SZA just dropped a fun and surprising truth: she owes Beyoncé money — and Queen Bey has never asked her to pay it back!
The R&B star shared the scoop in a playful Instagram comment. It all started when influencer Zuhaila Jama posted a funny video on April 28. In it, she joked about how Beyoncé gives credit to a ton of writers on her songs, even if they just stepped into the studio.
Then SZA popped into the comments and wrote:
“I literally owe her half my publishing off interpolation alone on SOS and she never pressed me lmao. A generous QUEEN.”
Let’s break that down. On the first track of her hit 2022 album SOS, SZA sings a few lines that closely match the melody and lyrics of Beyoncé’s song “Listen” from the movie Dreamgirls. That’s what she meant by “interpolation.”
SZA’s lyrics go:
“And I cried and cried / Said what’s on my mind.”
That’s super close to Beyoncé’s line in “Listen”:
“And I’ve tried and tried / To say what’s on my mind.”
Because she borrowed from the song, SZA has to give publishing credit — and that usually means money, too. But even though Beyoncé could have asked for it, she didn’t. Total queen move.
The track “SOS” is officially credited to SZA, Gabriel Samuel Hardeman, Rob Bisel, and Jay Versace. It also lists “Listen” as an interpolation and samples “Until I Found the Lord (My Soul Couldn’t Rest)” by Gabriel Hardeman’s gospel group.
“Listen” itself was written by Beyoncé, Scott Cutler, Henry Krieger, and Anne Preven.
SZA has always made it clear how much she looks up to Beyoncé. In a February 2024 interview with E! News, she said she was too nervous to even walk up and say hi to her idol.
“I can’t speak unless she wants to speak, in my brain, because I don’t want to bother her,” she said.
“She looked so peaceful and beautiful. I just admire her. She’s a masterclass on poise, grace, artistry, beauty and kindness.”
But it’s not all missed chances — SZA added:
“Jay-Z did speak to me. I was so grateful. Those are literally my favorite people, and it’s so crazy that I be seeing them in real life.”
So, to sum it up: SZA used a part of Beyoncé’s song, knows she owes her money, and still hasn’t gotten the bill. That’s because Beyoncé is just that generous — and now we love both of them even more.
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