with her mom Audrey in India last month, the “Saturn” singer opened up about what she learned from the experience while speaking with reporters in the press room at the 2025 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 2.
“Not everything has to be said, and waiting is really important,” said SZA. “A lot of what we create for ourselves as far as drama and chaos, it’s also, thankfully, dependent on our willingness to go beyond that pain and look for anything, desperately, if you’re looking for joy desperately. But if you just chase it tenaciously, I find that it will reveal itself.”
The 5-time Grammy winner continued, “Even in the darkest and craziest depths of existence and life and trauma, and I feel like, right now, with the state of the country and everyone being in such peril and despair, it’s more important now than ever to be able to go within yourself, and find that solitude, and spread that peace that you have from within yourself out into the world.”
SZA shared photos and videos from the retreat through multiple Instagram posts in late January, and she detailed the experience in the captions.
“Life is so profound and chaotic and beautiful,” she wrote. “I have no words for my Samyama experience. No phone no mirrors no eye contact for 8+ days (these pics are from before n after lol the program ).. for a fundamental yapper I lost my mind ..then found it.”
The “Snooze” artist added, “Came back to so much overwhelming information between the state of the world and my personal/professional life . But somehow it’s all settling quietly and loudly at the same time.”
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During the 2025 Grammys ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena, SZA won the best R&B song award for “Saturn” from SOS Deluxe: Lana, a reissue of her 2022 album. The song was released in February 2024 and reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“So funny to think I have 5 of these .. I said I’d shave my head ,quit music and start a family if I ever won ONE,” she wrote Feb. 4 on Instagram, reacting to the win. “good thing I didn’t win 7 years ago .. I’d have missed the whole point!”
SZA added, “Now I realize The Grammys are literally the friends and lessons we made along the way ! thank u for the perspective and the journey.”
