"Diamond Boy (DTM)" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from Lana (2024), the reissue of her second studio album SOS (2022). It is an R&B love song, with an instrumental backed by guitar plucks, drums, keyboards, and a sub-bass bassline. The song is about the narrator's passionate devotion to a lover, whom she compares to a shiny diamond. Sensual in tone, she invites him to be physically intimate, and she asks him if she is "doing too much".[1] SZA's vocals are soft for most of the song; in the last verse, she raps.

"Diamond Boy (DTM)" is the fourth track of Lana, released on December 20, 2024. The song peaked at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Over a year before its release, it was previewed in the outro for the music video of the single "Snooze". A few critics wrote positively about the song in reviews of Lana, praising it for its production and the lyrics' relatability. SZA performed "Diamond Boy (DTM)" multiple times before its official release, mainly during certain concerts of the SOS Tour (2023–2024).

Background

SZA first announced a deluxe edition of her second studio album, SOS (2022), on social media upon the album's release.[2] She continued to reveal more details in 2023; in August, she told Variety that its tracklist would consist of scrapped songs alongside post-album tracks.[3] She also announced that the deluxe edition had expanded into a bigger project akin to a "whole 'nother" album. SZA named it Lana.[4]

The music video for the sixth SOS single, "Snooze", premiered in August 2023.[5] SZA teased the video a few weeks prior, posting two behind-the-scenes clips on social media that included some unreleased music.[6] A snippet of the same song appeared again in the video's outro,[7] which continued SZA's tradition of previewing upcoming music at the end of music videos.[8]

Following the premiere, fans and publications began calling the unreleased song "OD" and "Diamond Boy".[9][10] When SZA went on an interview with Rolling Stone some days later, she revealed that its official title was "DTM". In the interview, she said the song would appear on Lana.[11] During the wait for the reissue, unofficial versions of the full song were uploaded and circulated on YouTube.[12]

Music and lyrics

SZA continued to make music after the release of SOS, collaborating with producers such as Carter Lang on Lana during occasional bursts of creativity.[1] Work on "Diamond Boy (DTM)" began in mid-2023, around when she shared a preview of it on Instagram.[1] The song's first demo was stripped-down; it featured guitars, a bassline, soft vocals, and a rap freestyle.[13] After SZA recorded the demo, she sent it to Lang, who added drums[13][14] and keyboards[15] to the song. While working on the production, he aimed to create a call-and-response effect between SZA and the music.[13][14] Other producers who helped with the song were Tyran Donaldson, ThankGod4Cody, Declan Miers, Solomonophonic, and Michael Uzowuru.[16] The song was finished around August, about a week after its first teaser.[1]

"Diamond Boy (DTM)" is an R&B song with a sprawling instrumental.[17] The final product retains the instruments, like the plucked guitars, that were on its original demo.[12][18] There are, however, some deviations from it and the YouTube uploads.[12] As for the bassline, its sound reaches sub-bass levels of frequency.[17] In a Vulture review, Craig Jenkins wrote that music-wise, "Diamond Boy (DTM)" is reminiscent of several love songs from a "bygone" era.[19] SZA's rapping happens near the end of the song, specifically in a verse where a filter audio effect has been applied.[17]

"Diamond Boy (DTM)" is a love song. In her Rolling Stone interview, SZA said that it was the first love song she could remember writing about someone she "actively liked", which she did during the "thick of the romance".[13] The lyrics are seductive and sensual in nature.[18][20] She compares the subject of the song to a diamond, calling him shiny.[21] Intensely devoted to her love interest, she invites him to be physically intimate,[18] all the while trying to control her racing thoughts.[17] Two lines read: "You make my thoughts stop / You make being me less hard."[20] The narrator, who also asks the subject to be communicative should their relationship happen,[18] sings: "Am I doing too much?" The line is where the song title's initialism "DTM" is derived.[1][22] Her requests, however, are not fully acknowledged. In a track-by-track ranking for Billboard, Mackenzie Cummings-Grady wrote that the boy "seems unable to check all three boxes [be intimate, empathetic, and communicative], and instead fulfills one need at the expense of the others."[18]

Release

"Diamond Boy (DTM)" was going to be released as part of a single bundle for "Snooze".[1] When an acoustic version of "Snooze" was recorded and released in September, the release of "Diamond Boy (DTM)", meant to be Lana's lead single, was postponed.[11][13] In mid-March 2024, SZA teased another unreleased song from Lana via her Instagram account, posting a video of her in undergarments as she poses in front of a camping tent and sings the lyrics. In the comments, one fan asked about where "Diamond Boy (DTM)" was. SZA replied: "on the deluxe I'm bout to drop".[23][24]

"Diamond Boy (DTM)" is the fourth track of Lana, released on December 20, 2024.[25] It peaked at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart,[26] and it debuted at its peak of number 9 of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[27] Elsewhere, it reached peaks of number 80 in Canada[28] and 146 on the Billboard Global 200.[29] Before the song's release, SZA debuted it live during an exclusive concert at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which was held in celebration of SOS's success.[10] She also included "Diamond Boy (DTM)" on set lists for some shows on the SOS Tour.[30][31] Her performance of the song at Brooklyn's Barclays Center was featured on a video series on Apple TV+ that premiered on February 1, 2024.[22][21]

A few critics praised "Diamond Boy (DTM)" in their reviews of Lana. They wrote positively about its portrayal of dating and falling in love, deeming SZA's expression of her emotions relatable.[18][20] Cummings-Grady, who ranked "Diamond Boy (DTM)" as Lana's eighth-best song among its fifteen tracks, said: "[it] flexes SZA’s well-known ability to turn uncomfortable human experiences into compelling R&B ballads".[18] Apart from the lyrics, Gabriel Bras Nevares of HotNewHipHop wrote the song was well-executed because of its catchiness and mellifluous sound. In his view, the composition made it as good as similar tracks from the standard SOS edition.[20] Also reviewing for HotNewHipHop, Zachary Horvath praised the sensual atmosphere that the song's guitar sounds provided. He further wrote that the instrument complemented SZA's passionate lyrics well.[12]

Credits

Adapted from Tidal[16]

  • Solána Rowe (SZA) – songwriting
  • Tyran Donaldson (Scum) – songwriting, production
  • Cody Fayne (ThankGod4Cody) – songwriting, production
  • Carter Lang – songwriting, production
  • Declan Miers – songwriting, production
  • Jared Solomon (Solomonophonic) – songwriting, production
  • Michael Uzowuru – songwriting, production, arrangement, programming
  • Gibi Dos Santos – percussion
  • Johnny May – strings
  • Hector Castro – engineering, mixing
  • Sean Matsukawa – engineering
  • Tyler Page – engineering
  • Tommy Turner – engineering
  • Conner McFarland – assistant engineering
  • Hayden Duncan – assistant engineering
  • Jonathan Lopez Garcia – assistant engineering
  • Caleb Laven – mixing
  • Jon Castelli – mixing
  • Dale Becker – mastering
  • Adam Burt – assistant mastering
  • Noah McCorkle – assistant mastering

Charts

Chart performance for "Diamond Boy (DTM)"
Chart (2024–2025) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[28] 80
Global 200 (Billboard)[29] 146
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[32] 39
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 60
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[27] 9

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Conteh, Mankaprr (October 3, 2023). "What's Behind SZA's Biggest Year Yet? Work, Wonder, and 'Weird Shit'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Calfee, Joel (December 11, 2023). "SZA Teases New Music with Mysterious Farm Photos on Instagram". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  3. ^ Aswad, Jem (December 20, 2024). "The Long Road to Lana: Why SZA Took Two Years to Drop the SOS Deluxe Album". Variety. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  4. ^ Aswad, Jem (March 27, 2024). "SZA to Release Leaked Songs as Deluxe Edition of SOS, Will Remake Delayed Lana LP 'From Scratch'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  5. ^ Mamo, Heran (December 11, 2023). "What SZA's Long-Awaited Return Taught Us About the Future of R&B". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Geraghty, Hollie (August 13, 2023). "SZA Teases Unreleased Song in 'Snooze' Music Video Preview". NME. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  7. ^ Bell, Sadie (August 25, 2023). "SZA Falls in and Out of Love with Justin Bieber in the Dreamy 'Snooze' Music Video". People. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Wilkes, Emma (August 25, 2023). "Watch Justin Bieber Appear in SZA's Music Video for 'Snooze'". NME. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (September 11, 2023). "SZA Reveals Forthcoming Deluxe Edition of Her Album, SOS, Is Called Lana". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (December 11, 2023). "SZA's New Album Lana: Everything We Know So Far". Variety. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Helfand, Raphael (October 3, 2023). "SZA Cancelled Her VMAs Performance After Artist of the Year Snub, Manager Says". The Fader. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d Horvath, Zachary (December 22, 2024). "SZA Has Found Her 'Diamond Boy' on New Lana Cut". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e Abraham, Mya (October 3, 2023). "SZA Compares Upcoming Deluxe Album Lana to Lil Uzi Vert's LUV vs. the World 2". Vibe. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Meara, Paul (October 4, 2023). "SZA Compares Her Lana Deluxe Album to Lil Uzi Vert's LUV vs. the World 2". BET. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  15. ^ Galindo, Thomas (August 25, 2023). "Justin Bieber Appears in SZA's New 'Snooze' Music Video". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on November 21, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "SOS Deluxe: Lana: SZA: Credits". Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records. February 9, 2025. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025 – via Tidal.
  17. ^ a b c d D'Souza, Shaad (January 6, 2025). "SZA: SOS Deluxe: Lana". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (December 20, 2024). "SZA's SOS Deluxe Lana: All 15 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  19. ^ Jenkins, Craig (January 7, 2025). "Must We Demand This Much Music from Artists?". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 28, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d Nevares, Gabriel Bras (December 24, 2024). "SZA SOS Deluxe: Lana Review". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  21. ^ a b Rigotti, Alex (February 3, 2024). "Watch SZA Perform Unreleased Song 'DTM' for Apple Live". NME. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Hawkins, Ruth (February 3, 2024). "SZA Shares Unreleased Track During Grammy Week Performance". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  23. ^ Gonzalez, Alex (March 13, 2024). "SZA Sings About 'Community D*ck' on a New Snippet Teasing Lana, Which Is 'Bout to Drop'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on December 21, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  24. ^ Blake, Cole (March 13, 2024). "SZA Says Lana Is ''Bout to Drop,' While Teasing New Song". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  25. ^ Kaufman, Anna (December 20, 2024). "SZA Drops Lana After Hourslong Delay: 'We Been Up for Days'". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
  26. ^ a b "SZA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  27. ^ a b "SZA Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "SZA Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  29. ^ a b "SZA Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  30. ^ Roa, Ray (September 23, 2023). "At Sold-Out Tampa Show, SZA Brings Healing, and Happiness, to Amalie Arena". Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  31. ^ Olivier, Bobby (October 2, 2023). "SZA N.J. Concert Review: Inside the Huge SOS Tour Homecoming for Jersey's Hottest Star". NJ.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  32. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DTM_(song)
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