SZA has shut down a rumor that a contribution from Frank Ocean was removed from her latest album Lana.
Following its slightly delayed release late last week, an X (formerly Twitter) account going by the handle of @blondedhomer began spreading an unsubstantiated rumor that Ocean had recorded material for the project.
They wrote: “Frank Ocean’s verse on SZA’s new album Lana (SOS deluxe) was removed at the last minute.”
The post caught the attention of the TDE songstress, who angrily replied: “Lmao now why would you even make this up?? Ur insane… it never existed… and don’t ever play on Frank’s name like that EVAAAA.”
SZA has previously acknowledged the influence that Frank Ocean has had on her music.
In a recent Harper’s Bazaar interview with Kendrick Lamar, she admitted that she pretends to be the elusive R&B singer in the studio.
“When I’m in the studio, it hurts too much sometimes. Maybe that’s why I tap in and pretend to be other people,” she said. “That’s why I’m pretending to be you [Kendrick] or pretending to be Frank [Ocean] or pretending to be Future because it’s easy.
“It’s easier to be me through their eyes than it is to sit with some of the really harsh things that I say about myself to myself.”
Fans also wanted to see Ocean appear on a remix of her single Good Times” back in 2021.
SZA was inundated with social media requests to get the Grammy-winner on the track, to which she replied by writing on her Instagram Stories: “Imma ask lol.”
Despite SZA saying she’d reach out to him, a remix featuring the former Odd Future star has yet to surface.
In fact, Ocean has not released any new music since a duo of 2020 tracks called “Dear April” and “Cayendo,” with fans being starved of an album since the 2016 release of Blonde.
In the years since, Frank has been working on various fashion projects, reportedly directing his first film and headlined Coachella in 2023 to a largely negative reaction, which led to the cancelation of his appearance on the second weekend of the festival.
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