Primarily an R&B album that deals with themes like heartbreak, Ctrl received widespread acclaim for SZA's vocals and the eclectic musical style, as well as the relatability, emotional impact, and confessional nature of the songwriting.
The album brought SZA to mainstream fame, and critics credit it with establishing her status as a major figure in contemporary pop and R&B music and pushing the boundaries of the R&B genre.
[16] SZA had begun working on the second studio album, SOS (2022), by 2019, but some tracks were written and recorded in 2022 alongside a number of other songs due to bursts of productivity from time pressure.
[22][23] In the first verse, SZA critiques her body, lamenting her dry skin and the "pimples where [her] beauty marks should be",[24] and envies "the girl from the Gucci store", who owns haute couture clothes and does not need to wear makeup.
"[17] Other critics likened the songwriting in "Special" to SZA's 2017 single "Drew Barrymore", which contains similarly self-conscious lyrics such as "I'm sorry I'm not more attractive / I'm sorry I'm not more ladylike/ I'm sorry I don't shave my legs at night,"[21][32] as well as the works of Taylor Swift.