Songfacts®:

• "Saturn" is an ethereal track that finds SZA disillusioned with life's mundane and repetitive patterns. It's an ennui so severe, she wants to escape her earthly existence and head for Saturn.
• "Saturn" unfolds as a celestial slow jam, capturing SZA's quest for the meaning of life. The opening verse reflects her growing dissatisfaction with love on Earth, questioning the cyclical nature of pain and expressing disdain for the familiar.
  
  Acknowledging her own mental struggles in the pre-chorus, SZA recognizes the impact of her thoughts on her experiences.
• The chorus marks a turning point as SZA discovers her resolution: to escape the patterns by relocating to Saturn, a planet associated with transformative life changes.
  
  Life's better on Saturn
  Got to break this pattern
  Of floating away
  
  The Saturn Return is an astrological phenomenon that occurs approximately every 29.5 years when the planet Saturn returns to the same position in the sky it occupied at the time of your birth. This period is often seen as a significant turning point in a person's life, marked by challenges, growth, and self-discovery. No Doubt referenced it in the title to their 2000 album Return Of Saturn.
• In the second verse, SZA contemplates the concept of karma, skeptical that goodness will be rewarded. She reflects on the paradox where the good often face poverty and untimely ends, despite their noble efforts.
  
  In the final lines, SZA resolves to be better on Saturn, dismissing the significance of earthly matters and indulging in dreams of this distant celestial realm.
• SZA wrote "Saturn" with its producers, Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solomonophonic and Monsune.
  
  Los Angeles producer and mixing engineer Rob Bisel contributed to 20 out of the 23 tracks on SOS, including "Good Days," "I Hate U" and "Kill Bill."
  
  Chicago multi-instrumentalist Carter Lang co-produced 13 tracks on SOS, usually with Bisel.
  
  Jared "Solomonophonic" Solomon is American singer-songwriter Remi Wolf's guitarist and producer.
  
  Canadian producer Scott "Monsune" Zhang's other notable work includes co-producing "Race My Mind" and "Fountains" from Drake's sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy.
• Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot joins Carter Lang and Rob Bisel to sing the backing vocals.
  
  "I'm not a massive pop fan – I mainly listen to hip-hop, rap, a lot of jazz and random French stuff – but I went through a phase where I couldn't stop listening to SZA," Ducrot explained to Hot Press. "And then one day, completely out of the blue, she follows me on Twitter."
  
  Shortly after that, SZA asked him to come over to America to help her with her album.
  
  Ducrot landed in the States the day before SZA was handing her SOS album to the label. Nerves gnawed at him, but stepping into the studio he was met with warmth. "SZA was so lovely, telling me that she was a big fan and had watched all my videos. Inside my head, I was going, 'Er, no, I'm the fan!'" he said.
• SZA first performed "Saturn" live during a concert at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on September 8, 2023. She officially debuted "Saturn" in full as part of a Mastercard commercial break that aired during the Grammys. We saw SZA descending from a tree into an enchanted forest while singing "Saturn." The ad was filmed in support of Mastercard's Priceless Planet Coalition, which promotes forest restoration.
  
  "We're a force of nature when we come together. That's why I'm supporting Mastercard on their mission to restore forests around the globe. Join me," SZA says at the end of the ad.
• "Saturn" was released on February 22, 2024 as the lead single from Lana, the reissue of SOS. The release came with a five-track bundle comprising the original version, a live rendition, an accelerated version, an instrumental variant, and an a cappella interpretation.