Open Arms (SZA song)

SZA released her debut studio album, Ctrl, in 2017. Primarily an R&B album that deals with themes like heartbreak, it received widespread acclaim for SZA's vocals and the eclectic musical style, as well as the emotional impact and confessional nature of the songwriting. The album brought SZA to mainstream fame, and critics credit it with establishing her status as a major figure in contemporary pop and R&B music and pushing the boundaries of the R&B genre.{{NoteTag|Cited to Vulture,{{Cite web |last=Curto |first=Justin |date=December 9, 2022 |title=SZA Finally Unleashed Her Inner Rock Star |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-f2f-song-review-sos-rock.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221234455/https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-f2f-song-review-sos-rock.html |archive-date=December 21, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}} The Recording Academy,{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Ashlee |date=December 13, 2022 |title=5 Takeaways from SZA's New Album SOS |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/5-takeaways-sza-sos-new-album-shirt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221230065436/https://www.grammy.com/news/5-takeaways-sza-sos-new-album-shirt |archive-date=December 30, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=The Recording Academy |publisher=}} The Line of Best Fit,{{Cite web |first=Ims |last=Taylor |date=December 9, 2022 |title=SZA Hits the Heights on the Dense but Masterful SOS |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/sza-sos-hits-the-heights |access-date=January 2, 2023 |website=The Line of Best Fit |archive-date=December 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219174402/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/sza-sos-hits-the-heights |url-status=live |language=en-US}} NME,{{Cite web |last=Daly |first=Rhian |date=December 9, 2022 |title=SZA – SOS Review: A Comeback Album Well Worth the Wait |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/reviews/album/sza-sos-album-review-3363708 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227143429/https://www.nme.com/en_au/reviews/album/sza-sos-album-review-3363708 |archive-date=December 27, 2022 |access-date=December 27, 2022 |website=NME |language=en-AU}} The Daily Telegraph,{{Cite news |last1=McCormick |first1=Neil |author-link=Neil McCormick |last2=Haider |first2=Arwa |last3=Johnston |first3=Kathleen |date=December 9, 2022 |title=Sam Ryder Is No One-Hit Wonder, SZA Channels Princess Diana – The Week's Best Albums |language=en-GB |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/best-albums-week-sam-ryder-sza-nina-hagen/ |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=December 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217123137/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/best-albums-week-sam-ryder-sza-nina-hagen/ |archive-date=December 17, 2022}} The New Yorker,{{Cite magazine |first=Sheldon |last=Pearce |title=SZA: Ctrl (Deluxe) |url=https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/night-life/sza-ctrl-deluxe |access-date=January 2, 2023 |magazine=The New Yorker |archive-date=January 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102034854/https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/night-life/sza-ctrl-deluxe |url-status=live |language=en}} and Consequence.{{Cite web |last=Siregar |first=Cady |date=December 9, 2022 |title=On SOS, SZA Once Again Blows Expectations Out of the Water |url=https://consequence.net/2022/12/sos-album-review-sza/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229034437/https://consequence.net/2022/12/sos-album-review-sza/2/ |archive-date=December 29, 2022 |access-date=January 2, 2023 |website=Consequence |language=en-US}}}} Her next studio album was therefore highly anticipated,{{Cite magazine |last1=Lee |first1=Cydney |last2=Lipshutz |first2=Jason |last3=Mamo |first3=Heran |last4=Robinson |first4=Kristin |last5=Unterberger |first5=Andrew |date=January 4, 2023 |title=Five Burning Questions: SZA Holds at No. 1 for Third Week with SOS Album |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/sza-sos-five-burning-questions-1235194018/ |url-status=live |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105121108/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/sza-sos-five-burning-questions-1235194018/ |archive-date=January 5, 2023 |access-date=January 5, 2023}}{{Cite web |last=Kornhaber |first=Spencer |date=December 14, 2022 |title=What Gives SZA Her Edge |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/12/sza-sos-2022-album-review/672462/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226021827/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/12/sza-sos-2022-album-review/672462/ |archive-date=December 26, 2022 |access-date=December 30, 2022 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}} and she alluded to its completion as early as August 2019{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Ellie |date=June 7, 2021 |title=SZA Reveals She 'Burst Into Tears' During a Rehearsal of '20 Something' |url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/sza-reveals-she-burst-into-tears-during-a-rehearsal-of-20-something-2962520 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228181636/https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/sza-reveals-she-burst-into-tears-during-a-rehearsal-of-20-something-2962520 |archive-date=December 28, 2022 |access-date=December 28, 2022 |website=NME |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Alston |first=Trey |date=January 3, 2020 |title=SZA Is Dropping a New Album This Year but When Is Beyond Her Ctrl |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/czsw6b/sza-releasing-new-album-in-2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221230070311/https://www.mtv.com/news/czsw6b/sza-releasing-new-album-in-2020 |archive-date=December 30, 2022 |access-date=December 30, 2022 |website=MTV News |language=en}} during an interview with DJ Kerwin Frost.{{Cite web |last=Reese |first=Alexis |date=August 20, 2019 |title=SZA Reveals Sophomore Album Is On the Way |url=https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/sza-sophomore-album-on-the-way-661298/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520143032/https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/sza-sophomore-album-on-the-way-661298/ |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |access-date=April 2, 2023 |website=Vibe |language=en-US}}

From April to May 2022, SZA told media outlets that she had recently finished the album in Hawaii and said that it was coming soon.{{cite web |last=Kenneally |first=Cerys |date=April 4, 2022 |title=SZA Says New Album Is 'Finished' and Describes It as Her 'Most Unisex' Project Yet |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/sza-says-new-album-is-finished-describes-it-as-her-most-unisex-project-yet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209000759/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/sza-says-new-album-is-finished-describes-it-as-her-most-unisex-project-yet |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |access-date=November 17, 2022 |website=The Line of Best Fit}} For the album, named SOS (2022), she sought to prove her musical versatility and combine her "traditional" R&B sound that had been a staple of her past works{{Cite web |last=Phan |first=Karena |date=December 9, 2022 |title=Review: SZA's Perfection Takes Time in Second Album SOS |url=https://apnews.com/article/travis-scott-entertainment-reviews-hip-hop-and-rap-623ad8d680b71cc142b06c9b00fd8bf1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228133656/https://apnews.com/article/travis-scott-entertainment-reviews-hip-hop-and-rap-623ad8d680b71cc142b06c9b00fd8bf1 |archive-date=December 28, 2022 |access-date=February 5, 2023 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=McNeal |first=Bria |date=December 9, 2022 |title=SZA's SOS Is Unpolished—and Completely Thrilling |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a42201068/sza-sos-album-review-details/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221211131456/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a42201068/sza-sos-album-review-details/ |archive-date=December 11, 2022 |access-date=February 10, 2023 |website=Esquire |language=en-us}} with "a little bit of everything", exploring a diverse set of other genres and soundscapes such as stripped-back, acoustic music{{Cite web |last=Wang |first=Steffanee |date=December 10, 2022 |title=SZA's SOS in 5 Essential Songs |url=https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/best-songs-sza-sos-album-phoebe-bridgers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215093619/https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/best-songs-sza-sos-album-phoebe-bridgers |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=Nylon |language=en}} that makes use of guitars.

During the build-up to the album's release, SZA compiled a list of possible collaborators and reached out to them through private messages. The roster ranged from Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and Olivia Rodrigo; to Doja Cat, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar.{{Cite web |last=Shutler |first=Ali |date=December 17, 2022 |title=SZA's SOS Could Have Featured Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and More |url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/szas-sos-could-have-featured-harry-styles-billie-eilish-and-more-3368442 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=NME |language=en |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206041426/https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/szas-sos-could-have-featured-harry-styles-billie-eilish-and-more-3368442 |url-status=live }} Of the several artists she contacted for the album, only three people sent their verses: Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, and Travis Scott.{{Cite magazine |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=December 7, 2022 |title=SZA Says New Album S.O.S. Almost Featured More Artist Collaborations — But They Ghosted Her |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-sos-collaborators-phoebe-bridgers-travis-scott-1234643104/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=February 8, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208144738/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-sos-collaborators-phoebe-bridgers-travis-scott-1234643104/ }} Toliver and Bridgers appear in the tracks "Used" and "Ghost in the Machine" respectively, while Scott appears in "Low" as a background vocalist and "Open Arms" as a featured artist.{{Cite web |last=Guy |first=Zoe |date=December 9, 2022 |title=SZA Blesses Us with SOS This Holiday Season |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-new-album-sos.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108091659/https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-new-album-sos.html |archive-date=January 8, 2023 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}

SZA and Scott had collaborated three times beforehand. The two worked on Scott's song "Ok Alright" from Rodeo (2015),{{Cite web |last=Hopper |first=Alex |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Top 10 SZA Songs |url=https://americansongwriter.com/top-10-sza-songs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201191852/https://americansongwriter.com/top-10-sza-songs/ |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=American Songwriter |language=en-US}} SZA's single "Love Galore" from Ctrl (2017), and the song "Power Is Power" from the Game of Thrones soundtrack (2019).{{Cite web |last=Pearce |first=Sheldon |date=April 18, 2019 |title='Power Is Power': SZA / The Weeknd / Travis Scott |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/sza-the-weeknd-travis-scott-power-is-power/ |access-date=February 10, 2023 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US |archive-date=April 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419144546/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/sza-the-weeknd-travis-scott-power-is-power/ |url-status=live }} Of the two Scott collaborations, "Open Arms" was written first; "Low" was the last song on the album to be written.{{Cite podcast |last=Hiatt |first=Brian |date=January 29, 2023 |title=The Making of SZA's SOS |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/sza-making-of-sos-podcast-1234670550/ |url-access=limited |access-date=January 30, 2023 |website=Rolling Stone Music Now |language=en-US |archive-date=January 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129211852/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/sza-making-of-sos-podcast-1234670550/ |url-status=live |time=28:27}}

{{Listen

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The media had the tendency to categorize SZA as an R&B artist. She refused to be restricted to such a label, and she felt the narrative had developed because she was a Black woman. Countering what she believed was racial bias, she said: "I love making Black music, period. Something that is just full of energy. Black music doesn't have to just be R&B{{nbsp}}[...] Why can't we just be expansive and not reductive?"{{Cite web |last=Blake |first=Cole |date=December 12, 2022 |title=SZA Says She's Tired of Being Labeled an R&B Artist |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/609914-sza-says-shes-tired-of-being-labeled-an-rb-artist |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326050912/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/609914-sza-says-shes-tired-of-being-labeled-an-rb-artist |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |access-date=March 26, 2023 |website=HotNewHipHop |language=en-US}} The album's acoustic, stripped-back sound manifests in tracks such as "Open Arms".

"Open Arms" is among the album's songs that have an acoustic sound, backed by a finger-picked guitar{{Cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Trent |date=December 9, 2022 |title=SZA, Travis Scott 'Open Arms' Lyrics – Listen to New Song |url=https://www.xxlmag.com/sza-travis-scott-open-arms-lyrics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206041425/https://www.xxlmag.com/sza-travis-scott-open-arms-lyrics/ |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=XXL |language=en}} that puts emphasis on SZA's soft vocal performance.{{Cite web |last=Amorosi |first=A. D. |date=December 9, 2022 |title=SZA Sends Out an SOS That Will Be an Emergency Addition to Everyone's 10-Best Lists: Album Review |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/album-reviews/sza-sos-album-review-1235455868/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217103409/https://variety.com/2022/music/album-reviews/sza-sos-album-review-1235455868/ |archive-date=December 17, 2022 |access-date=December 29, 2022 |website=Variety}} In a departure from his usual sharp, energetic trap sound, Scott performs with a gentle rap cadence;{{NoteTag|Cited to NME, Vulture,{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Craig |date=December 12, 2022 |title=SZA Wants It All |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-sos-album-review.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227004025/https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-sos-album-review.html |archive-date=December 27, 2022 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=Vulture}} the Financial Times,{{Cite news |last=Hunter-Tilney |first=Ludovic |date=December 9, 2022 |title=SZA: SOS Review — Long-Awaited Second Album from R&B Perfectionist |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/cfa868bd-2150-4323-bc41-84e6b885849f |url-access=limited |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230208103706/https://www.ft.com/content/cfa868bd-2150-4323-bc41-84e6b885849f |url-status=live }} and Triple J.{{Cite web |last=Newstead |first=Al |date=December 13, 2022 |title=SZA: Is SOS Worth the Wait or Too Much of a Good Thing? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/sza-sos-feature-album-review-worth-the-wait-too-much-good-thing/101765932 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123043646/https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/sza-sos-feature-album-review-worth-the-wait-too-much-good-thing/101765932 |archive-date=January 23, 2023 |access-date=February 8, 2023 |website=Triple J |language=en-AU}}}} he uses his lower register, with his vocals digitally manipulated using Auto-Tune.{{Cite web |last1=Moran |first1=Robert |last2=Shand |first2=John |last3=Nguyen |first3=Giselle Au-Nhien |date=November 29, 2022 |title=SZA's Addictive Album Is the Summer Soundtrack You've Been Waiting For |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/a-searing-sign-off-from-one-of-the-best-bands-of-all-20221125-p5c1d2.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229163554/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/a-searing-sign-off-from-one-of-the-best-bands-of-all-20221125-p5c1d2.html |archive-date=December 29, 2022 |access-date=December 29, 2022 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} Also appearing on the song is SZA's grandmother, Norma Rowe, in the form of a voice recording.{{Cite web |last=O'Brien |first=Millie |date=December 12, 2022 |title=Album Review: SZA – SOS |url=https://www.gigwise.com/reviews/3428175/album-review-sza-sos |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212185112/https://gigwise.com/reviews/3428175/album-review-sza-sos |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=Gigwise}} Rowe was SZA's grandmother who died from Alzheimer's disease during recording sessions for SOS,{{Cite web |last=Disalvo |first=Tom |date=November 17, 2022 |title=SZA Details Forthcoming Sophomore Album S.O.S. |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/sza-details-forthcoming-sophomore-album-s-o-s-3350621 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209035805/https://www.nme.com/news/music/sza-details-forthcoming-sophomore-album-s-o-s-3350621 |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |access-date=February 16, 2023 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Turner-Williams |first=Jaelani |date=November 16, 2022 |title=SZA's New Album S.O.S. Is Arriving in December |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/szas-new-album-s-o-s-is-arriving-in-december.html,%20https://www.okayplayer.com/music/szas-new-album-s-o-s-is-arriving-in-december.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216160506/https://www.okayplayer.com/music/szas-new-album-s-o-s-is-arriving-in-december.html |archive-date=February 16, 2023 |access-date=February 16, 2023 |website=Okayplayer |language=en-US}} which caused her to go through frequent depressive episodes, and like Scott, Rowe's vocals prominently featured in Ctrl. Nylon wrote that she helped provide "Open Arms" a heartwarming tone to contrast much of the album's other tracks which are "roiling at the brim with anger, sadness, insecurity, and loneliness".

Producer Carter Lang cited time pressure as the driving force behind the creation of many songs on SOS. Work on the album began in 2019, but much of "Open Arms" was written and recorded around the tailend of 2021, with 2022 the year they started being at their most productive. The choice to have Scott depart from the more uptempo, trap sound of "Love Galore" was an idea from fellow SOS producer Rob Bisel, who wanted him to do something unexpected for the album: "it just seems like there's no need to repeat the same play from that playbook, like what's something you wouldn't expect from Travis?" Upon hearing the suggestion, SZA sent Scott the beat and received his verse one or two weeks later, during the final stages of the album recording process.

Apart from Halm and Bisel, who is also the song's mixer and engineer, the list of producers includes Michael Uzowuru. The three, SZA, and Scott are credited as songwriters alongside one Douglas Ford. Engineering took place at Ponzu Studios and Westlake Studio A in Los Angeles, and the mixing and mastering were done a day before the album was turned in. Bisel and Scott's mixer, Derek "206derek" Anderson, mixed "Open Arms" at Ponzu, and Dale Becker mastered it at his studio in Pasadena, California.

{{Multiple image

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| alt1 = SZA performing in Ctrl the Tour (2017–2018)

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| alt2 = Travis Scott performing in the Openair Frauenfeld (2019)

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| footer = SZA (left) collaborated with Travis Scott (right) for "Open Arms".

}}

Many SOS tracks explore the conflict between SZA's desire for a new life on her own and a longing for a fulfilling romantic connection, to the detriment of her self-image. "Open Arms" is one song that features such a conflict, depicting the narrator's continued attachment to a relationship even though it has become unhealthy for her. In the lyrics, she admits she is willing to still be with her ex-boyfriend no matter how much they are actually incompatible and no matter how much it takes a toll on her mental health, to the point where she sings in one line, "Who needs self-esteem, anyway?"{{cite web |last=Pareles |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Pareles |date=December 13, 2022 |title=SZA Revels in Mixed Emotions on SOS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/13/arts/music/sza-sos-review.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222042443/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/13/arts/music/sza-sos-review.html |archive-date=December 22, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=The New York Times}}{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Mikael |date=December 9, 2022 |title=On the Dazzling SOS, SZA Spares No One, Least of All Herself |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-12-08/sza-sos-new-album |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229123345/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-12-08/sza-sos-new-album |archive-date=December 29, 2022 |access-date=December 24, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} She hopes that staying with her ex-boyfriend will sate her desire of finally being appreciated by someone, admitting: "I hate myself to make you stay / Push me away, I'll be right here." According to music journalist Danyel Smith, the line mirrors SZA's personal life in that it recalls her history with rejection from people with whom she wanted to form close friendships.{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Danyel |author-link=Danyel Smith |date=February 8, 2023 |title=SZA's Ruination Brought Her Everything |language=en-US |work=The New York Times Magazine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/magazine/sza.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20230208104254/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/magazine/sza.html |archive-date=February 8, 2023}}

Scott appears in the third verse as her romantic foil.{{Cite magazine |last1=Chow |first1=Andrew R. |last2=Mendez |first2=Moises, II |date=December 9, 2022 |title=Was SZA's SOS Worth the Wait? Breaking Down Its Best Songs and Big Themes |url=https://time.com/6239912/sza-sos/ |url-status=live |magazine=Time |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225142306/https://time.com/6239912/sza-sos/ |archive-date=December 25, 2022 |access-date=January 8, 2023}} He calls her his "ride-or-die" and his "favourite color", reassuring her that he will treat her as best as he can "no matter what comes between" them.{{Cite web |last=Weiner |first=Josh |date=January 4, 2023 |title=Our Take: SZA Shines on Outstanding Sophomore Album SOS |url=https://atwoodmagazine.com/szso-sza-sos-album-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206153853/https://atwoodmagazine.com/szso-sza-sos-album-review/ |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |access-date=February 8, 2023 |website=Atwood Magazine |language=en-US |quote=Scott proves that the chemistry he and SZA first exhibited five years ago on 'Love Galore' still has plenty of mileage left. 'No matter what comes between us, I decided I'm forever ridin', we forever guided,' the widely celebrated MC rhymes on 'Open Arms'...}} A solo version of "Open Arms" replaces Scott with SZA's take on the third verse. In it, her character sings about a time she cried for one whole night, forlorn about her past relationships. Instead of feeling alone, she says, she would rather have sex with her ex-boyfriend again, because she believes he still loves her for who she is.{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Alex |date=January 6, 2023 |title=SZA Just Dropped a Pair of SOS Outtakes, Including the Much Anticipated 'PSA' |url=https://uproxx.com/music/sza-sos-outtakes-psa-open-arms/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106223048/https://uproxx.com/music/sza-sos-outtakes-psa-open-arms/ |archive-date=January 6, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2023 |website=Uproxx |language=en-US}} Throughout the original version, the two try to welcome each other back into their life, reluctant to leave the relationship. By the end, however, SZA's character realizes that she must, in the words of XXL, "accept isolation with open arms" so that no person will break her heart again.

During a Billboard cover story published in November 2022, SZA revealed the album title, as well as the release date which was scheduled sometime next month.{{Cite web |last=Serrano |first=Athena |date=November 16, 2022 |title=SZA Is 'Currently Stressed' About Releasing New Album S.O.S. |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/8znfna/sza-sos-album-announcement |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229005159/https://www.mtv.com/news/8znfna/sza-sos-album-announcement |archive-date=December 29, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=MTV News |language=en}} She posted the album's track list on Twitter on December 5, and SOS was released four days later. "Open Arms" appears as the 20th out of 23 tracks.{{Cite web |last=Curto |first=Justin |date=December 5, 2022 |title=SZA Puts Fans on Alert, Announces New Album S.O.S |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-album-sos-release-date-details.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219211034/https://www.vulture.com/2022/12/sza-album-sos-release-date-details.html |archive-date=December 19, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}{{Cite magazine |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=December 5, 2022 |title=SZA Taps Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott for S.O.S Album |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-phoebe-bridgers-travis-scott-sos-tracklist-1234641720/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215144257/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-phoebe-bridgers-travis-scott-sos-tracklist-1234641720/ |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |url-access=limited}} The song had its live performance debut during the SOS Tour, an international tour in support of the album.{{Cite magazine |last=Graff |first=Gary |date=February 25, 2023 |title=SZA Takes Fans Through Emotional Seaside Journey During SOS Tour Stop in Detroit |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sza-sos-tour-detroit-concert-review-1235260884/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226065038/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sza-sos-tour-detroit-concert-review-1235260884/ |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |access-date=March 2, 2023 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kress |first=Bryan |date=February 22, 2023 |title=SZA Smoothly Sails Through 'SOS Tour' Opener in Columbus, Ohio: Setlist + Video |url=https://consequence.net/2023/02/sza-sos-tour-setlist-video-watch/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223075327/https://consequence.net/2023/02/sza-sos-tour-setlist-video-watch/ |archive-date=February 23, 2023 |access-date=March 2, 2022 |website=Consequence |language=en-US}}

Upon the album's release, "Open Arms" charted in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The song peaked in those countries at numbers 51, 54, and 81, respectively. It peaked at number 24 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 67 on the Billboard Global 200, In 2024, the song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over 1,000,000 units.{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Karan |date=February 20, 2024 |title=SZA Nabs 7 More Gold & Platinum Plaques for SOS Songs |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/sza-7-gold-platinum-plaques-sos-riaa |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240221093559/https://hiphopdx.com/news/sza-7-gold-platinum-plaques-sos-riaa |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=February 21, 2024 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}}

That same year, "Open Arms" began entering more national charts, as it experienced a resurgence in consumption. It entered the New Zealand chart in 2024, peaking at number 29 there. In 2025, it peaked at number 91 in Ireland, 63 in the UK, and 37 in the Philippines.

Much of critical commentary around "Open Arms" focused on Scott's guest feature. Some critics considered him a fitting addition on the song, welcoming his uncharacteristically gentle tone on the third verse and praising him and SZA for expanding into a more gentle, acoustic sound.{{NoteTag|Cited to NME, the Financial Times, Triple J, and The Observer.{{Cite news |last=Empire |first=Kitty |author-link=Kitty Empire |date=December 11, 2022 |title=SZA: SOS Review – a Surfeit of Ideas, Guests and Producers from a Master of Her Craft |language=en-GB |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/11/sza-sos-review-travis-scott-phoebe-bridgers |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-date=February 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210044112/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/11/sza-sos-review-travis-scott-phoebe-bridgers |url-status=live }}}} As Kitty Empire wrote for The Observer, "Versatility largely wins out [on SOS]. Only SZA could find room for Travis Scott on a slow jam ballad". Variety{{'s}} A. D. Amorosi and the Los Angeles Times{{'s}} Mikael Wood found the composition of "grand and gorgeous" quality; Amorosi in particular deemed Scott the song's centerpiece. Other praise was directed towards his chemistry with SZA in comparison to "Love Galore" and Rowe's voice as (in tandem with Scott's feature) a "nice nod" to Ctrl. Meanwhile, writing for Time, Andrew Chow and Moises Mendez II thought Scott's contributions were tolerable at best, and Mendez was more impressed with his background vocals for "Low".

{{Infobox song

| name = Open Arms (Just SZA)

| cover =

| type = song

| artist = SZA

| album = SOS {{noitalic|(web store digital edition)}} and Lana {{noitalic|(extended)}}

| written =

| released = * {{start date|2025|2|9}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 3:35

| label = * Top Dawg

• RCA

| writer = * Solána Rowe

• Rob Bisel
• Michael Uzowuru
• Teo Halm
• Douglas Ford

| producer = * Michael Uzowuru

• Teo Halm
• Rob Bisel

| misc = {{External music video|type=song|header=Lyric video|{{YouTube|w3HGHyBaLpo|"Open Arms (Just SZA)"}}}}

}}

A digital download–only version of "Open Arms" without Scott's verse was released on an extended edition of SOS, on January 5, 2023. The edition was website-exclusive, available for purchase only on Top Dawg Entertainment's website.{{Cite web |last=Cowen |first=Trace William |date=January 6, 2023 |title=SZA Shuts Down Talk of Beef with Taylor Swift, Says She 'Genuinely Loved' Singer's Midnights Album |url=https://www.complex.com/music/sza-shuts-down-talk-of-beef-taylor-swift |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106173324/https://www.complex.com/music/sza-shuts-down-talk-of-beef-taylor-swift |archive-date=January 6, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2023 |website=Complex |language=en}} The release occurred following a close competition for the Billboard 200 number-one spot between SOS and Taylor Swift's Midnights (2022).{{Cite web |last=Wilkes |first=Emma |date=January 7, 2023 |title=SZA Denies Rumours of Taylor Swift Feud: 'I Don't Have Beef [with] Anyone.' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/sza-denies-rumours-of-taylor-swift-feud-i-dont-have-beef-with-anyone-3376338 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107221517/https://www.nme.com/news/music/sza-denies-rumours-of-taylor-swift-feud-i-dont-have-beef-with-anyone-3376338 |archive-date=January 7, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2023 |website=NME |language=en-GB}} The extended edition was released to boost SOS{{'s}} performance on the chart, a strategy Swift also did with her album.{{Cite magazine |last=Mier |first=Tomás |date=January 6, 2023 |title=No, SZA Doesn't 'Have Beef' with Taylor Swift |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-doesnt-have-beef-taylor-swift-1234657122/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106222729/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-doesnt-have-beef-taylor-swift-1234657122/ |archive-date=January 6, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}

On February 7, 2025, SZA's official website was surreptitiously updated with an announcement. It stated that an extended version of Lana–the reissue album of SOS–would be released two days later, following multiple delays.{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=February 7, 2025 |title=SZA Sets Release Date for Lana Extended Edition -- For Real This Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-lana-deluxe-version-new-release-date-1235260241/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212194200/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sza-lana-deluxe-version-new-release-date-1235260241/ |archive-date=February 12, 2025 |access-date=February 26, 2025 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} The solo version's inclusion had been teased on social media last December 2024, via screenshots of SZA's text conversations with her manager Punch.{{Cite web |last=Dailey |first=Hannah |date=December 30, 2024 |title=SZA to Tweak Lana with New Songs & Updated Mixes: 'Thank Y'all for Your Patience’ |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sza-re-release-sos-deluxe-lana-new-songs-updated-mixes-1235866799/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211213108/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sza-re-release-sos-deluxe-lana-new-songs-updated-mixes-1235866799/ |archive-date=February 11, 2025 |access-date=February 26, 2025 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} It was officially released to streaming platforms on the scheduled date, under the subtitle "Just SZA", hours before her Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance.{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=February 10, 2025 |title=SZA Drops Four New Lana Songs Ahead of Super Bowl Appearance with Kendrick Lamar |url=https://variety.com/2025/music/news/sza-releases-four-new-lana-songs-before-super-bowl-1236302126/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211210011/https://variety.com/2025/music/news/sza-releases-four-new-lana-songs-before-super-bowl-1236302126/ |archive-date=February 11, 2025 |access-date=February 26, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

Adapted from the liner notes of SOS{{cite AV media notes|title=SOS|publisher=Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records|year=2023|type=vinyl liner notes|author=SZA|id=19658-77921-1}}

Recording and management

• Engineered at Ponzu Studios and Westlake Studio A (Los Angeles, California)
• Mixed at Ponzu
• Mastered at Becker Mastering (Pasadena, California)

Personnel

{{div col}}

• Solána Rowe (SZA){{spaced endash}} lead vocals, background vocals, songwriting
• Jacques Webster (Travis Scott){{spaced endash}} lead vocals, songwriting
• Granny (Norma Rowe){{spaced endash}} skit
• Rob Bisel{{spaced endash}} background vocals, songwriting, production, engineering, mixing
• Michael Uzowuru{{spaced endash}} songwriting, production
• Teo Halm{{spaced endash}} songwriting, production, guitar, drums, keyboards
• Douglas Ford{{spaced endash}} songwriting
• Robert N. Johnson{{spaced endash}} assistant engineering
• Shelby Epstine{{spaced endash}} assistant engineering
• Derek "206derek" Anderson{{spaced endash}} vocal engineering and mixing {{small|(for Scott's vocals)}}
• Dale Becker{{spaced endash}} mastering
• Katie Harvey{{spaced endash}} assistant mastering
• Noah McCorkle{{spaced endash}} assistant mastering

{{div col end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Open Arms"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=SZA feat. Travis Scott|title=Open Arms|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2024|access-date=April 26, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=SZA|title=Open Arms|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2025|access-date=January 15, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|title=Open Arms|artist=SZA feat. Travis Scott|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2022|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|access-date=January 15, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|title=Open Arms|artist=SZA feat. Travis Scott|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2025|id=file_2025-02-24-15-15-45.pdf|access-date=February 25, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Sza ft Travis Scott|title=Open Arms|award=Silver|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2024|access-date=March 15, 2024|id=19808-4855-1}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=SZA|title=Open Arms (feat. Travis Scott)|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2022|certyear=2024|access-date=February 20, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

{{NoteFoot}}

{{reflist|30em=}}

{{SZA songs}}

{{Travis Scott songs}}

Category:2020s ballads

Category:2022 songs

Category:SZA songs

Category:Travis Scott songs

Category:Songs written by SZA

Category:Songs written by Travis Scott

Category:Songs written by Teo Halm

Category:Songs written by Michael Uzowuru