SZA's Glastonbury Headlining Set Hampered By Technical Difficulties
For much of the time that fans watched SZA at Glastonbury, she was inaudible.
SZA (SOS album art)
SZA headlined the final day of Glastonbury on Sunday (30 July), but what should have been a joyous occasion was hampered by technical difficulties.
Fans watched on from the Glastonbury grounds and via the BBC iPlayer live stream as SZA performed from the Pyramid Stage, and immediately, the muddy sound quality of her microphone was clear for all to hear.
NME reports that the Kill Bill singer’s microphone sound quality and clarity improved after the first 30 minutes of her set, but even after that, it would dip back into the muffled moments. For much of the time that fans watched SZA, she was inaudible.
The reactions to the technical difficulties have been levelled at sound engineers at this year’s festival, with some people noting that Avril Lavigne’s nostalgia-heavy set earlier in the day drew a massive crowd on a smaller stage and could have seen her close the day.
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“Justice for sza,” a fan watching the singer’s set on TV wrote. “what have glastonbury done to her mic to make her vocals sound this way, this is excruciating.”
Another viewer added, “Feel sooo bad for Sza on Glastonbury 😩😩 the sound engineers need to sort this shit out right now because this is a career moving moment and it’s just not coming across great when we all know how insanely talented she is”.
You can check out more reactions to SZA’s set below.
Sunday also saw Shania Twain headline the Legends slot at Glastonbury, while Coldplay headlined Saturday. On Friday, Dua Lipa rocked the stage with special guest and Australian icon Kevin Parker.
With Parker on stage, the pair performed the Tame Impala classic The Less I Know The Better with Lipa’s band, and Parker returned during her last song—Houdini, which he co-wrote and produced—on guitar.
Coldplay became the first act to headline Glastonbury five times (after headlining 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016), Dua Lipa headlined for the first time, SZA made her Glastonbury debut, and Shania Twain followed in the footsteps of Lionel Richie and Dolly Parton during the Legends slot.
Feel sooo bad for Sza on Glastonbury 😩😩 the sound engineers need to sort this shit out right now because this is a career moving moment and it’s just not coming across great when we all know how insanely talented she is 😩 #sza #Glastonbury #szaglastonbury
— Jamie Lee Morley (@JamieLeeMorley) June 30, 2024
What is going on with SZA’s mic? You can’t hear a thing on the TV footage. #glastonbury
— Sam Atkins (@Atkins_Sam) June 30, 2024
People questioning if SZA should headline, and then they completely wreck her set with the worst sound/mic issues I've ever heard, just awful really feel for her #Glastonbury
— Kerry 🖤🤍 (@_kerryleigh) June 30, 2024
This is heartbreaking to see SZA’s mic and sound so so fucked at Glastonbury
— Christo Geoghegan (@christo_tweets) June 30, 2024
Glastonbury has let down a lot of its biggest female acts this year. SZA should have been Fri or Sat headliner, Avril, Janelle and Sugababes on bigger stages, Shania and Cyndi without being plagued by sound issues.
— Roisin O'Connor (@Roisin_OConnor) June 30, 2024
Given up on SZA. Justice are fantastic on iPlayer at the moment. #Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/Uhizs2Atcm
— Andy (@alreadytaken74) June 30, 2024
Why are the backing singers crystal clear and SZA sounds like she’s singing through one of these??? #Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/hNhCidJNZN
— Louise Danielle🌻 (@xQuaintrellex) June 30, 2024
me after hyping SZA up to my mum and dad for months and then her sounding like she’s singing into a fan #Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/jCK20Iajur
— Mil (@milliesmith_) June 30, 2024
When you think the sound is fixed on SZA's set, and then suddenly she is back underwater again.#Glastonbury #Glastonbury2024 pic.twitter.com/Au7KFc0gO7
— Hopeless Semantic (@JimBlower) June 30, 2024
justice for sza!! what have glastonbury done to her mic to make her vocals sound this way, this is excruciating. pic.twitter.com/B40E4lNY8d
— Ailsa (@glassarmy) June 30, 2024
Nah #Glastonbury sound engineers will pay for their crimes! This is SZA how she sounded last night...when her mic is tuned properly. I feel bad for her :( pic.twitter.com/LTaPoQegFF
— Karen🇬🇭🏳️🌈💎 (@AfroMinx) June 30, 2024
Someone has done Sza dirty with this audio setup. It’s almost unlistenable #Glastonbury
— Daniel Sheridan (@DSheridanYEP) June 30, 2024
SZA has the most angelic voice but this mic is ruining it omg get her a new one #Glastonbury
— rhys (@rhysjpg) June 30, 2024
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