SZA Threatens Legal Action Over Music Leaks: ‘You Are A F*cking Thief’

SZA has snapped back at the anonymous figures leaking songs from her upcoming projects, vowing to “put maximum energy into holding everyone accountable to the full extent of the law”.

Over the weekend, fans of the R&B star noticed unreleased tracks popping up online, supposedly taken from her as-yet-unreleased LANA album (a deluxe reissue of her 2022 effort SOS). In response, SZA tweeted for the first time since the end of last year, angrily taking aim at those responsible for the leaks.

“LEAKING MY MUSIC IS STEALING,” she declared (albeit in all-caps). “THIS IS MY JOB. THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU ARE A FUCKING THIEF AND I PROMISE TO PUT MAXIMUM ENERGY INTO HOLDING EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW. I AM TIRED.”

Fellow artist Punch – who also manages SZA and runs her label, Top Dawg Entertainment – weighed in on the situation with a note that’s sure to turn her fans against the leakers: “When music leaks it often lead to delays and/or canceling whole projects.”

When music leaks it often lead to delays and/or canceling whole projects. https://t.co/KMcKx5vRXG

— Punch TDE (@iamstillpunch) January 7, 2024

SZA’s fans have already been holding out for LANA since the release of SOS in December of 2022. Word of its existence has floated around since the start of 2023, and it was formally announced by SZA last September. A tracklist and release date are yet to be confirmed, and given these new leaks, it could be months until we hear more.

Songs expected to be a part of the album include the current SoundCloud exclusives Nightbird and Joni, Seasonal Depression, Boy From South Detroit, DTM and Saturn.

SZA has long been vocal in the argument against leakers. In a recent interview with Variety, she said of the grating trend of her songs being leaked: “When people leak my songs, they ruin them. Then it’s not mine anymore; it’s actually yours. It’s something unfinished that you decided was ready to be shared. And it’s like, ‘Fuck you. Now I’m not releasing it.’

“Play your leak, but you’re not gonna bully me into dropping music. I’m now embarrassed by this less-than-correct version that you put out. You’ve sent me into a weird space creatively when you could have just waited for me, but you’re selfish.”

The artist dominated charts in Australia with SOS, even earning her first #1 single here with the incisive Kill Bill.