SZA Turns an Art Troll Into a Reason to Shop: ‘Being a Hater Gets Expensive, Ain’t It?’

SZA has somehow turned some hateful comments into somebody else’s payday.

The R&B singer recently came across an online commenter criticizing artist Adam Nassih’s colorful balloon animal sculptures. When the naysayer challenged people to buy Nassih’s work, even offering to match a purchase, SZA decided to get involved — and give the artist some love in the process.

In an Instagram carousel shared Thursday (Oct. 15), SZA posed and showed off one of Nassih’s vibrant sculptures and explained how the exchange unfolded. After seeing the commenter threaten to match a purchase if anyone actually bought the artwork, she decided to call the bluff.

“I happen to catch it and said, ‘Oh! Lemme get the most expensive piece [you] got!’ [and] tagged the commenter,” she wrote in the caption.

Although SZA initially requested Nassih’s priciest piece, she ultimately purchased a smaller sculpture. Whether the commenter ever followed through on the challenge is still unclear, but SZA had something to say to people who think tearing down someone else’s artwork is worth a lot of their time.

“Being a hater gets expensive, ain’t it?” she wrote.

It’s a fitting move from an artist whose own career has been fueled by creativity and a devoted fanbase. SZA’s 2022 album SOS spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while “Kill Bill” became her first solo-led Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper in 2023. Her success has made her one of R&B’s biggest names, but this time, she’s using her platform to uplift another creative.