Kill Bill

SZA's "Kill Bill" is a pop and R&B murder ballad that draws its name and narrative inspiration from Quentin Tarantino's film duology. Released as the fifth single from her 2022 album SOS, the song rides a midtempo groove built on guitars, a bassline, and a flute sampled from a Prophet-6 synthesizer. Lyrically, SZA fantasizes about killing an ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend out of jealousy, delivering violent imagery with a darkly humorous edge that contrasts sharply with her soft, airy vocals. The track's boom bap influenced production and detuned melody give it a hypnotic, almost playful quality despite the homicidal subject matter. "Kill Bill" was sent to US radio on January 10, 2023, after already racking up massive streaming numbers.

The song became SZA's first number one on both the Billboard Global 200 and the US Hot 100, though it spent eight weeks stuck at number two before an April 2023 remix with Doja Cat pushed the solo version to the top. That wait tied for the second longest stretch at number two before reaching number one. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, "Kill Bill" broke the record previously held by Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," reigning for 21 weeks. Globally, it ranked among the top 10 best performing songs of 2023 in multiple countries, and the IFPI named it the third best selling single of the year. Critics praised the songwriting for its poetic, diaristic honesty and relatability, even amid the violent fantasy. Rolling Stone later placed "Kill Bill" at number 267 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. The track earned three Grammy nominations and won Song of the Year at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Top R&B Song at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, and Video of the Year at the BET Awards.

The music video, directed by Christian Breslauer, dropped the same day as the single. It reimagines key scenes from the Kill Bill films, with SZA playing her own version of the Bride. Vivica A. Fox, who appeared in the original movies, makes a supporting cameo. In the climax, SZA confronts her ex and literally tears out his heart. The outro shows her suspended by ropes in a shibari technique. During the SOS Tour, SZA incorporated visual elements from both the films and the video, including the iconic yellow jumpsuit. Live performances often featured sword props and choreographed swordfights with background dancers. [edit]