The video concludes with a snippet of the song "Diamond Boy (DTM)" from SOS's reissue, Lana, a promotion strategy she had consistently been doing to tease new music.

Disappointed that she had become frequently categorized as an R&B musician, which she felt was due to her being a Black woman, SZA opted to incorporate several genres and musical styles on SOS.

[25][26] Before it became a part of SOS's tracklist, the song was a planned duet by SZA and Babyface for the latter's ninth studio album, Girls Night Out (2022).

[25] Once he was informed about the duet alongside his co-producer Khris Riddick-Tynes, Thomas flew from Atlanta to Babyface's Los Angeles studio, working on the drums en route.

[24][34] According to SZA, the making of SOS involved several "palate cleanser" sessions, in which she would quickly write tracks like "Snooze" within an hour to refresh her mind in preparation for her more demanding projects.

[22][39] Dispersed throughout SOS are pop culture references to several films, with tracks named after Kill Bill (2003) and Gone Girl (2014) as well as mentions of characters from the Star Wars and Despicable Me franchises.

"Snooze" in particular references the crime drama film Scarface (1983) and the character Elvira Hancock, who marries the criminal protagonist and is portrayed with a bob haircut.

"Snooze" demonstrates, as Larisha Paul writes for Rolling Stone, that "in both lust and love", vulnerability in SZA's music "prevails with limitless devotion.

"[17] Despite promising to kill, steal, or start a fire for her lover, SZA feels as though they are failing to return the same amount of attention and effort to make their romance work.

[43] Over time, "Snooze" became a fan-favorite album track, experiencing a steady surge of streams bolstered by its viral popularity on the video-sharing application TikTok.

[23][44] In response, Top Dawg and RCA sent the song to rhythmic, R&B/hip-hop, and pop radio stations in April 2023 as the album's sixth single, following the number-one "Kill Bill".

[45] A four-track bundle of "Snooze", which includes sped-up and instrumental versions, was released on digital streaming platforms on August 25, the same day as its music video's premiere.

[49] The instrumental was a recurring subject of attention; Billboard's Andrew Unterberger and Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul said it was "intoxicating",[17][23] and several others wrote positively about the "dreamy" sound.

[20][21][22] Shanté Collier-McDermott of Clash said that the drum rhythm, vocal melodies, and honest songwriting created a highly relaxing aural experience that she likened to a soft and warm blanket.

[18] Also invoking imagery of a comfortable rest, Regina Cho of Vibe wrote that "Snooze" could make one "want to gaze up to the sky and fall into the sweetest daydream."

[16][18][50] The catchiness and composition were points of praise for News24's Joel Ontong, who recommended listeners play the song on repeat and said that its instrumental was the album's best.

Slant Magazine's Paul Attard wrote positively, saying that its R&B composition did not clash with the other tracks' sounds,[51] whereas Gigwise's Millie O'Brien thought that "Snooze" marked the beginning of SOS's "forgettable" middle part.

[62] Outside the US, "Snooze" reached the top 20 in numerous countries like the Philippines (2),[63] Suriname (9),[64] Singapore (10),[65] Canada (11),[66] South Africa (12),[67] the UAE (18),[68] and the UK (18).

[71] The acoustic version peaked at number 6 on the country's Hot Singles chart for trending songs;[72] it also reached the top 50 in Sweden.

"[87] In another roundtable by the magazine, some said that despite failing to reach number one, "Snooze" arguably overshadowed the chart-topping "Kill Bill" as SOS's most popular single because of its longevity.

[12] Aside from Bieber, the list of cameos consists of SOS co-producer Benny Blanco and actors Young Mazino and Woody McClain; all four of them play as SZA's love interests.

[94] She can be seen with Mazino in a farm, where they feed a horse and ride a quad bike; McClain in a gym, where she strips and performs a sultry dance for him;[95][92] Bieber in a bedroom, where they smoke cannabis after a picnic outdoors; and Blanco on the lawn, where he eats fries with ketchup from atop SZA's buttocks.

[101] The short "DTM (Diamond Boy)" preview accompanies various scenes of SZA and an unknown lover, who both run towards each other in a large meadow and share an embrace.

[104][105] Throughout 2024, she performed the song in a lengthy series of music festivals, including BST Hyde Park,[106] Glastonbury,[103] Lollapalooza,[107] and Osheaga.

[108] During that year's Grammy Awards, SZA used "Snooze" for the first half of a medley with "Kill Bill", wearing a trenchcoat and singing on a stage that depicted a burning alleyway.

[109][110] The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony could have included a performance of "Snooze" as well, but it was canceled at the behest of SZA's manager Punch, who was unhappy she was not nominated for Artist of the Year.

Thomas's version was uploaded to YouTube in late January 2023,[112] and Bieber performed his at a surprise Toronto concert during the NHL All-Star Player Draft on February 1, 2024.

[114] When John Legend attended an online influencer's birthday party in November, he was asked to sing "Snooze" impromptu, to which he agreed and performed for the guests with a piano.