The evolution of Solange

Hey music lovers, instrument enthusiasts and Solange stans alike!

With the release of Solange's new album I think it's time to review the artist who is the closest to musical escapism most people will get. Now I’ve been jamming to Sol for quite some time now. Her first album I got into was Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams which was still very close to mainstream as Solange still danced on the fringes of commercialism. The album features heavy synth pop and doo wop influences in many of the tracks such as ‘Sandcastle Disco’ and ‘I Decided’. The album also features light jazz such as the hit T.O.N.Y. Although Solange has never shied  away from double meanings and metaphors in her music and many of the tracks although seeming to be about love or relationships are actually about the American election or her relationship with her son’s father. Solange herself was still quite influenced by the American Western beauty standards which I guess made her easier to digest commercially but woke sol was soon approaching. I really enjoyed this album and one of my favourites was Sandcastle Disco, listen here:

With the next emergence of her music came a more Afrocentric sound and heavy bass with a clearer jazz influence. Although quite a few years later Solange's themes hadn't changed still very bright colourshemes in her visuals and the air of nostalgia. However Solange was now  rocking with the natural hair movement and many of her songs on the EP "True" took an upbeat alternative route in terms of a less traditional rhythm. Here's another one of my favourites:

By 2016 with the release of "A Seat at the Table" Solange was now fully immersed in the world of being big, black and woke. With a majority of her songs being a commentary of society and her experiences, she paid homage to her roots in artistic declaration of unapologetic blackness. On this album she tackles difficult subjects such as white privilege, black hair, suicide, mental health, love and loss, self-discovery just to name a few. Her songs were now taking more inspiration from New Orleans blues, Neo soul as well as traditional R&B.  The album lacks the innuendo the previous two do.This album was a statement, to those who didn't know her before. 'I am Solange, not just Beyonce's sister- I am Solange and I have a hell of a lot to say'. Although this album is notably an artwork, as at some points it felt like one line song and the narrative is extremely strong. This track featuring Lil' Wayne is one of the songs that stands out for me:

3 years on and "When I Get Home" - Solange's new album almost feels like a second part to 2016's masterpiece with many of the songs keeping in the same musical genre and structure. Solange kept the monologues in preludes between tracks except this time she is at her wokest yet. The albums also taking a much less commercial route losing the bright colours for album and music video visuals and now featuring a lot of pastel and deep earthy colours perhaps to represent the reconnection to her roots. Some of the themes are clearly a nod to afrofuturism however some songs were even to deep for me to see...or imagine. Or see what Imagined....see what I imagined....what I saw...what I imagined (*repeats for 6 minutes until you find a meaning*).

But one of the lighter songs is a fun Caribbean-style bop which gives me summer vibes, although premature, completely welcome. "Binz" is a song to let your hair down to and one I'm sure will be playing at this year's BBQs in no time.

So what's next for Solange?

It would be futile for me to even try to predict what Solange's mind will produce next. Will her album really all be one track? One monologue with songs in between? An album of complete silence? Either way I'm intrigued to see what's next...