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SZA, 'Kill Bill'

We can all be masters of self-delusion. On "Kill Bill," SZA is no exception. "I might kill my ex / Not the best idea / His new girlfriend's next / How'd I get here?" the artist sings over a spacey, mid-tempo R&B groove. As is often the case with inner monologues, the song finds SZA bouncing her more toxic and rational thoughts off of each other — indulging particularly in the former. She refers back to the words of her therapist and mockingly pats herself on the back for her own maturity before reveling in a bit of make-believe violence. Her dreamy vocals help sell the minor comfort the hallucination brings her. Referencing Tarantino's film duology of the same name, in "Kill Bill" SZA is ready and willing to get her hands messy in her personal revenge fantasy. "The text gon' be evidence, this text is evidence," she plans, performing with such calm that you're left wondering if you heard her right. "I did it all for us, oh I did it all for love," she belts out desperately in a final attempt to justify her crime of passion. Even if the jury remains unconvinced, she's willing to pay the price. To her, in this moment, jail, and even hell, is worse than being alone.

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Teresa Xie
Teresa Xie is a reporter who specializes in media and culture writing. She recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied political science and cinema. Outside of NPR, her work can be found in Pitchfork, Vox, Teen Vogue, Bloomberg, Stereogum and other outlets.
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