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"Kill Bill" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022). The song is titled after the 2003 martial arts film directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Background and composition

"Kill Bill" has been described as a pop-R&B, psychedelic pop, pop-soul, and doo-wop track. Lyrically, it finds the singer harboring resentment towards her former boyfriend after a break-up which she tries to navigate through by consulting a therapist at first. The story takes a darker turn when she expresses desire to kill both him and his current girlfriend. In the end, the narrator has in fact commited double homicide, repeatedly choosing "jail" or "hell" over being "alone".

The perspective of SZA's narration was described as "no exception" to "masters of self-delusion", that she presents over a "spacey, mid-tempo R&B groove". While the lyrics are not directly related to the Kill Bill film series, the plotline implies a specific influence. However, the plot of Kill Bill: Volume 1 tells the story of a female assassin killing her ex-boyfriend. In that regard, the main topic of the song being a "revenge relationship" is based on the movie.

The song was called a fan favorite upon release.

Critical reception

Zoe Guy at Vulture noted the song for being an integral part of "an arsenal of pop-culture references" throughout the album and pointed out the "already well-seasoned lyrics about growing up". Steffanee Wang of Nylon chose the track as the top essential song of the album, praising the artist's ability to showcase her own emotions through "unspooling diaristic toxic thoughts and worst case scenarios". Pitchfork's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd referred to the song as a "stalker lullaby" that the singer uses to convey "all her darkest thoughts". Jon Pareles of The New York Times thought that Rowe sounded "both lighthearted and dangerous" on this "plush R&B ballad".

Commercial performance

With "Kill Bill" and "Nobody Gets Me", another track from SOS, SZA acquired her sixth and seventh top 10 songs in the United States. On the Billboard Hot 100, the country's main record chart for songs, "Kill Bill" debuted at number 3, marking her highest debut on the chart. It also became her highest-charting song as lead artist, tied with Doja Cat's "Kiss Me More" (2021) on which she is featured, as her highest-charting song overall. During its debut week in the United States "Kill Bill" was streamed 36.9 million times, sold 1,000 digital downloads, and had a radio airplay audience of 22,000, according to Luminate Data. With this, the song debuted atop Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, her second number 1 after "I Hate U" in 2021. It was one of 20 SOS tracks that debuted in the chart and one of seven that were in the top 10. Due to its streaming numbers, it also debuted atop Billboard's Streaming Songs chart on the issue dated December 24, 2022, and gave SZA her first number 1 song there. "Kill Bill", along with three other tracks from SOS, were the only non-Christmas songs in the top 10 of the December 24 issue, and it also became the first non-Christmas song since 2018 to be the chart's number 1 entry. Overall, there were 19 album tracks on the issue, which made SZA tie with Taylor Swift for the second-most simultaneous appearances by a female artist in Streaming Songs.

Based on Luminate figures, "Kill Bill" was streamed around 57.9 million times worldwide (about 21 million streams outside the United States) during its opening week. Consequently, it debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Global 200 and became SZA's highest-charting song there as lead artist. It follows "Kiss Me More" and her 2020 single "Good Days" as her third top 10 on the chart. In Australia and Canada, "Kill Bill" debuted at number 5, rising to number 2 on the singles chart published by Australia's recording industry association the following week. The song topped national charts in New Zealand and Singapore, entered the top 15 in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and reached the top 40 in five other territories.

Charts

Notes

1. Specifically, Lithuania (16), the Middle East and North Africa (16), Norway (19), Portugal (21), and Greece's international chart (30).

References

1. "Lirik Lagu Kill Bill, Hit Terbaru dari SZA". Kompas (in Indonesian). December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
2. ""Kill Bill": vollendeter R&B-Pop von SZA". Byte FM (in German). December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
3. Kellman, Andy (December 9, 2022). "SOS Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
4. Hussain, Shahzaib (December 9, 2022). "SZA - SOS". Clash. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
5. ^ "SZA 'Kill Bill' lyrics meaning explained". Capital Xtra. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
6. Xie, Teresa (December 13, 2022). "SZA, 'Kill Bill'". NPR. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
7. Beamer, Amelia (December 9, 2022). "Sounds from SZA: What is Kill Bill about? SZA lyrics explained". The U.S. Sun. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
8. ^ Pollacco, Laura (December 9, 2022). "A Quentin Tarantino classic gains new life thanks to SZA's new album". We Got This Covered. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
9. Guy, Zoe (December 9, 2022). "Everything SZA References on SOS (Including Herself)". Vulture. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
10. Wang, Steffanee (December 9, 2022). "SZA's SOS in 5 essential songs". Nylon. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
11. Escobedo Shepherd, Julianne (December 9, 2022). "SZA: SOS Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
12. Pareles, Jon (December 13, 2022). "SZA Revels in Mixed Emotions on 'SOS'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
13. Zellner, Xander (December 20, 2022). "SZA Debuts 20 Songs from SOS on Hot 100, Rules Artist 100 for First Time". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
14. Trust, Gary (December 19, 2022). "Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' Scores Milestone 10th Week at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
15. Anderson, Trevor (December 22, 2022). "SZA's 'Kill Bill' Fills No. 1 Spot on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
16. Rutherford, Kevin (December 22, 2022). "SZA Scores Her First Streaming Songs No. 1 with 'Kill Bill'". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
17. Trust, Gary; Trust, Gary (December 19, 2022). "Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' Continues Atop Billboard Global Charts". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
18. Brandle, Lars (December 16, 2022). "Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' Is No. 1 in Australia". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
19. ^ "SZA Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
20. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
21. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
22. ^ "RIAS Top Charts Week 50 (9 - 15 Dec 2022)". RIAS. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
23. Brayden, Kate (December 19, 2022). "Irish Album Charts: Dermot Kennedy's Sonder Holds Off SZA's SOS for No.1". Hot Press. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
24. Griffiths, George (December 16, 2022). "Whamageddon! Last Christmas Returns to Number 1 in the UK". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
25. ^ "2022 51-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
26. ^ "The Official Mena Chart - This Week's Official MENA Chart Top 20 from 09/12/2022 to 15/12/2022". theofficialmenachart.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. December 20, 2022. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
27. ^ "Singel 2022 uke 51". VG-lista. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
28. ^ "SZA – Kill Bill". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
29. ^ "IFPI Charts". www.ifpi.gr. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
30. "Top Singles (Week 50, 2022)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
31. "SZA Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
32. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
33. "SZA Chart History (Malaysia Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
34. "SZA – Kill Bill" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
35. "SZA Chart History (Philippines Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
36. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 51". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
37. "SZA – Kill Bill". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
38. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
39. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
40. "SZA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
41. "SZA Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
42. "SZA Chart History (Billboard Vietnam Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2022.

• 2022 songs
• Number-one singles in New Zealand
• Songs written by SZA
• SZA songs