R&B singer SZA, whose new album 'Ctrl' is out now. (Photo: Courtesy of RCA Records)

Summer is winding down, but SZA season is just heating up.

After three years of toiling away on new music — with pit stops co-writing Nicki Minaj's Feelin' Myself and Rihanna's Consideration, on which she guested — SZA released her long-awaited debut, Ctrl, in June. The critically acclaimed effort bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with 315,000 album equivalent units sold, according to Nielsen Music, setting into motion a whirlwind past couple of months for the instantly relatable R&B chanteuse.

"The transition is funky," says Solána Rowe, 26, whose stage name contains letters from the Supreme Alphabet. "I'm a creature of habit and this is just way out of my habit, but it's cool."

USA TODAY caught up with the breakout star about her monumental summer.

Over the moon. This Sunday, SZA will compete at the MTV Video Music Awards for best new artist, where she's nominated alongside Noah Cyrus and Khalid. She learned of her nom when her friend texted her a screenshot of the news. "I was like, 'Shut the (expletive) up, this is not real. I need to go to a real website,' " SZA says. "I just couldn't believe it. I had to tell everybody at the same time, so I just told Twitter."

She'll be there with her Top Dawg Entertainment label mate and frequent collaborator Kendrick Lamar, whose Humble is up for eight Moon Person awards including video of the year. But he doesn't need her to cheer him on: "Kendrick is going to sweep regardless. That man needs no rooting — he will snatch all wigs, all the time."

Josie Grossie IRL. In late June, SZA released the music video for lyrical Ctrl standout Drew Barrymore, which features a cameo from the actress. SZA wrote Barrymore a "long, dramatic letter" about "how all her movies shaped me," from E.T. the Extra Terrestrial to Poison Ivy to Never Been Kissed. She detailed how Barrymore's character in the latter, nicknamed Josie Grossie, "made me feel better about being awkward and having crooked teeth and just being myself." Her manager never actually sent Barrymore the letter, but reached out to her team regardless.

SZA decided to name the song after the Santa Clarita Diet star because it's "about being at that (crappy) house party and seeing girls who have very nice hair and new clothes and sweep the guys you wish were compatible with off their feet. I started thinking about every movie that you see Drew in, all her roles are this amazing, kind girl who is misunderstood, but just wants to be loved."

Friendship goals. SZA's next video features another admirer behind the camera. She recently shot a video for Ctrl cut The Weekend, which was directed by Solange Knowles. Although the singer won't spill details about its exact concept, she says it features 10 different locations and looks. SZA first met Solange a year ago and has talked about collaborating ever since. "I love her," SZA says. "I think the universe is just bringing us closer to each other. That's my homegirl."

Hits galore. Earlier this summer, Solange went viral when she posted an Instagram story of her singing SZA's Love Galore, which features rapper Travis Scott and hit No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart this past week (her highest-charting song ever). The alluring confessional is inspired by "a culmination of experiences, but there's definitely one in particular that I'm always like, 'Ugh, you suck. You made this difficult for me' — but he knows who he is," she says.

Despite the track's popularity, "even it playing in the dollar store is still very unexpected to me." Before now, "I've never heard my music (outside the studio), so when it's on the radio, I'm like, 'Are you sure?' "

Small-screen star. SZA's music can also be heard in HBO's Insecure, which featured her emotionally raw ballad Supermodel earlier this season, as Issa (series creator Issa Rae) compares herself to an ex's new girlfriend. "Insecure (has been) my favorite show on television, way before they ever included me," SZA says. "It's the coolest thing to happen to me. I love when things that I'm involved in really matter, and when people like me back and don't just think I'm corny." She cried watching the episode "because I felt like I was reliving the entire situation. It's like (Rae) made a music video for me."

Supermodel was on this week’s episode of HBO’s Insecure! Thank u for bringing color and dimension to a feeling I couldn't illustrate ❤ — SZA (@sza) July 31, 2017

SZA was also name-dropped this season when Issa's friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) turned down tickets to her concert. So could a guest spot be in the cards? "That would be an eff-ing honor," SZA says. "I don't know what I'd want to do, but I definitely don't want to play myself!"

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2017/08/25/sza-summer-breakout-star-ctrl-love-galore/596928001/