Solange
A Seat at the Table
(Columbia Records)

Solange! Solange! With A Seat at the Table, Solange has provided a breath of fresh air. It’s been a while since we have heard from her. Solange for me has always been the martyr for independent, thinking artists. She has an uncanny freedom that can be forced or faked. She’s been DJ’ing and a fashionista among other things. I’m glad she took a moment to create. Her fourth release is a pleasantly soul-filled album full of conscious and eye-opening topics. I must start with my absolute favorite song and her first single, “Cranes in the Sky,” which silently expresses how we all struggle and all have coping mechanisms. “F.U.B.U.” is a 2016 “black and proud” in my eyes, though she never says it outright. “Don’t Touch My Hair” feels like the reprise; it goes into depth on the black woman experience and everything attached to that. Solange is very keen on subtleties, yet she gets her points across in a jazz-filled vibe. It keeps me grooving all the while she’s  singing on issues we’re currently facing. “Weary” feels like “What’s Going On?” in the sense that this project demands you to listen. It’s refreshing to hear music with a message. It’s a voice for issues that many artists don’t want to be held accountable to have to address. I felt like kindred spirits with Solange and a song like “Mad” explains why. I interpreted it in my own way and you should too. Art reflects life, and this album to me is art. Take a listen when you have time to take it all in.