Anyone who manages to not be overshadowed by Beyoncé is inarguably a force to be reckoned with. The eclectic singer/songwriter has rather limited overlap with the musical stylings of her aforementioned sister. Aside from the shared decision to be known only by her first name, Solange is a divergent musical titan unto herself.
She first found success as the pen behind some of Destiny’s Child’s better-known works, including “Bad Habit,” off the group's final album, Destiny Fulfilled. Despite the conflicts which followed the female trio, Solange’s work as a writer, backup dancer, and emergency stand-in prepared her for the release of her 2002 debut album, Solo Star, when she was only 17 years old. Despite selling more than 100,000 copies in the U.S. alone, the album’s middling reviews prefaced her six-year hiatus from solo music. In the meantime, she expanded her reach by continuing to write, this time for the solo projects of ex-Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland, Beyonce, and Michelle Williams. As each of the former members’ careers advanced and brought them to new collaborators, Solange found herself in the company of creatives like Mark Ronson, “Uptown Funk”, and CeeLo Green, “F*ck You.”
The inspiration from these kindred spirits eventually pooled together, resulting in them deciding to create what would become Solange’s 2008 sophomore album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams. The long-awaited piece was an ode to the female-led Motown roots of her childhood inspirations. With her at the helm this time as co-executive producer, both critics and audiences were more receptive to her work. Despite the open floodgates of opportunity, Solange was patient in generating her next major body of work. At last, she received widespread critical acclaim in 2016 with the release of her years-long musical effort, A Seat at the Table. The album was her first number-one LP Billboard debut, keeping fans so hungry for more that returned in relatively swift fashion with 2019’s When I Get Home.
