Love Galore

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The song was recorded in November 2016, during the early stages of developing Ctrl. While talking about Travis Scott in an interview with Genius, SZA said: "I’m definitely a huge fan of Travis. I think he merges that super-fine line between melody and syncopation and pocket. And I love his pockets, and I love his note choice. He’s just gnarly. He’s perfect." The song blends alternative R&B and hip-hop and focuses on themes of love, desire, and the complexities of relationships. It peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned multiple certifications, including nine-times Platinum status by the RIAA. Gerrick Kennedy at the Los Angeles Times called the song SZA's "breakout single."

In Their Own Story

SZA premiered "Love Galore" during a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in January 2017. The studio version was uploaded on SZA's SoundCloud account on April 27, and the next day it was released for digital download on iTunes as a single. To further promote the single following increased airplay on rhythmic and urban radio, SZA performed the song at The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on July 20, 2017. She also performed the song at the 2017 BET Awards and on Saturday Night Live. The music video, directed by Nabil, premiered on April 27, 2017. In it, SZA and Scott appear to prepare for a bondage session in an upstairs bedroom, with SZA tying Scott's hands to the bedposts. SZA sees an old woman sitting in a car across the street, who later enters the house with a pickaxe and kills Scott. Interspersed are scenes of SZA and Scott singing in a gray room full of monarch butterflies.

Reader's Guide

The song's track listing includes "Love Galore" (featuring Travis Scott) at 4:35 and "Love Galore" (Alt Version) at 4:33. The alt version was included on the deluxe edition of Ctrl, released on the five-year anniversary of the album on June 9, 2022, and features an additional verse from SZA that replaces Scott's verse. The song was recorded at the Lake House in Michigan, with Travis Scott's vocals recorded at Blake Harden's home studio. It was mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Los Angeles. Rolling Stone highlighted the song for its "vulnerability beneath the bravado" in their 2023 edition of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time."

Did You Know?

• "Love Galore" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
• The song was recorded in November 2016, during the early stages of developing Ctrl.
• SZA premiered the song live on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on June 6, 2017, months before its official release.
• The music video features SZA tying Travis Scott to bedposts before an old woman stabs a voodoo doll; later, Travis Scott is shown with a knife in his back.
• The alt version of the song, released in 2022, includes both Travis Scott's original verse and a new verse from SZA.