SZA, 31, has revealed that she turned down a photoshoot after the magazine has allegedly declined her request to hire a Black photographer.
“I requested a black photographer for a cover n the mag told me, no lol it’s 2021.. and almost Juneteenth,” the singer tweeted. “Respectfully I can’t do it.”
The tweet has been liked more than 97,000 times since it was posted on Tuesday and has triggered angry reactions among fans, with most of them requesting that SZA name the publication she was talking about.
SZA, who is not interested in revealing the publication, responded to the follow-up tweet by saying: “Das not my vibe but there’s TOO many elite black creatives rn to not allow it.”
While in a separate tweet, SZA took the opportunity to acknowledge three other publications, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, and Wonderland for using Black photographers for their latest cover shoots.
“S/o @RollingStone @Cosmopolitan and @wonderlandmag btw for all using black photogs in our recent covers, gotta celebrate when it’s RIGHT too!” she tweeted.
Many of her followers have admired the singer for taking a stand, whilst the official Twitter account for Black Women Photographers has tweeted, “It’s 2021!”, encouraging SZA to “Hit them with our directory”.
“Keep up the fight,” CJ Farley, author, and journalist has tweeted. “When I was an editor at Time magazine and I wrote a cover story on Lauryn Hill in 1999, I made sure to insist we get the best photographer to shoot her–Kwaku Alston. The result was worth the struggle.”
A day after, SZA made a comment on an Instagram post shared by The Shade Room regarding the same issue.
“It’s not deep I jus like the way my ppl SEE me. I love how we magnify us through our own unique gaze. Its artful and magical. Jus Not into fitting “the white gaze” rn. Love and Respect” the singer said noting why this had been so important to her.
Sza’s comment has been liked 110,000 times by supporters.
The demand for more Black photographers at leading publications has been a big subject in recent years.
In 2018, Tyler Mitchell made Vogue history after becoming the very first Black photographer to shoot the iconic fashion magazine’s cover.