Solange Knowles: Setting the stage
Solange Knowles is an icon in music, her talent growing under the spotlight in the 1990’s and still today. Her career in the arts took root as a backup dancer in the 90s girl group Destiny’s Child when she was a young teenager, as she is the younger sister of (yet another music icon) BeyoncĂ©. Solange went on to release her first solo album, Solo Star, in 2002, and in 2016 won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance for her lead single “Cranes in the Sky”. Over the years, she has also worked very closely with Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange), including their collaborative album True (2012), which they co-produced together. Each of Solange’s projects particularly highlights her experiences as a Black woman navigating societal expectations and self-perception, family and friendships, and romance. “True” is a short-but-sweet, timeless electric pop reflection on navigating love at a young age, making it one of my personal top favorite albums.
true’s timeless identity
“True” blends electronic beats and soft vocals, transcending a singular genre from any particular time period. More recently, the single “Losing You” reclaimed its well-deserved popularity on social media, although every other track is just as good. Some synth moments sound like they’ve been sampled straight from late 80s pop, while including harmonies and ballads that give 90s R&B. In addition to this, each song’s sound (although unique) is upbeat and airy, fitting right in with the peak of what we now deem as pop culture’s “Tumblr-era“. As far as the album’s visual identity, it exemplifies authenticity and femininity. The album cover is a scrapbook-like collage of bright, colorful patterns featuring Solange herself, styled with an afro hairstyle, bedazzled heels, and a mismatched button-up and pants that make her a part of the collage that surrounds her. The album’s overall production is what makes its meaning even more prominent, allowing the poetic lyricism to be presented in a way that simply feels like the vulnerability and excitement of girlhood.
Prominent themes
“True” specifically delves into Solange’s experiences navigating the dating scene as a teenager, reflecting on first love and loss, conflicting feelings of desire and doubt, and where her personal identity rests within this complicated mix. The tracks “Losing You” and “Don’t Let Me Down” complement each other in displaying the undercurrent of uncertainty that inevitably follows dating, and can feel all-consuming when you realize that you just might be in too deep. The album opens with the lines “Tell me the truth boy, am I losing you for good/We used to kiss all night, but now there’s just no use… I know you’re waiting for the rest that you can get from me” in “Losing You”. Towards the end of the album, we meet this hesitation again in “Don’t Let Me Down”; The song is repetitive with the lines “If I’m with you, then rest assured that I’m in love, in love with you” and “Baby, baby, please don’t let me down”. It’s a reminder of the nagging insecurity and uncertainty that can come with new relationships, especially when you are young and hesitant
In a similar fashion, “Some Things Never Seem to Fucking Work” and “Locked in Closets” reflect on the idealization that we can often fall victim to in our first romantic experiences (and even beyond). I love the line “Remember when you kissed me/At Jimmy John’s when I was 17/Convinced myself you were the shit/Convinced myself you loved me” in “Some Things Never Seem to Fucking Work”, because it’s raw and reminiscent; a true memory in addition to the feelings she’s experienced looking back on it. It highlights that even simple moments can stick with us and mean more to us than we expect, and their meaning can change as we gain the power of hindsight. One of my favorite tracks, “Locked In Closets”, builds on this theme by displaying an introspective look at being a hopeless romantic at heart. Solange reflects on the nights she spent waiting and idealizing, just to find herself back at square one when all is said and done. “When I was just a girl, I felt just so alone/Locked myself in closets thinking, ‘if I was the only one'” and “Look at me, I’m just a girl still feeling so alone/Looking at myself, thinking, ‘Best to come, easy go.”I love this track because to me, it’s more about self-reflection and the struggle of finding your own place in romance than about placing blame or causation on the other person.
On the flip side, “Lovers in the Parking Lot” explores the pain and regret of hurting someone else. She says, “The young just live and don’t look back or wait for anyone/and maybe you loved me but I just up and wanted to run”. Dating can sometimes feel viciously unfair, but that doesn’t mean that you will never find yourself as the perpetrator. I love this song because it highlights the fast-paced rush of a short-lived connection and the aftermath of angst in not knowing if you’ve made the right choices. This is such an important feeling to explore, because it’s honest, raw, and unavoidable in the mess that is romance in high school. However, these regrets and mistakes are what hold a lot of value in our future choices and outlooks.
Another honorable mention is “Looks Good With Trouble”, which adds a very smitten touch to the album. It encapsulates the rush and addictive uncertainty of a transpiring (and somewhat hidden) romance in a fun light. Rather than worrying about what the aftermath may hold or what the connection could mean, she focuses on her feelings in the present with this person, and what it means to her in the moment. It’s a positive reminder that although hardly anything is forever, living for the moment is vital for enjoying and appreciating the experiences you’re having while you’re living them.
true’s reflective importance
Overall, “True” serves as an important appreciation for the lessons we learn as we explore “young love”. The feminine, nuanced perspectives are enough to make your teenage self feel understood and are written in a poetic manner that allows you to truly feel their importance and how they fit into your being as a young woman. Although dating culture has shifted over time, these initial waves of anxiety, desire, and uncertainty can always be found when you’re just learning how to figure things out for yourself. Although these events are in the past, they carry a different kind of importance as you carry them with you into a more adult dating scene. These messy experiences make us who we are today, and influence how we proceed in protecting our own hearts as well as how we find our place in what we actually want romantically.