SZA was ‘scared and freaked out’ at Glastonbury

US singer-songwriter SZA says she was “scared” and “freaked out” during her headline set at Glastonbury festival in June.

The star’s performance was beset by technical issues, which left her voice muffled and distorted for at least 30 minutes.

She also drew a noticeably smaller crowd than the weekend’s other performers, which led to some comments online questioning her suitability as a headline act.

Reflecting on the show, the star told British Vogue: “I just felt like nothing I could do would be enough for Glastonbury, no matter what I did.”

The singer’s fantastical set took place against a woodland backdrop

“It scared me. I was like, well, I wish I wasn’t doing it, but I couldn’t walk away from it.”

The singer said she had also felt pressure as the “second black woman in history” to headline the festival (Beyoncé was the first in 2011, although Skin from the band Skunk Anansie also has a claim to the title, after headlining in 1999).

“It’s such a tall order,” SZA told Vogue. “It’s like, no matter what you do here, you will be subject to criticism because of who you are.

“But that’s life. That’s life, you know?”

The star, whose hits include Kill Bill, Kiss Me More and Nobody Gets Me, was widely rumoured to have been bumped up the bill after another US artist pulled out.

She was also programmed against four other major acts: French electronic music duo Justice on the West Holts stage, James Blake on Woodsies, London Grammar on the Park Stage and The National on the Other Stage.

Despite a low turn-out, SZA’s Glastonbury set was well-received. Highly theatrical, it saw the 35-year-old perform inside a mossy grotto, singing on top of a giant mechanical beetle and ascending a tree trunk in fairy wings.

In a five star review, the Guardian called the show “peculiar” but “hugely rewarding”.

Highlighting the star’s intricate choreography, the Independent, awarded four stars, saying “melancholy, oddly intimate” performance “frequently leaves you breathless.”

The BBC’s own review praised her “spectacular vocal command” and “compelling stage presence”, but that the Pyramid Stage had been the “wrong venue”.

SZA is the cover star of the latest edition of British Vogue, which goes on sale on 19 November

The singer, whose real name is Solána Imani Rowe, told Vogue it had been difficult to see the audience, which made her feel “freaked out” and like she was “drowning on stage” as well as “failing”.

However, she relaxed after receiving what she described as a sign from the African goddess Yemayá.

“It was a reminder that your guardians are with you. Everyone’s here. Even beyond. Keep going,” she said.