SZA’s ‘I Hate U’ Sets Apple Music R&B Streaming Record

Apple Music says the track, which officially dropped earlier this month, has become the most-streamed R&B song by a female artist within its first week.

December 16, 2021

SZA performs onstage for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards — Image via Getty/Kevin Mazur
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SZA is closing out 2021 on a strong note.

According to Billboard, the singer’s newly released “I Hate U” track has set a record on Apple Music, becoming its most-streamed R&B song by a female artist within its first week. The track originally dropped via SoundCloud during the summer, but received a second wind after it went viral on TikTok. The surge in popularity prompted SZA and her team to officially drop “I Hate U” on streaming services.

“Honestly this started out as an exercise. I just wanted somewhere to dump my thoughts w out pressure,” SZA wrote on Instagram before the song’s release. “Y’all made it a thing and I’m not mad lmao. Ask and u shall receive.”

“I Hate U” was co-written by SZA, Robert Bisel, Cody Fayne, Carter Lang, and Dylan Patrice. It debuted at No. 7 on this week’s Hot 100 chart, marking her second top 10 debut and fifth top-10 song overall. It also lead Apple Music’s Daily Top 100 chart globally as well as in 10 countries, including the United States, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago.

SZA is now working on the follow-up to her 2017 debut album, Ctrl. She has been teasing the project over the last several years, and was expected to release it sometime in 2021.

“This album is going to be the shit that made me feel something in my (heart and gut),” she told Cosmopolitan back in January. “That’s what’s going to go on the album. I’m making all different types of shit every day from different places in my spirit.”

SZA has not confirmed an album release date.