TMZ Hip Hop caught the Grammy winner in incognito mode at LAX, and took a shot at getting an update for the long-awaited follow-up to her 2017 monster album "Ctrl."

The album spawned 5 platinum singles -- and went 3x platinum itself -- and with music that good, it's no wonder fans have been fiending so hard.

SZA tells us her follow-up album could be dropping any day now ... which could mean tomorrow or February 2048, but she's optimistic listeners will receive the music well.

Since "Ctrl" dropped, SZA has breadcrumbed even more platinum singles ... such as "Good Days," "Hit Different" and "I Hate U" ... and says there's more where that comes from because she estimates she's sitting on 100 unreleased songs!!! 😱

There's never been a concrete reason for SZA's album delay ... she and TDE President Terrence "Punch" Henderson have traded blame for years in the public eye, but still have no project.

He recently sat down on Math Hoffa's 'Expert Opinion' podcast where he appeared to pass the hot potato to her ... hinting she can drop the album whenever she's ready.