Released: 2022
SZA’s “Kill Bill” is a chilling narrative of unrequited love and obsession, tinged with dark humor. The lyrics, brimming with raw emotion, illuminate the narrator’s struggle with the end of a relationship, invoking powerful imagery of jealousy and desolation.
Opening the song, SZA confesses, “I’m still a fan even though I was salty/ Hate to see you with some other broad, know you happy.” She admits her lingering feelings towards her ex despite their break-up – a relatable sentiment to anyone who’s ever been through a tough split. The term ‘salty’ here signifies bitterness or resentment, while ‘broad’ is a colloquial term for a woman, intensifying the sense of her jealousy.
The refrain, “I might kill my ex, not the best idea/ His new girlfriend’s next, how’d I get here?” is a heart-wrenching metaphor. Although shocking at face value, it’s a hyperbolic expression of her emotional turmoil rather than a literal plan of action, highlighting her struggle to cope with her feelings of rejection. Her question, “how’d I get here?” underscores her disbelief at the depth of her despair.
The line, “You was at the farmer’s market with your perfect peach” signifies her ex’s new and seemingly idyllic relationship. The ‘perfect peach’ metaphor is a bitter nod to the idea of the new girl being perceived as a perfect, unblemished fruit – a desirable yet unreachable asset.
The chorus outlines SZA’s attempts to overcome her feelings, as she repeats: “I’m so mature, I’m so mature/ I got a therapist to tell me there’s other men.” The painful irony lies in the repeated assertion of her maturity while her actions indicate the opposite. The line is a poignant reminder that dealing with heartbreak isn’t a linear process and that even the mature and self-aware can struggle.
Finally, the haunting closing lines, “I just killed my ex (my ex)/ I still love him, though (I do)/ Rather be in Hell than alone,” is a stark declaration of her overwhelming love and loneliness. Willing to face hell over solitude depicts the severity of her emotional state.
Through its poignant lyrics and emotional rawness, “Kill Bill” lays bare the darker recesses of post-breakup feelings – Ones that are rarely voiced, but may be felt more commonly than we’d like to admit.
