SZA gave an ethereal, passionate performance to close out Day 2 of Lollapalooza on the T-Mobile stage.
The soulful hip-hop and rhythm and blues singer, winner of several Grammys and Billboard Women in Music awards, went 16 minutes over her set end time of 10 p.m. Friday with hit songs like “Good Days” and “Kill Bill.”
Fans gathered around the stage, covering every corner south of Balbo Drive just to catch a glimpse of the 34-year-old singer-songwriter. Some fans settled among the trees for a view obstructed by leaves and branches while others decided to sit in the grass along Columbus Drive.
She attracted one of, if not, the largest crowds of the festival weekend to that point, prompting questions about safety and capacity on social media. Her set was not streamed on Hulu, much to the disappointment of fans who couldn’t make it.
The stage featured mushroom-like sculptures and a long staircase that looked like a log. SZA performed with props both earthy and electronic — a nod to her 2017 debut album “Ctrl,” which features her sitting in the grass among a background of clunky, old computer monitors and TVs.
SZA’s otherworldly voice echoed throughout Grant Park, mesmerizing fans. Hundreds swayed and sang to the lyrics of her opening songs. At the beginning of many of her songs, like “Shirt” and her feature on Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” the beat was slowed down or distorted and left attendees wanting more.
The crowd reacted well to “Kiss Me More,” a pop song that became an instant classic when it was released in 2021. The lyrics reverberated throughout the park, feeling fun and positive.
Throughout her set, SZA’s crew sampled old pop and hip-hop songs, such as The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa” and Prince’s “Kiss.” This got fans on their feet after some of the artist’s more low-key and emotional songs.
Things got even hotter when she performed “Snooze,” off her second studio album, “SOS.” Fans screamed when they heard the sound of an alarm clock, knowing exactly what was to come.
By 10 p.m., when SZA was expected to get off the stage, she played “Saturn,” released as a single in February during the 2024 Grammys broadcast.
She noted that she “usually doesn’t play this song, but I feel very comfortable with y’all.”
The stage went black and the screen read “THE END,” but SZA wasn’t going anywhere. Aware she was at curfew, she said: “f— it, let’s play it.” Either she was allowed to go over time to allow for foot traffic to ease up as people left the festival, or she truly did not give a damn if she was going get fined.
SZA said she was “really, really nervous” to come out Friday night. “I wanna thank you so much, Chicago,” she said. “…I love you so much.”
She gave a shout-out to all attendees in their twenties before closing out with “20 Something,” during which her mic was abruptly cut off.
SZA Lollapalooza set list
- Seek & Destroy
- Love Galore
- Broken Clocks
- All the Stars
- Prom
- 2AM
- Drew Barrymore
- Garden (Say It Like Dat)
- F2F
- Forgiveless
- Ghost in the Machine
- Blind
- Shirt
- Kiss Me More verse
- I Hate U
- Snooze
- Kill Bill
- Low
- Supermodel/Special
- Open Arms
- Nobody Gets Me
- Normal Girl
- Saturn
- Rich Baby Daddy cover
- The Weekend
- Good Days
- 20 Something