Iโll admit I know absolutely nothing about Solange and I donโt think Iโm alone in that. Aside from the now infamous elevator incident and the fact that sheโs Beyonceโs sister, she might as well have not existed in my world. I know she made music but I always wrote it off, because rarely does the younger siblingsโ work come close to the oldersโ (Ashley Simpson, Jamie Spears). But when I saw the video for โDonโt Touch My Hairโ I was floored. If the rest of A Seat at the Tableย sounded half as good as that, then Iโve seriously been missing out on something special.
โDonโt feel bad if you canโt sing along
Just be glad you got the whole wide world
This us
This shit is from us
Some shit you canโt touchโ
The production onย A Seat at the Table is spectacular. Thereโs no other way to describe it. Itโsย neo-soul taken to a whole other level; chock full of blues, southern horns, funk, and VIBES. โJunieโ layers funky synths over some upbeat percussions and a soft guitar loop before breaking into gospel-like piano keys. Itโs a soul infused nod to groups like The Ohio Players. โF.U.B.Uโ is full of drowsy horns, slow claps and shakers, and is backed by a smooth deep bass line. โDonโt You Waitโ has a killer, stuttering bass line paired with intermittent kicks and piano keys. If thereโs one thing Iโd take away from the production is the decidedly southern homages of both past and present. This is some of the best production Iโve heard all year.
โThe streets say youโre a king
The world says youโre a failure
And your mother is a queen
But damn she always tells ya
โYou gonโ end up like your daddy
But damn that nigga fresh
So if it all comes out to plan
You gonโ end up like the best.โ
The nod to her southern roots can be found throughout the project, as she peppers sound bites throughout the album from southern influencers. With some especially dope and surprising interludes from Master P. Whereas her sister waded in the shallow end of black consciousness and appreciation of black culture withย Lemonade, Solange dove inย the deep endย head first.ย A Seat at the Table is full of themes about black history, identity, empowerment, and healing. Itโsย honest, raw, social commentary that both acknowledges and pays homage to the past while looking towards the future. But her expert artistry kept it all from coming off heavy handed.
Have you heardย A Seat at the Table? Whatโd you think about it? Did you expect this from Solange? Do you think it handled itโs themes effectively? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave a rating for the album.
