SZA was “scared”, “freaked out” and felt like she was “falling” during divisive Glastonbury 2024 headline set
SZA has reflected on her time headlining Glastonbury 2024, and said that she felt like she was “falling” during the divisive set.
The US singer-songwriter took to the stage on the Sunday of Glastonbury earlier this summer, following on from headline sets from both Dua Lipa and Coldplay. During her set, however, she was marred by numerous technical and audio difficulties and received mixed reviews from critics.
For the first 30 minutes of the performance, SZA’s mic was muffled and muddy, rendering the singer nearly inaudible. After 30 minutes, the singer’s voice sounded clearer and louder, but would occasionally dip back into muddy quality.
Social media users were also quick to point out that the crowds for her set were smaller than her fellow headliners – with her performance clashing with sets from The National, James Blake, Justice and London Grammar.
Now, during a new interview with British Vogue, SZA has reflected on how she felt “scared” and “freaked out” by the huge slot.
“I just felt like nothing I could do would be enough for Glastonbury, no matter what I did […] It scared me. I was like, well, I wish I wasn’t doing it, but I couldn’t walk away from it,” she explained.
“It’s such a tall order,” she added, looking at how she was only “the second black woman in history” to headline, following Beyoncé’s 2011 slot. “It’s like, no matter what you do here, you will be subject to criticism because of who you are. But that’s life.”
Later in the interview, the singer – whose real name is Solána Imani Rowe – went on to add that she felt like she was “drowning on stage”, before adding that it helped her with her perseverance. “It was a reminder that your guardians are with you. Everyone’s here. Even beyond. Keep going.”
The set from SZA was given a four-star review by NME, which read: “As disjointed as this show occasionally is, though, it’s hypnotic and potent. The turnout is noticeably small for a headliner, but the extra space on the ground allows young women to share smiles of recognition and understanding with strangers while singing along to songs centred on overcoming toxic romances and self-esteem battles.”
SZA would later go on to respond to the mixed reception from viewers, and write: “The bravery required to be alive in public is remarkable. S/o everybody doing that shit.”
Coach and ticket packages for Glastonbury Festival 2025 went on sale last night (November 14) and sold out in just 32 minutes.
Particularly with 2026 set to be a fallow year for the festival, demand was high for tickets, and some fans took to social media to weigh in their thoughts on the new ticketing system in place for the 2025 instalment.
General tickets will go on sale at 6pm GMT on Sunday (November 17), and will be sold exclusively here. Tickets will be £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, an increase of £18.50 from 2024, with coach and ticket bundles costing more depending on the destination you’re travelling from.
For those unable to secure tickets this week, re-sale tickets are usually made available in the spring. However, these tend to sell out quickly, too, with coach and ticket re-sale bundles selling out in just 18 minutes and general re-sale tickets selling out in 22 minutes this year.
So far, no acts have been confirmed for Glasto 2025, although rumoured headliners include Green Day, Alanis Morissette, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Fender.
Initially, rumours were rife that Oasis would be making a return to Worthy Farm after fans noticed that the UK and Ireland leg of their reunion tour is scheduled to kick off just five days after Glastonbury 2025 ends. However, they promptly shut them down, saying they would not be playing Glasto “or any other festivals next year”.
Find the full list of rumoured headliners here.
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
