SZA IN CONCERT:

Up-and-coming alt R&B chanteuse SZA is the latest contender for the burgeoning genre's crown, generating significant buzz with her silky voice, fresh beats, and mesmerizing performances. At her live shows SZA truly sizzles on ethereal, ominously beautiful tracks like "Babylon" and "Warm Winds", delivering her poetic lyrics with a confidence and ease that belie her recent arrival on the scene. She may be young, but there's nothing novice about her -- from her striking visual presentation to her deliciously raspy voice, SZA has all the markings of a star in the making.

BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:

St. Louis-born, New Jersey-raised SZA, aka Solana Rowe, was in college pursuing a career in marine biology before dropping out to dabble in music. Her first forays in home recording were casual, but after writing a few tracks she decided to make a serious go of it and began distributing demos. In 2012 she self-released her debut EP See.Sza.Run, an auspicious effort that featured production assistance from brandUn DeShay and APSuperProducer. She followed up in 2013 with the S EP, a critically acclaimed release that landed her a contract with Top Dawg Entertainment. She continued her rise with her debut on the label, 2014's Z EP, a genre-spanning collection of songs that once again wowed critics before landing at No. 9 on the R&B chart. Since then she has continued to generate buzz with her powerful live shows, drumming up big expectations among fans for her future tour dates.