SZA is ‘really hurt’ over Lana Del Rey’s rant and says black artists work to be seen as ‘soft’

SZA is taking major issue with some of the points made by fellow singer Lana Del Rey, 34, in a recent Instagram rant regarding ‘soft’ femininity in the music industry.

In a series of tweets published on Thursday evening, the 29-year-old All The Stars songstress revealed that Lana’s words ‘really hurt’ her and that black artists ‘work very hard to be seen as soft and non threatening.’ 

‘That s**t really hurt me,’ wrote SZA in direct reply to a fan who was also angered by Del Rey’s assumption that ‘black women can’t be fragile.’    

Another fan added: ‘Yeah [Lana] really lost me with that one, especially with mentioning who she mentioned. Women who lay their heart out in their artistry.’

‘Like huh ? Just cause meg wears latex and kehlani got tattoos and bey wore a buret at the Super Bowl … they not capable of vulnerability sensitivity fear and softness? .. GTFFFFFFFF,’ responded SZA. 

In an indirect tweet, SZA emphasized that ‘[black artists] want to be seen as GENTLE soft ethereal beings too . Apply this to who it may,’ 

Last week, Del Rey published a lengthy missive in which she complained about singers including Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé having number one songs ‘about being sexy, wearing no clothes, f***ing, cheating, etc.’ while she gets lambasted for doing the same.

Critics and social media users called the Video Games songstress out as ‘racist’ for singling out women of color.

In a follow-up post shared last Friday, Lana provided some ‘final notes’ on her ‘controversial post’ and insisted that ‘critics can’t read and want to make [her post into] a race war.’

‘But in truth making it about race says so much more about you than it does about me – you want the drama,’ wrote the singer.

‘Despite the feedback I’ve heard from several people that I mentioned in a complimentary way, whether it be Ariana or Doja Cat – I want to say that I remain firm in my clarity and stance in that what I was writing about was the importance of self advocacy for the more delicate and often dismissed, softer female personality.’ 

But, Lana’s ‘final notes’ ended up being not so final, since she went ahead and posted a video response to the drama on Monday. 

In the over six-minute long confessional, Del Rey attempted to clarify her thoughts and intentions behind her initial post.  

‘I don’t want to beat a dead horse, and I don’t want to go on and on about this post thing.

‘But I just want to remind you,’ she continued, ‘my one and only personal declaration I’ve ever made – thanks for being so warm and welcoming – was about the need for fragility in the feminist movement. It’s gonna be important.’

Then, Lana got to the heart of the matter, responding to the ongoing onslaught of critics who have labeled her as racist.

‘When I mentioned women who look like me, I didn’t mean white like me. I mean the kind of women who other people might not believe because they think, “Look at her, she f***ing deserves it.”‘

Then, she referred to Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj and the other female artists of color she previously mentioned, and called them her ‘friends, peers, contemporaries.’

Del Rey said, ‘I just think it’s sad that the women I mentioned, whether they sing about dancing for money or whatever – the same stuff I’ve been singing about chronically for 13 years,’ the treatment she receives is different.