| "Kill Bill" | ||||
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| Single by SZA | ||||
| from the album SOS | ||||
| Written | May 2022–July 13, 2022 | |||
| Released | January 10, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | July 13, 2022 | |||
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| Length | 2:35 | |||
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| SZA singles chronology | ||||
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| "Kill Bill" on YouTube | ||||
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| Doja Cat singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Kill Bill" (remix) on YouTube | ||||
"Kill Bill" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the fifth single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). It is a pop and R&B murder ballad, built around a midtempo, groovy rhythm and a detuned melody. Guitars, a bassline, and a flute that was sampled from a Prophet-6 synthesizer constitute the song's production, which is influenced by the boom bap subgenre of hip hop. Mirroring the plot of the Kill Bill film duology (2003–2004) after which the song is named, the lyrics discuss a fantasy to kill an ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend out of jealousy, and they employ humorous irony alongside violent imagery that contrasts with SZA's soft vocals. "Kill Bill" was sent to US radio on January 10, 2023, after achieving success on streaming services.
A chart-topper in several territories, "Kill Bill" was SZA's first number-one on the Billboard Global 200 and US Hot 100 charts. The song spent eight weeks at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 before an April 2023 remix featuring American rapper Doja Cat propelled the solo version to the top, tying for the second-longest time at number two before reaching number one. On US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, it broke the record set by Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" (2019) for the chart's longest-running number one, with 21 weeks. "Kill Bill" was one of the top 10 best-performing songs of 2023 in several countries, and according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was the third best-selling single of 2023.
"Kill Bill" was praised primarily for its songwriting; critics liked its poetic quality, diaristic honesty, and relatability despite the violent content. The original version and the remix were placed in many year-end listicles for 2023, and in February 2024, Rolling Stone placed "Kill Bill" at number 267 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. The song received many industry award nominations, including three nods for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. "Kill Bill" won Song of the Year at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, as well as Top R&B Song at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards and Video of the Year at BET Awards 2023.
A music video for the song premiered the same day as its single release. Directed by Christian Breslauer, it reimagines several scenes from the Kill Bill films, with SZA as her version of the films' protagonist and Vivica A. Fox, one of the actresses who starred in the duology, in a supporting role. SZA confronts her ex-boyfriend at the end and tears his heart out, and the outro features her suspended by a rope using the shibari technique. On the SOS Tour, where she first performed "Kill Bill" live, she recreated various visual elements from the film duology and the music video, such as the costume. Other live performances also involved choreography inspired by the Kill Bill films, featuring background dancers who brandished swords and participated in fight scenes onstage.