[rating: 4]
Solange has undoubtedly earned her seat at the table with her fresh new album that dropped on the 27th September. The album is the work of a woman who has fully matured in her art, she has embraced a new sound and perspective which has manifested itself in a creation that isn’t far from brilliant. This is to be expected of an album that has been three years in the making.
Solange has always been outspoken on issues of race and calls this album her “project on identity, empowerment, independence, grief and healing.” She engages with black experience and culture throughout; F.U.B.U, Don’t Touch My Hair, Mad and the interludes illustrate an extremely personal experience of racism within the Knowles family, whilst also tackling wider issues such as ‘white lives matter’.
The album is certainly thematically but also sonically unified; Solange’s take on modern eclectic soul is smooth, rich and has a refreshing variation of softer and funkier rhythms. A Seat at the Table is a world away from Solange’s previous peppier pop music and oozes maturity, strength and power. Collaborations on the album range from Lil Wayne to Sampha but all serve to amplify Solange’s soft but affecting vocals.
The album stands as both a magical artistic creation and an historical ode to black women, outlining their suffering and power in the modern world. One would even go as far as to say that Solange has outdone her feist sister Beyonce, on this occasion.
