SZA Shares What She Did Backstage To Keep From Panicking During Super Bowl
SZA admitted she felt “relieved” when her stage time during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans was trimmed.
The singer said it meant fewer chances to mess up in front of millions.
The Grammy-winning singer joined Lamar at Caesars Superdome in February, performing “Luther” and “All of the Stars” in the final stretch of the high-profile set.
However, according to SZA, the original plan called for a longer appearance and a different song.
“My performance was initially longer with a different song and I was actually relieved (when it changed as it meant) that I had less opportunity to harm myself on camera or in public,” she said on The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott. “I just couldn’t believe that I was a part of it.”
While she didn’t name the scrapped track, the pair’s catalog includes “Gloria,” “Babylon,” “Doves in the Wind,” and “30 for 30.”
SZA also opened up about her anxiety leading up to the performance, calling the Super Bowl stage the biggest of her life.
“I was really shook only because it is the biggest stage I’ll ever do in my career. I don’t really know where I can go from there. I was just like, I don’t know if I’m gonna survive,” she said. “I did a lot of meditation and a lot of breathwork, which I normally don’t do, but I’ve learned recently, it’s kind of saving my life. It’s the only thing that keeps me calm.”
Next up for the duo is The Grand National Tour, which kicks off April 19 in Minneapolis.