A Seat at the Table

How did she get a record deal, does she have a famous sister or something? I joke, but I don't find this good or memorable. Solange has a nice voice and the production is decent, but it's so one-note and no songs jump out. I get that the album is offering important social critcritique but because the music is so uninspiring the message doesn't hit home for me.

I still remember when this one dropped like it was yesterday. The audacity of Solange--I hadn't really heard from her since the banger that is "Losing You", and then suddenly she drops an album right up there with, if not beyond, the best work of her sister. What's her name again? Oh yeah, Beyonce. Of course, they aren't competition but I was so impressed with Solange's style displayed on here, it's got a delicate touch that reminds me of like D'Angelo or Erykah Badu, just a refreshing neo-soul cleanser to R&B that I think is always welcome. Her voice is subdued but has its own power, and the grooves throughout are so comforting. Not to mention the unwavering messages of Black empowerment that carry throughout. In a year stacked with so, so many incredible albums (2016 has yet to be matched in my opinion), she managed to get the top spot for a lot of people. Not me, but she made my list for sure. Hearing it again today, I wish I had a time machine to beat my own ass for not holding it in higher regard. This album is perfect, deal with it. Back to back 5's again, I don't mind. Favorite tracks: Junie, Don't Touch My Hair, Cranes in the Sky, Mad, Weary, FUBU. Album art: Absolutely love this picture. Hairclips looking like butterflies. She's got the thousand yard stare, the sort of jaded glare that says, without words, "don't touch my hair." 5/5

Legit the most boring album I think I've heard on this list so far. Which is a shame, because the themes Solange sings about are so powerful, but bar Cranes in the Sky, I didn't like the album: there was so much disconnect between words of anger and despair and the slow tempo and repetitiveness of the music.

Okay, I really love this. I love the stories interspersed throughout. I love the musical style. I love the message. It’s just good all around.

Almost screamed when I got this album, I used to listen to it often on the way to my college classes. A timeless album about being black and dealing with hate. However theres a lot about finding self love and love for the culture. An album about being unbreakable, even if you feel broken and always finding a space for yourself.

Dave Davies, Dennis and Carl Wilson, Mike McCartney, Martin Kemp, Danii Minogue, Liam Gallagher. Rock & roll is littered with the less able, slightly less attractive siblings of talented musicians who only got in the band because of mothers' threats or who got a record deal because an executive thought that talent must run in families*. They were wrong and Solange is a fine example of that. In one song I genuinely thought she was singing about shitting her knickers. But she wasn't. And that's about as exciting as this album got. Bland, monotonous and boring. With tedious 'interludes' (if I want to be talked at I'll listen to a podcast or the news thanks). 2 stars as it might have some use as background. But then with songs about shitty knickers maybe not even that. * Bros and Jedward? Not even going there!

Really gave this a try as had an opinion of her as just a pop stars sister, wish I hadn't as this is arty music for 12 year olds, no introspection or even a decent beat in the entire album.

I like her voice, especially her ability to layer beautiful harmonies. And the backing production is lush and spacious. But I agree with Andy Gill in The Independent, who credited Knowles for acknowledging "a world beyond romantic cliche", but concluded "there's little punch or pop charm to the album, which boasts a surfeit of luscious textures and feisty attitudes, but a shortfall of killer melodies." I want tunes that grab me a bit more. There are few songs that really leap out; Cranes in the Sky and FUBU come closest. I could well live without the interludes; I understand that they accentuate her political stance, especilly with regards to race, but it is 10 minutes of filler on an album that ambles along at best. The interludes just drag.

Wow, what a cohesive, beautiful album. I had heard a couple of songs from this before, but listening to the whole thing through was such a treat. Powerful lyrics, beautiful atmospheric instrumentation, and great, smooth vocals.

Lyrically was ok, musically it ended and spotify moved on to 4 different artist and I didn't even notice!

R&B, but sort of transcends genre convention. Inventive arrangements and feels very personal. Profound and groovy, which is a hard balance to strike!

I think the cover of this album is just about the most perfect depiction of what I felt listening to this album. The vibe of the album is intentional, pure, sparsely adorned, and holds your attention. The beats and arrangements are generally mellow and ride somewhere between jazz, hip-hop, funk and R+B. The instrumentals themselves are subtle and provide the solid foundation for the vocals, which always take center stage. Stand out tracks for me include \"Weary\", \"Mad\" (where Lil Wayne contributed some genuinely heartfelt lines) and \"F.U.B.U\". My sense of engagement with the album was disrupted by the occasional track where Solange's vocals sounded thin or strained. \"Where Do We Go\" is one such example, where I almost felt myself needing a warm cup of water and to take some extra breaths. Not sure what that was about, because it seemed really uncharacteristic when considered against the rest of the album. That aside, I found the whole album to be really engaging and a welcomed introduction to an artist I'd never heard of before.

Same beat on every song. Possibly the most forgettable album of all time?

Incredible production and songwriting throughout the entire album. Not every song catches my attention but it’s a very unique album that blends so many different influences that it completely becomes it’s own sound. 5/5

The politest thing to say is that this album and style of music is not my thing at all. Losing You from Solanges previous album is a great pop tune. There is nothing on this mid paced dreary r&b follow up that comes anywhere close. The interludes are annoying and the guests do nothing to add to the record. No idea how this could be in the best 1001 anything! One star is generous!

Laid back and confident soul album that plays around with hip-hop, funk and world-music without feeling like it's trying to hard. Really good stuff.

A Seat at the Table Although Solange’s voice doesn’t have the power and range of Beyonce’s it does have a lovely, delicate slightly ethereal tone to it, which I really like. She also doesn’t have Beyonce’s predilection for a bit of bombast, and combined with the slightly downbeat off kilter, spacey jazz tinged r’n’b soul pop music on this it gives her the air of the detached, odder, quirkier but cooler sibling I really like the feel of this Rise, the bass is great along with the simple laid back melody. The bass on Weary is also great and that little piano is lovely. Cranes in the Sky is truly excellent. I love the percussion and bass but how the musical touches like the synth that sounds like a shamisen contribute to the overall feeling of sadness of the lyrics. Great floaty vocal too. Mad has that slightly over-recorded percussion and bass sound that keeps appearing, which I really like, and another great vocal too. Don't You Wait is a lovely bit of r’n’b pop, I like the guitar and slightly over-saturated synth drum pad. This does feel like it has a kinship with the Kendrick Lamar albums we’ve had, which makes sense with Sampha appearing on Don’t Touch My Hair, another fantastic track. The horns and synths are great and the whole thing has a sense of drowsy frustration. Where Do We Go and FUBU have a similar percussive feel and I like the broken atmosphere of Where Do We Go and some of the synths on FUBU are great, with another great vocal. Borderline’s piano line evokes a kind of wistfulness, but is abruptly accompanied by the slightly discordant percussion. Maybe not the strongest melody but a great track. Junie is a lovely bit of squiggly hybrid r’n’b funk, momentarily taking us away from the detached sense of despair that populates the rest of the album. Don’t Wish Me Well returns to the off kilter patterns of Cranes in the Sky and Don’t Touch My Hair, again the pervading sense of sadness is embodied by the percussion and synths. Scales is a suitably low key closer and in keeping with the whole feel of the album. This is also, for the genre, slightly unusual in that the interludes are actually worthwhile, tying together the connecting thread of race and blackness that runs through a lot of the songs. . This really does feel like a coherent album, each track shares a common feel despite the massive list of producers and contributors, but the overall sense of sadness, despair and frustration is so well conveyed musically. The lack of ornamentation and clean but soulful production and the thoughtfulness of the instrumentation supports that feeling, giving it some room to breathe and allowing subtleties and nuances and the edge underneath it all to come through. It has enough melody and musicality to be interesting but is also rhythmically fantastic (I love the percussion throughout) and a great overall sound. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did on the first listen and I enjoyed it more and more throughout the day. A great modern soul record with a slightly unusual edge to it, it's an easy 4 seats at the table for me. Definitely one I’ll come back to. 🪑🪑🪑🪑 Playlist submission: Cranes in the Sky

Thoughtful and thought provoking - a tour of ideas as well as musical styles and sounds.

Minimal, jazz inflected soul and R&B. Mellowed my mind after a rough day at work.

Her voice is stunning. Moments on this album are great, lovely harmonies, funky beats, sunny vibes, provocative lyrics, and I get that it speaks loudly politically. But generally theres not a lot of catchy melodies, and I think this flavour of funk/soul/rnb is not really my cup of tea. I want to like it more than I do, cos Solange is an icon.

Some of the arrangement was really nice but overall it was repetitive

Inoffensive but symptomatic of the need to add semi popular shite in later editions of the book to justify a reissue.

Before I started this album I was wondering if I was going to nope out of it. In my initial research pre-album I saw that this was a double album and only the artists 3rd. What makes one think they can put out a double LP worth of bangers on only your 3rd shot. Is it because your sister is famous as fuck and you think that you'll be as good as that. Only a listen will tell. Well I made it through almost all of it, most if that was while I was on hold with a medical billing group so there is that. This does not deserve a double album or 21 tracks, the interludes were terrible, this album is terrible according to discogs she only put out one more album (as of 10/14/2025) so who knows.

Yowza mama. This fucks heavy. Its like old school R&B charm, flow and production rolled up and delivered on a platinum piece of alien spaceware. I'm very impressed by the song structure, the melody, the instrumentation. The pacing is aces. This album is an instant 5 stars and I'm probably gonna hone in on this.

11/19/2021 Today's Album: "A Seat at the Table" by Solange - I did a little bit of research on this album when I was unable to actually listen to it and found out that Solange is Beyonce's younger sister and after listening to this album, it is obvious that the talent in the family doesn't stop at her big sister. This album was enjoyable from start to finish. Her subtle vocals, but harsh criticisms on race are complimented by simple, but effective lo-fi instrumentals that are some of the best produced ones that I have heard. The album almost flew by despite it's more than 50 minute runtime and I attribute that to the way this album kept my interest throughout the entire project. I was either appreciating her vocals, a lyric, an interesting addition to the instrumentals, or one of the biting racially charged interludes that split up the main tracklist. These interludes give the audience a clear message for the whole album, which is one of Solange choosing to not accept or take the time to learn of what America is because of how broken, unfair, and disrespectful America has been to her race. Songs like Mad, Don't you Wait, Don't Touch my Hair, and a many others all point to this idea of black culture being stepped on and abused by American systems and Solange's refusal to be okay with any of it or accept any of it. She pretty much talks to the entire white US population during the album as if she was talking about her relationship with a single person, which allows for a lot of interesting comments and critique. Overall, this album floored me. It was so subtle, but packed such a punch and every few seconds I was being surprised by a new sound, with everything sounding so organic and natural within the mix. Great vocals, great music, great message, and great vibes. This is a killer record for sure. Score: 9.5/10 A masterpiece Highlights: Essentially every non-interlude track

Rather enjoyed this one. Really like the atmosphere she builds, especially with layers of vocals. For the most part fairly spare in terms of arrangements with plenty of breathing room to hear everything distinctly in the mix. Has a pristine sort of sound but the basslines and drumbeats keep it from being too delicate. Love the mixture of aesthetics from different eras blended together. Sounds great on headphones. Appreciated the clips of speech used as interludes - really adds to the atmosphere and grounds it in reality with a dramatic power. Ignorantly, I had no idea she was Beyonce's sister! This is a 4.5 for me but man I think I'm going to round it up to 5 because I can't believe this one slipped past me! Super impressed. Thanks 1001!

Every once in a while an album comes along that challenges and expands the notion of what an album can be. This is one of those albums. It's political, soothing, and is just so expansive that it's beyond classification. I didn't listen to this album when it was topping the end of the year lists in 2016 and I really should have been. It deserved its place at the top.

My new conspiracy theory is that solange's sound completely reinvented Tyler the Creator into making Flower Boy. The timelines don't really line up but I don't care. This is a great instrumental album, the vocals are wonderful, the messaging is fantastic, but nothing here hits me in a way where I feel a need to listen to any of it again. I think this falls squarely into the beautiful tier list that is growing in popularity of "albums I can listen to with my wife in the car and we both enjoy it."

I hadn't ever heard of this album before, and what a pleasant surprise it was! The music is beautiful and the message is strong. I actually really liked the way the interludes fit into this album, they worked pretty well as transitions between tracks. Favorite tracks: "Cranes in the Sky," "Don't Wish Me Well"

What a superb record celebrating heritage with catchy but emotionally charged performances

A great album. Was really refreshing to get something truly modern also. Top notch storytelling, great production and performances, cool historical callbacks and interludes. The real ones know who the best Knowles sister is.

I liked this more than I expected. A lot of lyrics I could relate to, and really just a great, melodic listen.

Dit album is op mij gaan groeien. James blake achtige beats. Het genre wat ik leuk vind. Het album heeft mij wel verrast. De derde keer was het leukst. Ik snap alleen niet dat er tegenwoordig zoveel voicememo’s op albums staan. Ik geef het 4,5 sterren. Misschien later de volledige 5 sterren.

Very quality. One of the best R&B albums I’ve heard Although I don’t care for all the “ayo being black is sooo beautiful and amazing” shit

So is this Beyonce's sister? I am unclear who this is. On one hand, that's got to be tough. On another, what an opportunity to apparently discover her talent as well. This album has a smooth vibe. Solange's vocals are sweet and commanding. Cranes in the Sky and Mad are standout great tracks. Don't You Wait feels like it belongs in an awesome 80s action movie. Where Do We Go channels the Elton John - Bennie and the Jets punctuated piano. This album is a surprising delight!

I didn’t realize how good of a voice solange had until I listened to this. This was mostly better than the Beyoncé album I got a while back just based off the voice and production. Every song was enjoyable but there were a few too many interludes. Fav songs: weary, don’t touch my hair

I never would have heard this albumnif not for this project. I really enjoyed it. Great, jazzy, expressive singing, heartfelt lyrics and interesting arrangements 4 stars

Beautiful and powerful! Love how the interludes are worked in and add to the emotion of the music.

Honestly hesitant to listen this album. Figured it wasn't my thing because I am in the minority with thinking this family is overrated. I was pleasantly surprised to learn how wrong I was. This was a great album with amazing rhythm and beats.

This is a strong album from Solange, who emerged as her own force receiving critical praise and attention with this outing. Her voice soars and eases the listener into a smooth experience.

Great voice, nothing special musically

Started off really strongly with Rise, which immediately caught our attention and had us ready for a high-quality album. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to this initial high and we found the rest of the album slightly mediocre.

216/1001 Solange - A Seat at the Table Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ This is absolutely fine. Whilst I agree with the sentiment of the lyrics, it's watered down by the somewhat samey style of music that's carrying it (not that I dislike it at all). It's not surprising to me in the least, that the only song from the album I've heard prior to this is Cranes In The Sky, which is really the only standout track.

Actually, I liked it more than I thought. Message was strong. Laid back musically. Maybe at times, too laid back but it suited the material better than throbbing synth pop beats. Too many interludes made it bloated but this was an okay album, even though it's not in my wheelhouse.

I liked the activism in this album, but I can’t say the same for the music itself. I don’t know what it was; it could be the slow tempo, the unexciting melody, or how similar all of the songs were, but it just didn’t hit. It was still a good listen, though. I really liked the way they faded the songs together; it was really well “built” as an album. It felt so much shorter than it was since I lost track of how many songs I’d listened to, because I didn’t even know when a song started or ended. It was just that well blended.

I agree with the statement, but I didn’t find the music very compelling.

I'm almost starting to believe people only made R'n'B in the past 10 years

3/5 Amazing, soothing vocals. The entire album was incredibly chill, and it was made clear the political stance it took. However, nothing jumped out at me and it was as a result, quite boring musically. I was wanting it to end after a certain point.

Gostei bastante, nunca tinha ouvido o álbum todo. Tem uma boa vibe, não sendo extraordinário.

This is pretty great. Elegant arrangements, lovely vocals, with a strong message. It has a bit of a throwback quality. The flow of the album feels a little Janet or Lauryn Hill-ish, particularly with all the interludes. She actually overdid it with the interludes, but the album was enjoyable overall. Fave Songs: Junie, Weary, Don't Touch My Hair, Don't Wish Me Well

This seems like a more chill Beyonce to me. If you described this album to me, I would think it was right up my alley. Nothing here makes me think this is a must listen album. Confused as to why it is in the list. Not groundbreaking and not influential, rather it is influenced by others. I really like the themes discussed on the album, but it still does not make me want to re-listen. Even lil Wayne and Q-Tip doesn’t save it for me.

Ok, I can give it credit for being an important document for black women and black people in general, but I’m neither of those things and I’m judging this on musical merit. It’s shit. It’s like a LiveLaughLove sticker in musical form. It’s for people that have French bulldogs, or drive poverty spec white Range Rover Evoques on finance, or live in new build greige boxes on soulless estates. And it’s 51 minutes long, and has 18 producers credited on Wikipedia - something something cooks something something broth.

Her voice is beautiful however every song sounds basically the same. Booooooooooring.

Solange is a new artist for me. I know she has a famous sister, and that some critics liked at least one of her albums. No, this is not for me. I get that others see the value in her voice, the production and the samples, but for me it gets soo boring.

A Seat at the Table I kept waiting for the food.

Barb couldn’t think of anything she liked about it, when I asked her. I think it’s interesting in the beats and grooves.

Acoustic r'n'b with below average melodies, a welcome first appearance from Lil Wayne on any album on this list, some sporadically fabulous drums and bass, and interludes that don't just add gestalt but also the best arrangements on the album--which is a bit weird.

This album is not a style I would normally listen to. And I found the album to be more interesting thematically than musically. The spoken tracks mixed in talking about the Black American experience was cool and was interesting to listen to. Honestly, if I was going to re-listen to this I'd consider just listening to the spoken sections. There were a few instrumental parts that made me perk up, generally when they pulled in some blues or funk elements. But it was never enough to keep me really interested through an entire song. I do like how the album flows in and out of the spoken bits into from one song to another. Overall, not much really stood out for me. I can't say that any song is bad, just that I found it musically uninteresting. Favorite Songs: Cranes in the sky

Relentless drivel, one star. This sounded like an average, horrendous R&B album, but sung by someone with literally no talent for singing whatsoever.

Very boring. Couldn’t get through it.

Truly awful 🥹

I haven't listened to hip hop and what is being served here at 1001 is turning me off it.

Rubno neslušljivo 😬 na trenutak mi se učinilo da bi moglo biti zanimljivo i onda je postalo naporno. 1/5, 1/10

I really have this one a good go, think I got halfway before tapped out. Really uninspiring, another album that somehow made this list.

Absolutely drivel. Crockashit waste of my time

She has a pretty voice. That is the only positive thing I can say about this record. This album was 10 songs too long. Way too many interludes. Also it was boring as fuck and I just wanted it to end the whole time. Awful 1/10

Why is this on the list.

it cant get duller than this

What? Why? Just why is this in the list? I can only assume that the collator of the list has some kind of deep love for warbling vibrato.

I hate interludes. Hard to hear lyrics, too soft voice

Pleasant, but immediately forgettable.

Absolutely terrible modern R&B.

Not my style

Not my kind of music.

More modern R&B. This album at least is trying to use more interesting instrumentation than some of the others on this list - it's just like other albums on the list similar to this - THERE'S NO TUNES. More interesting / random instrumentation can't make up for the fact that this music is dull. Either I'm getting too old or this music really is as shit as I think it is. And it can't be me. It's the children who are wrong. Best Tracks: Rise; Weary; F.U.B.U.

Not my cup of tea. Appreciate the messages throughout the album but the music didn't captivate me in the least. Looked forward to it ending. 1/5

Something reminds me Beyoncé, look of vocalist, some of the songs. But this probably not my type of music. Slowly and quietly. And I haven't liked that short interludes between songs in the album. Cranes in the Sky music video, 10/10.

It’s cool, it’s listenable, and it says something Very good!

5/11/26. After listening again several years later, I'm still amazed at the production and storytelling. Severely underrated album, likely due to her more popular sister and a silly headline in the 2010s. Very proud, personal, and soulful.

Beautiful! Loved it. Im happy that thanks to this generator I finally let myself listen to it.

She doesn't have as good a voice as her sister, but you can tell that she understands music. Or she had a lot of help. Or both, honestly. Musically, this album is pretty incredible, and pair that with its messaging and celebrating of black culture and music, and I'm a big fan. This is sick. The beats are incredible; the music is really well crafted. There's a lot of great interludes about living as a black person/musician in an inherently racist world. It's a really great album. Her voice does hold it back a bit for me, but it's fairly insignificant, because I do think that her voice works really well in the style. Also, the middle of the album gets... I know it's also a bit outdated, but I can't find a better word... PHAT. There's just no better word I can think of to describe music that's slow tempo but still really beat heavy. Favorite Song(s): Cranes in the Sky, Where Do We Go, F.U.B.U

Smooth listening and good vibes. Love the collaborations.

This is a really great album, musically interesting and beautiful, deeply personal and broadly social and historical. Usually I dislike interludes between songs, but in this album I really enjoy them, and don't constantly feel the urge to skip to the next track. 4.5/5. definitely belongs on the Must Hear list. I think I'll round up.

Smoooooooooth. Everything from the instrumentals to lyrics to vocals work together beautifully. This is an album arranged so meticulously that there’s no altering the set list- it needs to be exactly the way it is, and that’s not been true very often for the other albums we’ve covered so far. I also really like the interludes because while they don’t necessarily need to be here to get the themes across, their inclusion still really ties the album together while walking the walk. It would have been a crime not to include this album.

An absolutely beautiful work of art. Solange's voice commands attention but never takes attention away from some of the incredible production beneath her. The inclusion of so many interludes adds a sense of clarity to the album's themes and message and makes the album stand out in the world of pop.

Bedroom pop from the House of Knowles. What I like best about this album is the juxtaposition between its indie, Casiotone moments; its empowered neo-soul moments; and the deep history of the interlude stories. I think there are so many artists of the subsequent decade we wouldn’t have heard without this album creating that template. That she’s Beyoncé’s little sister just adds to the achievement, because she went so quiet and subtle when the family brand is bodacious. I might consider it more of a 4.5 than a 5 because no song quite measures up with “Cranes in the Sky” but I’m bumping it up to a 5 for her artistic vision and influence. Even as a suburban white dude, something about this album made me say, “Yes, she did it, now what can I do?”

So beautiful

Beautiful, well produced and well sung album. It was dreamy and funky and I just floated through it's tracklist in bliss

I don't know why but I was captivated by this album. I chalk it up to be that I just love R&B and the interludes were pretty interesting.

Жесть, этому альбому уже 10 лет…. Помню как его хайпили во время выхода. Спустя декаду звучит так же приятно, лайфово, актуально и красиво. Хорошее все-таки было десятилетие. Второй ее альбом 2019 года тоже классный. В тысячу раз вайбовее всего творчества систы….

Этот альбом удачно вышел в эпоху хайпа вокруг интимного рнб. При повторном прослушивании обнаружила, что активно слушала его в год выхода, но ничего особо о нем не помню. Бейонсе стёрла память людям, чтобы они забыли о куда более талантливой музыке её сестры? Но показалось, что альбома слишком много, к концу уже начала уставать, но в целом на уровне недавнего lp от Эрики Баду для меня. Здорово, что в челендже есть и новые альбомы, я думала, что подборка закончилась на 2015

Sehr geiler Sound, hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen - 5 Sterne

Bey's sister got pipes.

loved this, her voice is so good

Beyoncé: easy listen Her sister: exciting listen Real Talented family fr fr

In this game you cannot be too extreme (Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten, etc) or too subtle. If you listen in there is so much to discover in this album's arrangements never mind the personal and political in the lyrics.

relaxing and beautiful

FINALLY an album I like from a genre I love! Solange is Solange. The dialogue interludes created an atmosphere that evokes this feeling of the power and history of being black - so beautifully put together! 'Cranes in the Sky' is just so amazing. This might be the first album that I agree everyone should listen to before they die - it's a very important listen - it's what being black is all about.

Almost 10 years old, but it still sounds as fresh as the day it dropped. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. This is, much like “Untitled (Black Is)”, an album about black positivity, black excellence, and black affirmation. I am a half-Filipino, white-passing male. I once again fully acknowledge that I can’t ever fully relate to this album, or the black experience, but I can continue to listen and do my part to make this world a better place, and that includes lifting up albums like this that so deeply acknowledges what it is to be black, both in the positives & the negatives, and share a better understanding of that experience. It does a pretty good job of expressing that experience – while it doesn’t feel as vividly & as dazzlingly painted as what SAULT did, this takes a much more confidently feminine approach, portraying a sort of softer simmered anger about the day-to-day microaggressions that simply come with being black in this country. It’s not going for the jugular here; it’s just asking to be heard out, and it’s more than worth hearing out, from both a messaging standpoint & a musical standpoint. It’s certainly worth hearing out from a production standpoint; Solange is not her sister and it shows, with this album drawing more from the indie hip-hop scene of the 2010s, with a touch of TPaB’s jazzier influence in there. The synth / bass / percussion work that underlines a lot of these tracks is quintessentially 2016 to my ears, and with the recent trend going around, it does feel kinda nice to go back to this style. The main 12 tracks here are all pretty good; Solange’s vocals shine through like a star, occasionally pretty comparable to her sister in its most tender harmonies. The lyrics are great, and I don’t think there’s ever a dull moment of repetition like that; it’s constantly moving forward, much like she is on “Don’t Wish Me Well”. All of the features here kill it, even if I wish some of them had more to them (Andre 3000 on “Junie” is criminally underutilized & Q-Tip feels barely present on “Borderline”), but the whole album flows really well with Solange as the star. I’d be remiss to not mention the interludes at some point – sure, it’s a little strange for Master P’s life story to take over most of them, but I think it works as a good contrast to show a bonafide success story, & with his own relationship to the family, it fits pretty well in the context of the album. I do think there might be a few too many interludes in a way that messes with the pacing of the album, but it’s never egregious. They certainly don’t ruin the quality of any of the main 12 tracks, with the transitions between them usually flowing well. Ultimately then, I’m at a 5. It’s not a super dazzling cultural phenomenon of a 5 like her sister dropped earlier in 2016 (it is criminal that “Lemonade” isn’t here given some of the hand-in-hand themes at play here), but it’s a tightly written, tightly composed album that still shines uniquely in its own way, & one that I think is worth being on the list. It’s a super strong album without a single miss throughout the 51 minutes here. The floor is a 3 if you just don’t vibe with it musically.