After three years of radio silence and a vocal cord injury following her Grammy nominated debut album “Ctrl,” Solána Imani Rowe (SZA) returned to music on Sept. 4 with the soulful, jazz influenced release of “Hit Different.”

The song is about hanging around someone who may not seem the best for you, but that’s exactly what makes you more attracted to them. What sets this anthem apart from other call-out R&B tracks is that she isn’t just annoyed with the emotional unavailability between her and her partner, she’s also frustrated with herself and her allowance to pursue the relationship.

Her message of toxic love is emulated through the lyrics, “Man, I get more in love with you each argument // Something wrong with me, I like the way you screw your face up.”

“Hit Different” features rapper Ty Dolla $ign solely on the chorus. This hits differently due to the fact that when there is a release that features a man and woman in the music industry, the woman tends to carry the melodic chorus while the man has control of the memorable verses. But this isn’t the case on SZA’s newest release, she takes the verses, which itself drives the point that a woman can hold her own in the music industry.

Along with the single’s release, she blessed the audience with a self-directed music video. The video is visually stunning and shows SZA in various atmospheres such as an empty field while doused in red paint, inside a barnyard house crowded around various white farm animals, and at a junkyard where she’s with Ty Dolla $ign and a group of powerful women of color background dancers. The distorted and random setting of the music video pairs perfectly with the smooth, soulful track.

Being her first time directing, SZA excelled in her cinematic direction. The video allows the audience to escape into a peaceful dream state and its ambiance matches her flowy singing style. It’s pure bliss to watch and was such a beautiful way to introduce her single and her new directing career.

At the end of the video SZA teases another new song allegedly called “Good Days,” a smart move that gives listeners hope for an upcoming sophomore album.

With the release of “Hit Different” and the tease of “Good Days,” fans are ecstatic to have SZA back in the studio making music. She has been one of the fastest growing artists in the R&B industry, and SZA really does “hit different.”