Riding high from the success of her album SOS, SZA used a day off from her tour to accept the Woman of the Year award at the Billboard Women in Music 2023 gala.
“Sometimes there’s, like, a misconception that everybody always feels like that girl. ‘Oh I know I’m that b**ch and I have a lot of confidence.’ And I feel like It’s OK to not be the person all the time,” she said.
“I used to feel like I didn’t belong because I don’t always feel like that. But I realized that the key is to stay open and available for whatever the universe … wants to do with your life.”
SZA, whose sophomore album has spent 10 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. chart, said she wants her life to be about more than music.
“I want to serve others, I want to serve people, I want to be open and available to whatever,” the 33-year-old singer said. “And saying yes to everything that’s scary, to everything that feels like it’s not for you or where you don’t belong, is really the only way that we walk through those doors.
“You don’t have to be confident … you just have to yes to the possibility. Thank y’all for saying yes to me.”
SZA brings her SOS Tour to Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on March 19.
Previous Woman of the Year honourees are Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift (twice), P!nk, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Ciara and Reba McEntire.
Also honoured at Wednesday’s ceremony were Latto (Powerhouse Award), Lana Del Rey (Visionary) Becky G (Impact Award), Ivy Queen (Icon) Rosalía (Producer of the Year) and TWICE (Breakthrough Artist). Performers included Kim Petras, Doechii and Lainey Wilson.