SZA says she’s “tired of being… not a bug” in new 'Hot Ones' teaser

In a newly released teaser for an upcoming episode of the popular YouTube show Hot Ones, SZA appears with an unexpected look—large bug eyes and antennas. 

The teaser, posted by First We Feast, features SZA sporting the insect-like prosthetics, surprising fans and leaving many speculating about its meaning.

Host Sean Evans opened the episode by jokingly asking, “I’m wondering if we should even acknowledge the prosthetics,” to which SZA humorously responded, “Yeah, for no other reason than I’m just tired of being… not a bug.”

Evans asked how SZA approaches creating cohesive albums when freestyling, to which she responded, “I’ll ask my engineer, I’ll be like, ‘Well that was crazy?’, and he’ll be like, ‘Kill your ex. Let it happen.’”

The episode is set to air today, September 26, and fans have already taken to social media, with one user on X joking, “Doing every side quest possible to not get in that damn studio.”

SZA's unique appearance has led some to wonder if it hints at a new project. Recently, Vulture reported that SZA has been teasing a new album titled Lana, following the success of SOS. Her single Saturn, released in February, has amassed over 533 million streams on Spotify. 

On Instagram, SZA has also shared posts with a similar bug-like aesthetic, one of which teased her upcoming song “Storytime.”