Songfacts®:

• "Another Life" finds SZA musing on the maddening "what-ifs" of love, where timing and circumstances are as uncooperative as a stubborn jar lid. There's a tender futility in her lyrics as she tries to soothe herself with the idea that, perhaps in another timeline, their souls might have communicated more fluently. She wishes for an alternate reality where love could bloom unencumbered by the messiness of the present.
• SZA recorded "Another Life" for Lana, the deluxe edition of her SOS album. Several songs on both SOS and its deluxe sibling appear to detail the same breakup or explore similar themes of heartbreak and toxic relationships.
  
  Here are some SOS songs that address different stages of a breakup:
  "Kill Bill" expresses anger and revenge fantasies.
  "Nobody Gets Me" reflects on the lost connection.
  "Blind" explores self-reflection and the roles both partners played.
  "I Hate U" conveys anger and resentment towards an ex.
  "Good Days" represents moving on and healing.
  
  The deluxe edition Lana continues these themes:
  "Drive" wrestles with the emptiness of success when your heart's been left on the roadside.
  "Diamond Boy (DTM)" lays bare the vulnerability that comes with attraction.
  "Kitchen" revisits the push-and-pull of toxic intimacy.
  
  Together, these tracks form a heartbreak buffet: a little anger here, a little wistfulness there, with some self-recrimination and healing sprinkled on top.
• While SZA is notoriously tight-lipped about the autobiographical roots of her songs, there are some breadcrumbs for curious fans. Case in point: her 11-year relationship with Scott Sasso, the founder of fashion brand 10.Deep, which ended in 2019 after a five-year engagement. This long romance - and its eventual demise - seems to cast a shadow over much of SOS.
  
  In a September 2024 appearance on Hot Ones, SZA stated, "I'm going through a breakup, it's hot as f--k."
  
  SZA has been open about the emotional toll of her breakups. During a concert in Portland in March 2023, she referenced writing songs about an ex who lived in the city, saying, "He's not here 'cause I'm blocked on everything."
• Michael Uzowuru and Dylan Wiggins (aka Sir Dylan) produced "Another Life."
  
  Michael Uzowuru has lent his talents to Frank Ocean ("Nights," "Chanel"), Beyoncé ("Brown Skin Girl") and Halsey ("The End," "Lucky") He's also dabbled in film, scoring Donald Glover's Guava Island and the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming.
  
  Sir Dylan has balanced music and TV, contributing to songs for the likes of Rosalía ("Hentai," "Despechá") and Kali Uchis ("I Wish You Roses," "Igual Que Un Ángel") and the TV series Lovecraft Country and Insecure.