Grammy winner SZA is no stranger to being open about her health – specifically her mental health.
In 2021, the R&B singer revealed she has “debilitating apprehension” about leaving the house after attending the Billboard Music Awards.
The following year, as a guest on the 100th episode of Community Voices, SZA admitted it’s “hard not to fall into that weird hole of self-loathing.
She said it’s especially hard when fans’ negative comments align with feelings one might have about oneself.
Following her final SOS Tour stop in Montreal in 2024, she tweeted, “Yesterday was my last show for a while. Finally bout to get my life together thank [you] God.”
Now the “Nobody Gets Me” singer has made a new discovery that has given her more insight into herself.
SZA Explains How She Had to Accept Losing What Could Have Been Her Biggest Song to Rihanna
On July 5, the “Good Days” singer chose to be open and candid, revealing that she has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism.
The news was shared in screenshots from her private alternative Instagram account, @notmusicatalliswear.
SZA posted a snapshot of a medical document that included a summary of her diagnosis and her legal name, Solana Rowe.
It said, “Solana Rowe is [redacted] woman, who presents with a history, patterning of scores, and behaviors on examination that are quite consistent with Autism Spectrum disorder. Solana has a qualitative impairment in reciprocal social interaction, as both self-reported and observed by this examiner.”
The document continued saying that SZA has “sensory defensiveness” and is sensitive to “clothing, sound, taste, and touch.”
“Cognitively, Solana is functioning in the superior range in fluid reasoning,” read the post. “She is also in the gifted range linguistically. She is a quite articulate woman.”
The report also acknowledged that SZA developed coping strategies for social settings and a “severe degree of anxiety,” but still has “many personal gifts.”
The singer, who appeared to be pleased with her results, wrote in the comments, “Finally took the time n got formally diagnosed.”
The first lady of Top Dawg Entertainment said she has high-functioning autism, formerly known as Asperger’s.
SZA suggested it might explain her strong pattern recognition and tendency to dig deeply into issues.
“Smarter than [you] n—s so stop playing in my face cause pattern recognition told me and I WILL get to the bottom of it thanks,” the vocalist shared.
She added that the diagnosis also helped her understand why she reacts so strongly to artificial intelligence and frequently jumps into online comment sections.
“Pretty sure this is why I’m taking AI so personally btw lol. And also why I’m in every comment section,” SZA concluded.
One supportive fan on Instagram responded, “It was obvious so I’m not shocked by this at all. Love her though! She is so real for this. Now she can inspire other people.”
Another person wrote, “It all makes sense now lol.”
But other fans who were skeptical about SZA’s past said, “She lie so much I need to a doctor to break HIPPA laws to confirm this.” Someone else noted, “Asperger’s isn’t even used as a diagnosis anymore.”
SZA developed a reputation for lying after fans caught her fibbing in several instances.
As an emerging artist, SZA had freckles on her face and once claimed they were real until they suddenly vanished.
A 2021 tweet also drew confusion in recent years. SZA claimed she “never owned a television” and asked her fan base for the best brand.
Fans responded by sharing pictures of her posing with a TV in the background to prove her dishonesty.
Still that doesn’t take away from the genius of her music that fans love.
SZA has built her career on deeply personal songs about love, heartbreak, insecurity, self-discovery, and mental health.
Her music often explores the messy realities of relationships, overthinking, vulnerability, and healing, themes that have resonated with millions of fans.
The Grammy-winning singer has topped the charts with No.1 albums like “Ctrl” and “SOS,” which produced hits including “Kill Bill,” “Snooze,” and “Saturn.”
SZA won Record of the Year and Best Melodic Rap Performance for her collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on the track “Luther” after a successful joint tour.
