The Real Meaning Behind I Hate U By SZA
New music from SZA is finally here. The R&B superstar dropped "I Hate U" December 1, but that wasn't the first time SZA fans heard the track. "I Hate U" was originally part of a trio of singles the star released on her SoundCloud page earlier this year, per Complex. Despite not getting an official release on streaming services, fans blew up a snippet of "I Hate U" on TikTok. Users on the app began a viral trend of describing something they hate using the sound, per The Tab.
"Lol I heard TikTok found out ab 'I hate you' today," SZA tweeted after she discovered her song doing numbers on the platform. It's not a surprise that fans can't get enough of "I Hate U," as it has been four long years since SZA's last album, the highly acclaimed "Ctrl." Much like her previous single "Good Days" was beautifully melancholy, the true meaning of "I Hate U" lets listeners know where SZA's thoughts are ahead of her upcoming album.
SZA dumped her thoughts into I Hate U
SZA sings of confused feelings a former lover left her with on "I Hate U." "I've been up, baby / Heavy reminiscin' / Heavy on the missin' you / Wish s*** was different than what it was / I've been up, baby / Lost in the lie of us / Lost, ain't no findin' us," she croons. The resentful lyrics harken back to SZA's earlier moody works like "Garden (Say It Like Dat)" and "Drew Barrymore."
SZA explained to fans that the original surprise release of "I Hate U" started out as an exercise. "I just wanted somewhere to dump my thoughts [with] out pressure," the star wrote on Instagram ahead of the track's official release. "Y'all made it a thing and I'm not mad lmao." SZA also responded to the high demand from fans that she release the song in her announcement, writing: "Ask and [you] shall receive."
On giving her fans the music they want, SZA told Billboard back in February that she's thankful the reaction to her album "Ctrl" and later singles has been so massive. "I'm just grateful that God put me in a position to touch or be of service to other people even if I don't understand it," she said.
SZA focuses on self-love
SZA calls out an ex that treated her badly on "I Hate U." She laments on the chorus: "And if you wondered if I hate you (I do) / S****y of you to make me feel just like this / What I would do to make you feel just like this." The artist, who is notoriously in tune with nature, isn't afraid to say when the vibes are off. SZA said she uses the power of words to ward off negativity.
"I guess speaking stuff out loud has strength that I've been trying to learn, 'cause I feel like I'm kind of negative on myself," SZA said of her personal mantras to Billboard. "So I've been trying to say more positive and random things aloud at random moments."
SZA's empowering mantras will likely show up in her upcoming highly anticipated album. "I want to make music I love—that's all I'm focused on immersing myself in right now," SZA told Vogue of her future work. "I'm trying to maximize my love of self because I know that'll permeate into everything I do."