SZA’s recent joint tour announcement with Kendrick Lamar sparked online chatter, with some fans accusing her of betraying Drake, her former boyfriend. The speculation stems from the perceived contrast between her past romantic involvement with Drake and her current professional collaboration with Lamar.
Drake and SZA have a complicated history. They dated briefly in the late 2000s, and while their relationship wasn’t serious, it has resurfaced in pop culture discourse, especially after their recent collaborations, including “Slime You Out” from Drake’s For All the Dogs album. Despite their musical chemistry, some fans allege that SZA might be aligning herself with Kendrick as part of a larger narrative against Drake.
However, others have pointed out the longstanding friendship between SZA and Kendrick Lamar. Their professional ties run deep, going back to their shared days under Top Dawg Entertainment. SZA provided background vocals during Kendrick’s 2013 American Music Awards performance, long before her mainstream breakthrough with CTRL. The duo has since collaborated on major projects, such as the Oscar-nominated song “All the Stars” for Black Panther and recent tracks from Kendrick’s album GNX. Their upcoming Grand National Tour cements their longstanding musical partnership.
Critics of the betrayal theory argue that SZA’s move is a natural career progression, given her established rapport with Kendrick. Furthermore, her playful reaction to being mentioned in Drake’s diss track—using a humorous meme—indicates she may not be taking the feud as seriously as fans do. As for Drake, his lyrical jabs seem to highlight his competitive nature rather than a direct issue with SZA herself.
Whether fans view SZA’s decision as a betrayal or simply a strategic career move, her upcoming tour with Kendrick is shaping up to be one of 2025’s most anticipated musical events.
The day after Kendrick Lamar’s unexpected album “GNX” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, he revealed plans for a North American stadium tour alongside SZA in 2025.
The “Grand National Tour” will hit 19 stadiums across North America between April and June of 2025. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, December 6, at 10 a.m. local time on grandnationaltour.com, with an exclusive Cash App Visa Card pre-sale on Wednesday, December 4 at 10 a.m.
