A Seat at the Table

Although you might worship Beyonce, get ready to open up your heart to another Knowles sister: Solange. With her latest album, A Seat at the Table, Solange has wowed old fans and attracted many new ones. The album has been out for less than a month and has already made its way to number one on the Billboard 200 chart. All those who have had the pleasure of listening to it have enjoyed Solange’s new album but it was especially enjoyed by the star’s fans who have taken an interest in the current struggles of African American relations. Solange’s album successfully provides insights on the difficulties she faces being an African American woman while simultaneously empowering others.Solange’s voice on the album is sweet and melodic, but it is what accompanies her harmonious voice that makes each song on the album intriguing and unique. The supplementary sounds on each track vary from instrumental to techno to gospel-inspired. One of my personal favorite songs on the album is “Cranes in the Sky” because of its minimal yet powerful accompaniment that puts Solange’s vocals in the spotlight. “Don’t Touch My Hair”, “Mad” and “Don’t You Wait” are also very significant singles on the album because they convey the issues that Solange feels are very prominent in the African-American community.A Seat at the Table has a pretty consistent pattern, in between every couple of songs is an interlude which is usually about 30 seconds to one minute long, and has a kind of poetic or conversational vibe. Each interlude sets the tone for the next few songs that follow it.  Although I really enjoyed the songs on Solange’s album, I found the interludes to be the most interesting part. Solange’s parents, Tina Lawson and Matthew Knowles, each have their own moment where they speak about their experiences of being African-American and proud. In Tina’s interlude, Tina Taught Me, she discusses her opinions on being “pro-black” and celebrating African American culture. In Matthew Knowles’ interlude, Dad was Mad, he expresses how angry it made him when he was threatened and harassed because of his race. While each interlude is fairly short, they all convey very important messages that are close to Solange’s heart.Solange Knowles’ “A Seat at the Table” is a topical, empowering and rhythmic work of art and as fans of Solange who have patiently waited for the three years that the star took to record it know, good things come to those who wait.