SZA has revealed she was “scared” and “freaked out” during her headline Glastonbury set.
The “Kill Bill” singer, 35, closed the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset this June to one of the sparsest crowds in recent memory.
Festival organisers were subsequently criticised for their scheduling as SZA’s Glastonbury debut clashed with other big artists on the lineup, including Justice on the West Holts stage, James Blake on Woodsies, London Grammar on Park Stage and The National on Other Stage.
Speaking to Vogue, SZA said of the performance: “I just felt like nothing I could do would be enough for Glastonbury, no matter what I did.
“It scared me,” she added. “I was like, well, I wish I wasn’t doing it, but I couldn’t walk away from it.”
SZA was the second Black woman in history to headline Glastonbury, following in the footsteps of Beyoncé in 2011.
“It’s such a f***ing tall order,” she reflected on the pressure. “It’s like, no matter what you do here, you will be subject to criticism. Because of who you are. But that’s life. That’s life, you know?”
The singer explained she usually likes to zone in on audience members’ faces during her performances but at Glastonbury she looked down and saw an empty field.
“I’m like, I’m freaked out right now,” she said. “I’m scared. I feel like I’m drowning on stage and I feel like I’m failing.”
However, SZA relaxed after she claims she received a sign from the African goddess Yemayá. “It was a reminder that your guardians are with you,” she said. “Everyone’s here. Even beyond. Keep going.”
Alongside a sparse crowd, SZA’s performance was beset by technical issues, which left her voice sounding muffled for at least 30 minutes.
Regardless of the low audience numbers and technical issues, SZA’s set – featuring intricate dance choreography, numerous costume changes and a giant mechanical ant – was critically praised.
The Independent’s Jazz Monroe gave the performance four stars, writing that the “high-octane” production “leaves you breathless”.
She wrote: “That [SZA] made us work for it, rather than spoon-feeding us fireworks and feels, makes this melancholy, oddly intimate spectacle hit just that little bit harder.”
