I wish I didn’t headline Glastonbury – I felt like I was drowning on stage, says SZA after her set was slammed
SINGER SZA has admitted she wished she didn’t headline Glastonbury Festival after being left “freaked out” on stage.
The Kill Bill singer joined Coldplay and Dua Lipa in headlining the three-day event, appearing on the iconic Pyramid Stage in June.
However, her performance didn’t have the best turnout and was dogged with technical difficulties, causing fans to abandon the set as they struggled to hear her for over half an hour.
Football fans also ditched the music in order to watch England in the Euros quarter final.
Others later trolled her for taking a headlining slot given her relative popularity in the UK compared to her counterparts.
Speaking to British Vogue about the entire experience, SZA – real name Solána Imani Rowe – said: “I just felt like nothing I could do would be enough for Glastonbury, no matter what I did.”
“It scared me. I was like, well, I wish I wasn’t doing it, but I couldn’t walk away from it.”
She also said she felt pressure as one of two Black solo women to ever headline – following Beyoncé in 2011.
“It’s such a tall order,” she added. “It’s like, no matter what you do here, you will be subject to criticism because of who you are.
“But that’s life. That’s life, you know?”
Once on the stage, SZA said she felt like she was “drowning”, struggling to see audience members from the stage to connect with.
SZA wasn’t the only star to be hit with problems on the main stage, with Dua Lipa also falling into trouble during her Friday night performance.
Paloma Faith, who took to the iconic stage before SZA on Sunday, later backed her up, accusing Glasto commentators of targeting female performers.
Writing on X, she said: “The way people criticise the women who performed a @glastonbury online is absolutely appalling.
“Women are not on stage to be ridiculed and shamed we are there in all our female boss b***h power and we stand by one another … Give women a goddamn break!”