SZA was all about delivering surprises at her show at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, where she brought out unannounced guest Phoebe Bridgers to perform “Ghost in the Machine” together for the first time live. Cardi B was also a surprise guest, and the crowd reaction was fierce.
“Ghost in the Machine” appears on SZA’s sophomore album SOS, which arrived in December.
“I don’t think it’s going to sound how people think it’s going to sound,” SZA said in an interview with Hot 97 about the track just before the album dropped. “It’s super alternative and just strange, so we’ll see.”
SZA and Cardi B also performed “I Do” from Cardi’s 2018 debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy.
Ahead of her sold-out arena tour, she told Rolling Stone she was excited to get back on the road with new material after five years of only performing her early songs. “I just wanna give them the craziest experience they could ever have and play whatever they want. Whether it’s unreleased songs that they thought they heard on the internet, or their favorite album cuts or fucking deep cuts from 2012, I don’t care,” she said. “I just wanna give them what they deserve and make it beautiful. That’s my biggest goal, and I’m really excited and there’s nothing I enjoy more than being on stage and performing.”
SZA’s 2023 North American tour continues through March. Her next date is at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on March 7; it wraps in Los Angeles with a two-night stint on March 22 and 23 at Kia Forum.
🎥 | SZA and Phoebe performing 'Ghost in the Machine' live for the first time!pic.twitter.com/JcruYROgFR
— PHOEBE BRIDGERS UPDATES (@ThePhoebeRoom) March 5, 2023
From Rolling Stone US