SZA Says Drew Barrymore’s ‘Carefree’ Energy Inspired ‘CTRL’ Song

SZA had the chance to tell Drew Barrymore that she “inspired” a single from her breakout album, CTRL.

The singer-songwriter, who stars in the upcoming buddy-comedy One of Them Days alongside Keke Palmer, appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show on Monday (January 13). To open the conversation, Barrymore began with referencing CTRL single “Drew Barrymore,” in which she made a cameo in the music video.

“It was inspired by you. It wasn’t just titled after you,” SZA told the actress and talk show host. “The energy that you carry—even my outfit is inspired by the way you’ve made me feel my entire life, like, carefree.”

“You don’t understand,” SZA continued, while holding Barrymore’s hand. “I wrote you this letter that I never sent you, but it talked about how, I guess, you know, when you’re younger and you’re a Black woman there’s not a lot of examples all the time. And one of the few lovely white women that I looked up to so much on television… because you were so yourself.”

Barrymore’s personality and imperfect smile also made her relatable to a younger version of the four-time Grammy winner.

“I have a slight speech impediment, and people laugh all the time, like, ‘What is SZA saying?’ And it’s a running joke. But I love the way you talk and just all the you-ness of you—your laugh, even in the movies and in real life,” she concluded.

“It just reminds me of all the things about myself that make me nervous, but on you, it shines so brightly,” SZA went on to explain while an emotional Barrymore listened.

“You gave me permission to be myself and feel like, ‘This is so cool,’ and so not, ‘Whatever.’ Like, I just love it. All your old photo shoots, I look them up. You’ve always been a pinnacle to me. I love you, Drew.”

After the Charlie’s Angels star leaned in for a hug, SZA called her “so special” before referencing Barrymore’s famous “rain” clip.

The actress recalled filming the music video with SZA in 2017 and not knowing how deep of an appreciation the artist had for her.

“Maybe it’s humble insecurity or whatever—even though we had that talk in the trailer that night, I think I always still convinced myself, ‘It was just words that she used for the song, and the words were my name,’ and I had not really heard you explain it like this,” Barrymore said.

She continued, “I think maybe what you picked up when you were young, ’cause it’s no different now, is this lack of assumption. We are looking for permission to be ourselves. We are looking for someone to tell us it will be okay to be exactly who we are, because I experience it almost every day, and I think everybody does.”

Barrymore had previously talked about starring in the video early last year and called SZA the “coolest person ever.”