SZA Unleashed Her Toxic Revenge Fantasy On “Kill Bill”

SZA entered her villain era with her latest album, SOS. The record, which dropped on Dec. 9, sees the R&B singer barreling through heartbreak, frustration, and emptiness while dealing with trash men. The album seeps with reflective, juicy inner-monologues; however, SOS truly shines when SZA’s most indelible and toxic thoughts are on display. Enter “Kill Bill,” her vengeance-hungry track about murdering her ex-lover.

The track — which cleverly references Quentin Tarantino’s classic film, Kill Bill — seethes so much anger that it’s almost melancholic. From those lo-fi synths and electronic bass to SZA’s weepy melodies, only she could make something as sinister as a revenge fantasy sound like a diary entry. Let’s dive into the lyrics.

Over spacey, mid-tempo chords, SZA sees that her ex has moved on to a new relationship, and that pains her. She clearly still has feelings for her partner, so much so that she isn’t willing to see them thrive if she’s not in the picture. She slickly sings,

“I’m still a fan even though I was salty / Hate to see you with some other broad, know you happy / Hate to see you happy if I’m not the one drivin’.”

She then dives towards the pre-chorus, which sees her seeking therapy in order to get over them. However, even in her attempt of trying to maturely move on, those lengthy sessions aren’t helping her. That reality becomes jarringly clear in the chorus, where SZA contemplates “killing her ex” and “his new girlfriend” in a sweet, lullaby melody.

“I might kill my ex, not the best idea / His new girlfriend’s next, how’d I get here? / I might kill my ex, I still love him, though / Rather be in jail than alone,” she coos.

This specific section embodies that darkly comedic yet descriptively brutal aura that’s made the Kill Bill franchise such an unforgettable one. As the beat continues to groove to the third verse, SZA begins losing hope that her partner will come back to her. She then transmutes her defeat into that of Joe Goldberg from You, creepily detailing how she’s seen her partner out and thriving in his new relationship.

“I try to ration with you, no murders, no crime of passion / But, damn, you was out of reach / You was at the farmer’s market with your perfect peach / Now I’m in amazement, playin’ on my patience,” she croons, those lo-fi synths gradually slowing before picking up the original tempo.

However, by the end of the verse, her loneliness and despair pushes her into a murderous rage. By the end of the moody, raw track, it’s clear that SZA’s aware her thoughts are a bit jarring. Unfortunately, her emotions won the battle.

Check out the full lyrics to SZA’s “Kill Bill” below via the singer’s official lyric video on YouTube.