SZA Taps 'Atlanta' Star LaKeith Stanfield For 'I Hate U' Visualizer

As SZA’s “I Hate U” continues to dominate TikTok and the Billboard Hot 100, the Grammy-nominated R&B singer released the single’s visualizer on Friday (January 7), which features Atlanta star LaKeith Stanfield.

The Academy Award-nominated actor is seen in the visualizer stepping out of his car, engaged in a heated argument with a presumed lover on the phone, all while SZA’s track soundtracks the moment. The video culminates with LaKeith facing the ocean and ultimately deciding to toss his cellphone into the sea out of frustration. The word’s “Not The End” close out the visual, hinting that SZA’s got more in store for 2022.

The track’s visual accompaniment comes as an album release date from SZA is still nowhere to be found. The 32-year-old  was forced to shut down a heated rumor back in November that her Ctrl follow-up was set to drop on November 5, the same day as Summer Walker’s sophomore effort Still Over It.

“I jus wanna know y y’all think i would drop same time as summer and I’m ON her album like wut,” the TDE songbird wrote on October 11, referring to her appearance on Summer’s track “No Love.”

I jus wanna know y y’all think i would drop same time as summer and I’m ON her album ? like wut https://t.co/WpmPcnrhFQ

— SZA (@sza) October 11, 2021

At the top of 2021, SZA hyped up the long-awaited project by telling Cosmopolitan, “This album is going to be the shit that made me feel something in my…[heart] and in [my gut]. That’s what’s going to go on the album. I’m making all different types of shit every day from different places in my spirit.”

Check out the visualizer for “I Hate U” below.