Jump to content

TwoAM

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Citation bot (talk | contribs) at 02:35, 10 January 2024 (Alter: template type, title. Add: date, magazine, authors 1-1. Removed parameters. Some additions/deletions were parameter name changes. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Your Power | #UCB_toolbar). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"TwoAM"
Cover art for "TwoAM": a Polaroid picture of SZA lying on an empty field, with grass and flowers drawn on the frame
Single by SZA
Written2016
Released
  • May 18, 2016 (2016-05-18)
  • June 9, 2022 (2022-06-09) (Ctrl bonus track)
Recorded2016
StudioCarter Lang's Michigan home
Length4:02
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
SZA singles chronology
"Sobriety"
(2014) 		"TwoAM"
(2016) 		"Drew Barrymore"
(2017)
Audio
"2AM" on YouTube

"TwoAM" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA, released as a standalone single on SoundCloud in May 2016. It was officially released as "2AM" on the deluxe edition of her debut studio album, Ctrl (2017), on June 9, 2022.

Background

After self-releasing two EPs from 2012 to 2013, American singer-songwriter SZA signed with the record label Top Dawg Entertainment headed by rapper Terrence "Punch" Henderson, with whom she had prior contact starting 2011 during a concert sponsored by a street company where SZA was working at the time.[1] Her first EP under the label was Z (2014),[2] preceded by the single "Child's Play" (2014) featuring Chance the Rapper.[3] After the release of Z, SZA began work on her debut studio album, which had the working title A. During the time, SZA released the standalone single "Sobriety" (2014) and co-wrote songs for other artists such as Nicki Minaj and Rihanna.[4][5]

Back in 2009, SZA had a brief relationship with Canadian rapper Drake, and since their break-up, they began to reference each other in their music back-and-forth, using lyrics and song titles.[6] Moises Mendez II of Time called their behavior an example of subliminal messaging. Their series of interactions began with "Child's Play", which Drake later referenced in a track from his 2016 album, Views.[7] While the completion status of A was being teased through a series of snippets, SZA released a cover of a song featuring Drake, titled "Come and See Me" by PartyNextDoor.[8][9]

Music and lyrics

"Come and See Me" is about a man who calls a woman late at night to invite her for sex. In "TwoAM", SZA shifts the perspective away from the man and assumes the role of the woman in the call[10][11] offering more seductive lyrics compared to the original.[12][13] The lyrics "It's after 2 a.m. and that's asking a lot of you right now" is where the title of SZA's song originates.[8]

"TwoAM" inverts the story in "Come and See Me".[9] As observed by Erin Ashley Simon of Revolt, while PartyNextDoor's character insists that the woman "come and see [him] for once", SZA's rejects him and tells him that he should go see her instead: "it's my time, it's your turn."[11] The woman is kept awake by yearning thoughts of the man,[10][12] and she has sex with him in the middle of the night. She eventually acknowledges the man values him only for her body and realizes she must end the relationship, but her attraction to him persists and makes her struggle to do so: "I know you're mine".[9][14] She tells herself that if she continued to stay, she would feel more "fucked up".[8]

"TwoAM" was produced by ThankGod4Cody, Carter Lang, and Scum,[13] and it was recorded in Lang's cottage by Lake Michigan.[15][16] The song is downtempo and features a stripped-down, R&B-influenced instrumental,[9] a reproduced version of the one for "Come and See Me".[8] Meanwhile, the outro features guitar strums[9] and the sound of chirping birds,[10] showing a snippet of another SZA song, "Inside Man".[17] In it, she sings, "I might be thirsty for you, how can you blame me?", and ends with "Do you need me?"[12]

Release

"TwoAM" was surprise-released through Top Dawg Entertainment's SoundCloud account on May 18, 2016.[18] It was slated to appear on Ctrl, the official album title for A, but intense anxiety surrounding the album's lengthy wait led SZA to scrap it from the final tracklist.[19] It was officially released as "2AM" (two being spelled as a numeral) on the deluxe edition of Ctrl on June 9, 2022.[20] The song peaked at number 45 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[21]

Critics Marc Hogan of Pitchfork[9] and Sydnee Monday of Entertainment Weekly[22] were positive about the theme of vulnerability in "TwoAM". In a review of Ctrl's standard edition, Monday commented that "TwoAM" made her connect to SZA's music more than Z did because it was less heavy on metaphors and more grounded and honest.[22] Meanwhile, Edwin Ortiz of Complex and M. Musa of The Source believed the song faithfully recreated the quality of the original "Come and See Me".[8][23] Sydney Gore of Nylon, referencing the last line of the song, and Melissa Locker of Elle wrote that "TwoAM" will leave listeners very excited for more SZA music.[12][24]

Charts

Chart performance for "TwoAM" ("2AM")
Chart (2022) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[25] 15
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[26] 45

Notes

References

  1. ^ "SZA wanted to sign to Odd Future before landing at Top Dawg Entertainment". The FADER. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  2. ^ Ugwu, Reggie (April 7, 2014). "SZA Talks Z Album & Being the Only Girl in Top Dawg Entertainment". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  3. ^ "Stream: SZA f. Chance The Rapper, "Childs Play"". The FADER. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  4. ^ "SZA shares new track 'Sobriety'". DIY. November 19, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  5. ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (July 29, 2017). "SZA: 'The record company took my hard drive from me'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  6. ^ Lamarre, Heran Mamo,Carl; Mamo, Heran; Lamarre, Carl (September 15, 2023). "Drake & SZA Drop 'Slime You Out' Collab: Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2024.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "The Long History Behind SZA and Drake's New Song". TIME. September 15, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e "SZA Plays off of PartyNextDoor's 'Come and See Me' with 'twoAM'". Complex Networks.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "SZA: 'twoAM'". Pitchfork.
  10. ^ a b c Skelton, Eric. "SZA Returns with a PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake-Inspired Song, "TwoAM"". Complex. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "New Music Roundup: Cam'ron, SZA, Theophilus London, Banks & Steelz, & HANZ".
  12. ^ a b c d "SZA is Back with a New Song for Your Booty Calls". May 19, 2016.
  13. ^ a b "New Music: SZA - 'twoAM'". Rap-Up. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  14. ^ Goddard, Kevin (May 19, 2016). "twoAM". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Harris, Hunter (June 14, 2017). "SZA Is Finally in Ctrl". Vulture. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  16. ^ Saponara, Michael (January 16, 2018). "Carter Lang Talks Crafting Ctrl with SZA, Working with Vic Mensa & Why Chicago Keeps Winning". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  17. ^ "SZA: 10 Of Her Best Songs Ranked". Power 98 FM. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  18. ^ "SZA Flips PartyNextDoor and Drake's 'Come and See Me' For Her New Song 'twoAM'". The Fader. May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  19. ^ "How SZA Finally Made Peace With Her Vulnerability". Cosmopolitan. July 11, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Abraham, Mya (June 9, 2022). "SZA Drops Surprise 'Ctrl (Deluxe)' Album, Maintains 5-Year Run On Billboard 200 Chart". VIBE.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  21. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  22. ^ a b "SZA previews her gutsy debut album, 'A'". EW.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  23. ^ M.Musa (May 19, 2016). "SZA Covers PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake's "Come and See Me" on "twoAM" - The Source". Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "9 New Songs to Heat Up Your Summer Playlist". ELLE. May 23, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  25. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 20, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  26. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=TwoAM&oldid=1194655371"