SZA has announced her departure from longtime manager Terrence “Punch” Henderson, marking the end of a significant chapter in her career.
SZA surprised fans on Christmas Day with an unexpected announcement: her professional relationship with longtime manager Terrence “Punch” Henderson has officially ended. This news comes just days after the release of her deluxe album Lana, marking a bittersweet moment in the singer’s journey.
The “Snooze” hitmaker confirmed the news by sharing, “I love Punch deeply! NO ONE should be attacking him or being cruel on my behalf. Sometimes ppl grow apart, and that’s okay.”
She added, “Nothing to celebrate. The end of an era. I wish him the best, whatever his choices may be.”
Her words really resonated with fans, especially those who had been wondering about the possible tensions behind the scenes between SZA and her team. Many had noticed the delays and issues that had come up during previous album releases.
Terrence “Punch” Henderson first met SZA back in 2011 during Kendrick Lamar’s CMJ showcase in New York. He was so impressed that he brought her on board at TDE in 2013, making her the first female singer to join Punch’s respected label.
As SZA’s manager, Punch was heavily involved in the creative process from the beginning. He would often share his ideas during early studio sessions and assist SZA in showcasing her music to industry professionals. His insights and feedback were crucial in shaping her sound and vision. Thanks to his dedication and efforts, SZA’s journey to stardom was significantly boosted, especially with the incredible success of her album SOS.
However, the road hasn’t been without bumps. Fans sometimes felt frustrated with the delays in SZA’s music releases, and many blamed her manager. At one point, SZA even playfully suggested that her fans should direct their questions about the delays to Punch.
Soon after, Punch appeared on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast to respond to SZA’s claims that he’s holding back her new album.
“I respect fans that demand it because it was obvious something was said that touched their lives to the point where they want it this bad,” Punch said.
When asked for a more straightforward answer, Punch replied, “I remember one of the main things that kicked this off. I was dropping the ‘Hit Different’ record, and Ty Dolla Sign was on the hook, but Ty had just dropped his single. So they called and asked if we could wait for a week just to give him some run on what he was doing before we put ours out. So I’m like, ‘Yeah, we can do that,’ and I held the song back for a week, and it was taken as I’m holding the album back. So we go from there, and it snowballs to where the fans see it, and they only see the small print.”
Punch indicated that he discussed with SZA, but she misunderstood his intentions. He also mentioned that the album is finished and will be released shortly.
Despite the split, SZA’s statement reinforces that there’s no bad blood.
