On Wednesday night, SZA came to Ball Arena bringing the “SOS Tour” to Denver for a healing, spiritual and cleansing performance. The crowd was left feeling blessed as they embarked on a theatrical journey put on by the singer/songwriter. Lyrics were belted, rhythms were twerked to and fans looked on in amazement for a healing October night that brought Denver together.
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To begin the night, David Anthony Burke, known professionally as d4vd, provided an electric performance to warm up the brisk autumn crowd. The 18-year-old alternative performer mixed sad lullabies with angsty indie rock, throwing the crowd curve balls every chance he could and transcending genre constraints. The artist had no intention of embarking on this musical career. He originally began his journey as a professional video game player named Limit Ant. He needed unlicensed music to soundtrack his game plays so he began creating it on his own and thus began his new outlook on music production. His song “Romantic Homicide” quickly became a viral hit and he now finds himself opening for one of America’s most beloved singers.
Following his set, the crowd stood restless, ready for SZA to hit the stage. Fans were unsure what to expect from the neo-soul singer who blends elements of R&B, hip-hop and more. While her lyrics often depict a woman refusing to admit she has a heart, she gave all of it to the Denver crowd Wednesday night. To begin the show, she started abruptly in the stands between sections 122 and 124 dressed in glittered sequins accompanied by security guards, a mic and a spotlight. “I wanted to feel closer to you guys!”
Fans rained adoration on her as she made her way to the stage. They screamed and the energy became electric as the opening sequence to “Seek & Destroy” began. SZA found herself on a boat deck projected behind her, seagulls flying around as the ocean spray misted from below. It was a beautiful backdrop for “Love Galore” and “Broken Clocks.” Here, the performance met with some difficulties seemingly stemming from SZA’s in-ear monitors. She yelled “I can’t hear! I can’t hear!” until the problem was eventually rectified.
Despite the technical difficulties, the show carried on as Ball Arena was taken to the engine room of the boat for songs “Forgiveless,” “Blind” and “Shirt”. Fans sang their hearts out to standouts from the “SOS” album in unison as a form of communal therapy. Before sinking into comfort, SZA took us to the horizon where she stood on top of the boat to sing “All The Stars” from the “Black Panther” soundtrack. It was expected fans would sing their hearts out but the high level of production was a pleasant surprise. Each section of the set was produced with acute attention to detail including dancers, outfit changes, sultry choreography, lights and stage production. SZA felt the pressure before transitioning to the next section stating, “I’m not hot but I’m hot as hell because this altitude is crazy. I can’t believe you guys just live at this altitude all the time.” 
The story carried on when the boat crashed and SZA was left to sing songs on a floating raft soaring above the crowd in a pink dress. Fans looked up at the starlet as she shined above singing gut-wrenching songs, “Supermodel,” “Nobody Gets Me” and “Gone Girl.” In an arena filled with 21,000 seats, the room felt small and intimate and SZA felt as approachable as ever flying through the sky.
For the “pop” section of the show, fans were taken under the sea for “Kiss Me More,” “Kill Bill” and “I Hate U.” The crowd lit up, danced and felt the four-to-the-floor beats of some of her biggest radio hits. SZA’s lyrics can bring up traumatic experiences regarding love, relationships and insecurities while listening alone. In a room full of people, the music and lyrics transcended that and reminded everyone of their humanity. SZA was the therapist and the crowd was actualizing along to every lyric.
The show ended with SZA singing on the edge of the stage with a skylit backdrop for “Good Days” as fans began to exit. However, SZA raced back out to the stage to pick lucky fans with “good energy” to meet the star. “I’m human too. I have anxiety and it’s hard to be up here. I’m picking these people that fed me energy all night and I would like to meet them!”
These remarks summarize the night with the singer, reminding us that humanity exists around us. Singing along to lyrics that hold heavy weight among strangers brought healing to Denver as fans walked away looking relieved, happy, and blessed. SZA sang “20 Something” as a surprise encore, ending the song by connecting to every single person in the crowd singing, “Bless you, bless you, bless you…”
All photography by Jas Kitterman