"You’re literally the one" — SZA's former manager Punch reacts to the singer's 'SOS' upstaging Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'

Terrence "Punch" Henderson Jr, SZA's former manager and the president of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), congratulated the singer on her album SOS surpassing Michael Jackson's Thriller on the Billboard Hot 200 as the longest-running Top 10 album by a Black artist.

On March 16, 2025, Punch took to his X account to congratulate SZA on her achievement, calling her the "illest" and the "best."

"SMH. Man. This is crazy. @sza you’re the illest. The best. We’ve had this conversation and you didn’t believe me when I told you you were the one. You’re literally the one. Shout out to the King!"

SZA released SOS, her second studio album, in December 2022. The 23-track album featured collaborations with Don Toliver, Travis Scott, and Phoebe Bridgers. It also included Kill Bill, which marked the singer's first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In May 2023, Kill Bill set a new record on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song charts, taking the No. 1 spot for 21 consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, SOS returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 for the 12th week after SZA released its deluxe edition, SOS Deluxe: LANA, in December 2024.

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SZA and Punch parted ways in December 2024

SZA and Punch reportedly parted ways in December 2024, a week after the release of her deluxe album, SOS Deluxe: LANA. Speculations about the split began circulating on social media on December 25, and the singer later confirmed it via an Instagram comment, writing:

“Nothing to celebrate. The end of an era. I wish him the best (heart emoji) whatever his choices may be. (heart emoji).”

In another comment, she asked fans not to attack her former manager on her behalf, writing, "Sometimes ppl grow apart and that’s okay."

According to Rolling Stone, the singer claimed Punch "abruptly" stepped away from managing her. In an Instagram post addressing fans about an updated version of SOS Deluxe: LANA, which included three new tracks, she explained:

“Those were tracks punch and I spoke about releasing together prior. Obviously he stepped away abruptly so sorting the drop out was a bit tricky . Pls Give me a second .. they’ll be loaded.”

While Punch did not explicitly comment on the split, he posted cryptic tweets at the time. One read, “Madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push.” In a follow-up post, he added, “Also, nothing real can be threatened. Relax ppl. lol”

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SZA signed with TDE in 2013

Punch has managed SZA since she signed with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013, two years after they met while she was working at a merch booth at Kendrick Lamar's CMJ showcase in NYC. Lamar was previously signed to TDE but parted ways with the record label in 2022 to start his independent creative communications company, pgLang.

SZA released her debut album, Ctrl, in 2017, followed by SOS in 2022. Her sophomore album was reissued in December 2024 as the deluxe version titled SOS Deluxe: LANA.

Speculations of SZA's unhappiness with TDE as a label circulated on social media ahead of the release of her 2022 album, SOS. Punch addressed these rumors in an interview with Vulture in August 2022, saying:

“I’m not going to say there’s never been contention. There’s always contention, especially when you’re dealing with creative. Difference in opinions, it happens, but that doesn’t mean somebody is unhappy or anything. It could’ve been a conversation in the moment. Then a lot of speculation happens. I get it. We have to remember that context is important and you never get the full story through tweets.”

In a December 2023 interview with Variety, Punch spoke about taking the heat for the singer when she faced criticism from fans regarding delays in her project. He said that he preferred being the "fall guy" instead of his artist taking the blame.

“I understand that people need a fall guy, a bad guy. So I prefer that to be me than the artist. I don’t need her focusing on that while she’s making these records. I’ll take that,” he said.

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In other news, SZA is gearing up for her joint Grand National Tour with Kendrick Lamar, scheduled to begin in North America between April and June 2025. The pair will continue their tour in Europe and the UK between July and August.

The singer also joined Lamar when he headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in February. The duo performed Luther from Lamar's 2024 LP GNX and All The Stars, the Oscar-nominated track from Black Panther.

Additionally, she recently starred in the 2025 tragicomedy movie One Of Them Days, alongside Keke Palmer.