Music
SZA’s Triumphant Moment, How the Songwriters Hall Of Fame Award Validated Her Journey
SZA’s Triumphant Moment, How the Songwriters Hall Of Fame Award Validated Her Journey
SZA has shared how winning the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame has validated her entire career. At the 2024 Induction and Awards Gala, she expressed her gratitude and reflected on her journey.
“As an artist, I’ve been a lot of different people. I’ve been 200 pounds; I’ve been 130 pounds. I’ve been someone who doesn’t dance at all on stage to someone who is dancing and trying their best and I think, ‘Oh man, I struggle with the artist thing,’ but writing was where I felt like a person, and I had value and showed that I was smart. It was beyond ‘Am I pretty? Am I liked?’ and that meant everything to me. It made me feel like a person that was doing something worth something. Basically, receiving this award validates my entire career… Thank you for seeing me,” she said.
The Hal David Starlight Award has been awarded to numerous iconic artists, including John Legend, Ne-Yo, Drake, Lil Nas X, and Post Malone. “This is such an exciting time for songwriters and music. Phenomenal artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are pushing the envelope of what success looks like but who could argue that the last two years belong to SZA,” SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers said. “Incredible songwriting, incredible performances, incredible artistry. She so deserves to be the 2024 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award!”
In other news, SZA is working on the highly anticipated deluxe version of her album SOS, titled LANA. Despite numerous delays due to leaks, fans can expect updates soon. Stay tuned with Honk Magazine for the latest on SZA.
Artist Spotlight
Makk $aucy explores feminine power and emotional connection in “Agressive Woman”
Women are powerful to the people around them, and Makk $aucy explores that dynamic in his new single, “Aggressive Woman.” In this release, Makk $aucy dives into how our personal habits and views are shaped by our relationships and emotional ties, rather than just skimming the surface.
“Aggressive Woman” comes from a relaxed, flowing creative process, captured at Grill Studios in Emeryville, California. You can feel that vibe throughout the track, letting the performance speak real emotion without sounding forced. Much of the vibe comes from Makk $aucy’s vocal delivery, which matches the recording’s chill atmosphere.
Beyond the theme, the release also showcases Makk $aucy’s talents as an artist and producer. He lists R&B, hip-hop, and rap as influences and is still trying to find a musical direction that doesn’t confine him to one genre. His production work is central to this identity, reflecting his desire to shape the whole listening experience, not just his vocal performance.
“Agressive Woman” is another chapter in what Makk $aucy calls the “Makk $aucy Experience,” a larger musical journey based on experimentation and creative findings. It celebrates female power and spotlights an artist who continues to push the limits of his production and genre-bending approach.
Artist Spotlight
C’batch explores love, irony, and poor decisions in “If There Was Ever a Fool (One of a Cast of Many) 1”
“If There Was Ever a Fool (One of a Cast of Many) 1” by C’batch is a classic rock release that explores that complicated side of relationships. Based on a friend’s real-life relationship, the song explores love, bad judgment, and the emotional repercussions from a dark, ironic, and sometimes humorous perspective.
What’s interesting about the release is that it spans different eras, musically and lyrically. C’Batch first recorded the guitar improvisation in 2012, and the words came years later, after the relationship that inspired them was over. He kept the two apart until 2026, when he finally merged them. The unusual creative chronology links an early musical idea to a later observation of human behavior.
The track is steeped in classic rock and soul rock and showcases C’batch’s experience as a guitarist, composer, and producer. To truly appreciate this release, one must understand the creative process behind it, a process that has been touched by a musical history spanning four decades. He returns to an old guitar composition and gives it a new purpose in the telling.
The song is about how people can get so wrapped up in love that they ignore shady decisions and only see the consequences afterward. “If There Was Ever a Fool (One of a Cast of Many) 1” is an interesting intersection of past inspiration and present outlook. It also shows how an unfinished musical idea can be born years later.
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