Did someone say Black Girl Magic?? Because that’s what Solange is serving us with her new album, A Seat at the Table, released on September 30th..
This album is a brilliant showcase of Solange’s creative and musical talent, with visuals to die for and 21 tracks we can’t get enough of. From Rise, the opener to Closing: the Chosen Ones, Solange worked her magic made of a mixture of R&B, Pop, Funk and Soul, blessing us with such a masterpiece. Even more so with the outstanding collaborations she features in them: Master P’s narratives in the interludes, Kelly Rowland, BJ The Chicago Kid, Lil Wayne, Sampha, and even the voices of her mother and father. Each of these contributions gives A Seat at the Table a unique touch where various musical genres collide.
A Seat at The Table is also a statement; it tells a story. Through her album, Solange speaks up about the racial tensions America is still facing today. This album mourns those who have lost their lives to police brutality. She opens with Rise, a song inspired by the protests for Michael Brown and Freddie Gray. “I’m weary of the ways of the world,” she tells us in Weary. She’s frustrated and “tired” in Borderline (an Ode to Self-Care). The album also gives voices to others. In Mad ,“you are allowed to go mad”, she says to Lil Wayne, as he describes a failed suicide attempt. Solange’s mother Tina Lawson lets us know that she is “proud to be black” and that doesn’t mean she is “anti-white” in Interlude: Tina Taught Me. Her father Matthew Knowles “was angry for years… angry, very angry” as he recall his time growing up in the 60s, at the peak of KKK power, in the song Interlude: Dad Was Mad.
Among all these amazing tracks, Don’t touch My Hair and FUBU stand out the most. Don’t Touch My Hair is the official Black Girl Anthem. A sentence black women can relate to without having to listen to the song. Solange refers to black women’s hair as a private aspect of their persons. She reflects on the microaggressions black women face on a daily basis. No, a black girl’s hair is not public property; it’s her crown, so no you can’t touch this hair because “You know this hair is my shit.”
Whereas Don’t Touch My Hair is mostly directed towards women, FUBU celebrates blackness as a whole. In the song, which translates to “For Us By Us,” Solange along with BJ The Chicago Kid sing “For us, this shit is for us. Don’t try to come for us.” FUBU is black empowerment, black anger, black pride.
A Seat at The Table places Solange at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, which makes her and her sister Beyonce among the few pairs of solo siblings to be No.1 on the chart. Can I get an Amen for that #BlackGirlMagic?
Now that we are all seated, let us take a moment to thank Solange on her unbelievable talent and this gift she bestowed upon us. Being unapologetically black in America is possible, a message A Seat at The Table conveys. So you better grab yourself a seat if you haven’t already because #BlackPower is about to be served.
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