Wondering if I should re-evaluate the back catalogue of Nickelback isn’t something I thought I would be doing today. But I guess when SZA tells you that you should do something, you’re going to do it.
Discussing the music that influences her in a new interview with Variety, she says: “The other day you know what I pulled up? Creed, Nickelback, Train ‘Drops Of Jupiter’, just a whole bunch of that”.
When interviewer Jim Aswad expresses surprise/dismay at those musical choices, she adds: “I know, I know! Wait, you know what’s crazy? Do white people hate Creed and Nickelback? Why? Black people love them! They rock! That shit is bomb! Why do you all hate it so much? That voice…”
It’s all a bit cliched though, muses Aswad. To which SZA counters: “But I like Creed so much - ‘Higher’? Why are you hating on it? Have you ever felt more inspired and uplifted in your life?”
“I’m in the car and I’m blasting ‘Higher’”, she continues, “I feel like it’s a gospel song, the vocals are going crazy and it’s also somehow slightly romantic, it just feels so fun. Because even if it’s cliche, he’s so fucking dead ass!”
“I will be a Creed fan forever”, she concludes. “Like, it started just on a whim in the shower, ‘Oh, let’s play this’, and then it became a week of Creed and Nickelback”.
I think I heard one Creed song about 25 years ago and they haven’t figured in my life since, but while you were reading that I’ve been having a good think about whether I should try to enjoy the work of Nickelback.
I have a friend who every year prays that they will be announced as a Glastonbury headliner. And maybe she’s right to do that. Maybe they’re just good, clean fun. No frills, just good music done well.
No, of course that’s not true. I don’t know what we were all thinking. Nice try, SZA.