Watch SZA talk to Drew Barrymore about ‘Drew Barrymore’ and moving towards children’s music

nme.com:

SZA has spoken to Drew Barrymore about the song she named after her, as well as her venture into writing children’s music.The singer-songwriter and 2024 Glastonbury headliner made the comments during a new interview on The Drew Barrymore Show yesterday (January 13), and explained how the ‘Ctrl’ track reflected the admiration she feels for the actor.“It was inspired by you, it wasn’t just the title,” SZA began when asked about the 2017 song. “[It was about] the energy that you carry… Even my outfit is inspired by the way you made me feel my entire life.”She continued, explaining how she has looked up to Barrymore since her childhood: “I wrote you this letter that I never sent you, but it talked about how, when you’re younger, and you’re a Black woman, there’s not a lot of examples all the time.

One of the few lovely white women that I looked up to so much on television was you, because you were so yourself.”“You were quirky.

Your smile wasn’t perfect,” she added. “I have a slight speech impediment, and people laugh all the time, ‘What is SZA saying?’ And it’s a running joke.

But I love the way you talk and all the you-ness of you.”Barrymore then went on to explain what the comments meant to her, adding that she wasn’t aware of how much the song was inspired by her when she went to feature on the music video.“Maybe it’s humble insecurity or whatever [but] I always convinced myself: ‘It was just words that she used for the song, and the words were my name’.