| "Shirt" | ||||
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| Single by SZA | ||||
| from the album SOS | ||||
| Released | October 28, 2022 | |||
| Recorded | March 2020–2022 | |||
| Studio | Rodney Jerkins' home studio | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 3:02 | |||
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| SZA singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Shirt" on YouTube | ||||
"Shirt" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA and the third single from her second studio album, SOS (2022). Produced by Darkchild and Freaky Rob, it is an R&B song, with elements of trap music, backed by synthesizers and 808 beats. The lyrics are about a toxic relationship that consumes SZA and entices her to return, despite leaving her directionless and mentally exhausted. They include themes present throughout SOS: deep introspection, the pursuit of perfection, and the conflict between love and hatred. A snippet of "Shirt", prior to its official release, spawned a viral dance challenge on TikTok, where over a million videos used the sound. After being first previewed online two years beforehand, the song was released on October 28, 2022.
Critics praised "Shirt" for its songwriting. Some said that the introspective lyrics indicated maturity, and others wrote that it portrayed the self-destructive nature of romance well. Many included "Shirt" on their lists of the best songs of 2022. "Shirt" was a top-20 song in multiple countries; it debuted and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 upon its release, the only single from SOS to not reach the top 10. The same day as the song's release, the "Shirt" music video, directed by Dave Meyers, premiered on YouTube. Inspired by Quentin Tarantino's crime films, it features SZA and LaKeith Stanfield commit several murders across town and eventually betray each other. The video features several visual metaphors, which represent SZA's various emotional burdens that she figuratively kills.