Hit Different

"Hit Different" saw SZA's first release as the sole lead artist since her 2017 album Ctrl. The song came less than a month after SZA claimed in a series of tweets that Top Dawg Entertainment head Punch had been purposely delaying the release of her new music, calling their relationship "hostile" and spawning the "#FreeSZA" hashtag on Twitter. In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, she revealed that she had recorded the song at DJ Khaled's house while he was performing at the Super Bowl LIV preshow. Speaking in the same interview about the song, she said, "I just wanted to give people something just to vibe because I have so much stuff that I'm just done holding onto." She also expressed that she was hesitant to release the single, telling Lowe, "I was crying with [my] mom because I haven't dropped anything in so long and I just feel like the anxiety...Sometimes I'm strong enough to just drop something and then two weeks passes, and then I'm not strong anymore." "Hit Different" is an R&B SZA's voice on the song has been described as "silky" Lyrically, "Hit Different" is a torch song Her worries about this person are emphasized in the lyrics: "Can't trust decision when you near me/Get myself caught in your crossfire". ==Release and reception==

The single received little promotion prior to its release other than a screenshot from the song's music video posted to SZA's Twitter and Instagram featuring SZA covered in fake blood with the caption "Midnight EST" less than 90 minutes before it was released. Following the song's release, SZA posted a snippet of another unreleased song to her Instagram, captioning the video, "Punch gon kill me but I'm in a sharing mood". Accolades "Hit Different" was included on several publications' year-end lists of the best songs of the year, including NPR at number 20 and Consequence of Sound at number 22. ==Music video==

The song's music video was directed by SZA, making it her directorial debut, It depicts SZA dancing in a number of different settings and outfits, including in a junkyard surrounded by backup dancers wearing "Aaliyah-inspired" neon orange crop tops and baggy pants; in a barn filled with white animals; in an empty field; on top of a haystack wearing an oversized tie-dye shirt; in a parking garage wearing an Ottolinger bra and shirt with a Renaissance art-inspired pattern; and in the back of a pickup truck. Throughout the video, flashes of her covered in blood appear. an "ambient chill" ballad made alongside Jacob Collier, while the video shows SZA sitting on top of a pommel horse sporting a bikini and wooden beaded braids. Joshua Espinoza of Complex stated, "Though it may sound a little random, the video is striking and pairs perfectly with the smooth, laid back record." Erica Gonzales of ''Harper's Bazaar remarked that SZA exuded "her cool girl swagger" in the video, calling the sets "visually stunning". Craig Jenkins of Vulture said, "The visual callbacks are vast and smart," comparing the scenes in the music video to a number of different films, including Sympathy for the Devil, Beloved, and When I Get Home, and comparing her beaded braids to those of singer Patrice Rushen. MTV''s Patrick Hosken called the video "remarkably visionary", adding, "By the end, both the tune and the visuals move on to another element that just may tie in both worlds of ruined metal and organic nature." Upon release, singer Drake showed praise towards the visual, posting a screenshot on his Instagram story and writing, "Solana is the kiss". ==Track listing==

• Digital download • "Hit Different" – 3:22 ==Credits and personnel==

Credits adapted from Tidal. • Solána Rowe – vocals, songwriting • Tyrone Griffin, Jr. – vocals, songwriting • The Neptunes – production, songwriting • Rob Bisel – miscellaneous production, recording, songwriting • Ben "Bengineer" Sedano – assistant engineering • Curtis "Sircut" Bye – assistant engineering • Jonathan Pfarr – assistant engineering • Nick Valentin – assistant engineering • Nicolas De Porcel – mastering • Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mixing • Kaushlesh "Garry" Purohit – recording • Mike Larson – recording ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==