--- description: Find out how SZA is shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. title: 2022 TIME100 Next: SZA image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt663f852be38c481f/698a35d116d8844e30c3b105/time100-next-sza.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 28, 2022 # SZA by Lizzo  Kanya Iwana for TIME Kanya Iwana for TIMEKanya Iwana for TIME [SZA](https://www.google.com/search?q=time.com+SZA&ei=IlYzY6epFtCj5NoP7ZyniAc&ved=0ahUKEwinwreo4bX6AhXQEVkFHW3OCXEQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=time.com+SZA&gs%5Flp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6uAED-AEBMggQABgeGBYYCjILEAAYHhjJAxgWGAoyBRAAGJIDMgUQABiSAzIIEAAYHhgWGAoyCBAAGB4YFhgKMgYQABgeGBYyCBAAGB4YDxgWMggQABgeGA8YFjIGEAAYHhgWwgIFEAAYgARI0wRQAFjlA3AAeAHIAQCQAQCYAYoBoAHaAaoBAzEuMeIDBCBBGADiAwQgRhgAiAYB&sclient=gws-wiz#:~:text=Breakout%20R%26B,%E2%80%BA%20Entertainment%20%E2%80%BA%20Music "undefined") and I first met years ago in Minneapolis. I was a fan of her music, so when she came to town, my friends and I went to her show. We ended up taking a selfie together in the bathroom. I still send her that selfie from time to time, because we had just met and didn’t know that we would have this long relationship. A year later, I booked a tour and she was the headliner. Throughout the experience, she was just so kind and so cool. After that, I literally watched her blow up. When she dropped _CTRL,_ her [debut studio album](https://time.com/5122443/sza-grammys-snub/ "undefined"), it was a cultural f-cking reset. She changed the world! The authenticity in her craft—the way she’s able to tell her story and the way she uses melody—is extraordinary. No one can replicate that. When she’s onstage, she’s timeless. She’s someone who’s the real deal, and I think that she’s well on her way to being regarded as one of the greatest songwriters and singers of all time. All she needs is that pen and that voice and her story, and she’s going to be with us for a long time. _Lizzo is a Grammy-­winning musician_  Photograph by Kanya Iwana for TIME [**_Buy a print of the SZA_** **_TIME100 Next cover_**](https://timecoverstore.com/featured/time-100-next-sza-photograph-by-kanya-iwana-for-time.html "undefined") _Styled by Alejandra Hernandez; Hair by Devante Turnbull; Make-up by Deanna Paley_ _Set Design by Lauren Machen and Quincy Irving_ SZA Is on the TIME100 Next 2022 List ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213750/sza/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213750/sza/"},"headline":"2022 TIME100 Next: SZA","datePublished":"2022-09-28T09:56:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-03T00:06:20.653Z","description":"Find out how SZA is shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership.","url":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213750/sza/","keywords":["TIME 100 Next"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt663f852be38c481f/698a35d116d8844e30c3b105/time100-next-sza.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt663f852be38c481f/698a35d116d8844e30c3b105/time100-next-sza.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213750/sza/","name":"2022 TIME100 Next: SZA"}}]}] ```