Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Album #251 Solange: A Seat at the Table I don’t know why, but R&B just bores me to tears. The vocals are emotionless, so to make up for that they cram in gospel-esque harmonies; and if there is one thing I hate, it is a random gospel choir ruining a song (looking at you Leonard Cohen). The instrumentals are always so minimal that I forget that they are even there, which I guess is the point, since the music is meant to be ‘chill’, but personally I like to engage with the music I’m listening to, not just forget it’s even playing. I’m sure this album is good for what it is, and I’m not trying to argue it’s bad, just not for me and not something I would ever return to. Also, minus points for nepotism; I mean I already suffered through two Beyoncé albums. Did her sister really need to make the list as well? Strangely though I did like this album more than her sister’s work. Best Songs: Borderline, Cranes in the Sky, Where Do We Go Worst Song: Junie Score out of 10: 4
A Seat At The Table was a pretty decent R&B album. I never knew who Solange was or about her music but i am definitely well aware of her older sister's music (that older sister being Beyonce) and it is pretty evident that they are sisters since their music is certainly very similar to each other, each having that poppy R&B sound. Overall, i did like the songs on offer, they were nice to listen to and there wasn't one i would consider bad, however, I think that this album doesn't really have any stand out tracks. Every track here just kinda adds to the album's vibe rather than being good to listen to on their own. This album is decent but that's all it is. Best Song: Cranes In The Sky Worst Song: F.U.B.U.
The more talented sister
This went down much better on this listen than it did for me when it first came out. I understand the hype that it received now.
lol at the top review. I get it, music is subjective and everyone has different tastes. But to say that this music is uninspired is a joke. The production is incredible and complimentary to her voice, the features gave some of their best work, and most importantly, the message in the music was potent and necessary. This album inspired the next generation of R&B and is widely heralded as being one of the best albums to come out that year! And 2016 was a heavy-hitting year for music, btw. Anyways, happy ten years to an album that caused a crater when it landed & still holds up to this day!
Apple Music have this curated in their ‘100 Best Albums’ and surely I don’t believe it sorry - it’s good! Don’t get me wrong but 100 best??? Sadly disagree
Pretty good for the most part except for some cringe sprinkled throughout.
Beyonce's sister follows Nietzsche's advice to truly tap into Will to Power by creating one's own form of valuation by creating an R&B album that defies the convention and genre and speaks to powerful themes. I respect it. Unfortunately, the system of values that I abide by think this music is bland as f**k. Which is a shame, since it is supposed to (and does) speak to very visceral and socially potent themes of injustices against blacks. I would respect that more if the music made any sort of attempt to get me to care about the messaging via melody--or anything sonically interesting at all... Instead, I am given the same quasi-experimental boring stuff that I see on my struggling-musician friends' Instagram posts daily. It tracks that this was praised so highly in 2016, and is a shame that it is considered so highly as for it to be a 'must listen' when I know damn well there are fantastic albums of the 2010's worth listening to over this. Regardless, like I said, I have a great degree of respect for Solange for following that Nietzschan prerogative.
Nice voice and competent production, okay. I fail to see how this is any different from the thousands of R&B Albums it there and I don't particularly care for that style.
Message is strong. Music is slow and bare. Vocals are nice but tame
Somehow never knew this was Beyonce's sister. I liked this more than Beyonce's self titled that we did months ago. This wasnt my favorite but I bet it would grow after a few listens. Any album with Sampha on it gets extra love from me - check out his latest album Lahai if you liked his sound here.
bom pra caralho hein puta que pariu já tinha ouvido falar da solange, nunca tinha parado pra escutar, incrível não sei elaborar mas esse álbum tem a sonoridade de 2016 na veia dele. eu nem tinha pesquisado sobre e já sabia que era de 2016 só pelo som. brabo. (vim editar pq percebi que esse me trouxe 100% era flower boy do tyler, fui pesquisar e a dra. solange e o tyler são parças absolutos, o que explica mta coisa)
pedrada máxima concordo com o amigo sobre a sonoridade 2016, hein. às vezes eh bão demais um album que te transporta pruma época. as letras desse aqui também são boas demais! só não dou nota 5 porque, mais pro finalzinho, tiveram umas músicas que não gostei mto. mas ainda assim, é um ótimo álbum, hein!!
Listened before? yes, at least once. it was a while ago tho Rise - 3/5 Weary - 4/5 Interlude: The Glory Is in You - no rating Cranes in the Sky - 5/5 Interlude: Dad Was Mad - no rating Mad - 3/5 Don't You Wait - 4/5 Interlude: Tina Taught Me - no rating Don't Touch My Hair - 5/5 Interlude: This Moment - no rating Where Do We Go - 4/5 Interlude: For Us by Us - no rating F.U.B.U. - 4/5 Borderline (An Ode to Self Care) - 4/5 Interlude: I Got So Much Magic, You Can Have It - no rating Junie - 3/5 Interlude: No Limits - no rating Don't Wish Me Well - 5/5 Interlude: Pedestals - no rating Scales - 3/5 Closing: The Chosen Ones - no rating Average score: 3.9/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ now i know why i couldn't remember much about this album. these tracks are very low-energy, even the good ones solange is undoubtedly a talented vocalist. however, this wasn't the most riveting performance i've ever heard (though many of the better tracks were clearly saved til nearly the end.) not sure if that's due to production or just my lack of enthusiasm for this genre. maybe both? she definitely has a lot of potential as a performer though. the album was just barely within 4-star range for me personally, which is pretty solid. she put out a more recent album in 2019 that i have yet to hear, so hopefully she's only gotten better since
Beyonce je vrlo nemuzikalna, i ova je tu negdje vrlo blizu. Muzički album na kojem nema muzike. Čudno iskustvo veoma.
I like interludes. It's the kinda thing you miss out on when sticking Spotify on shuffle and not listening to albums in full. Enjoyed this, even if it's not my usual kind of music.
I found this one a bit boring. OK in the background, but not for me.
Nice to have something from this century today, but its not my jam.
- I like this album a lot. That said, I definitely prefer poppy Losing You Solange to this, but I still find this a nice listen. I really like the political nature of this album, though I would like to have a version of it without the interludes to listen to repeatedly. - There's a nice easy, smooth vibe to the music that I appreciate and that grows on you the more that you listen to it. - My biggest gripe is that it can be a little too smooth without super memorable melodies. I want a little more grit and evolution to the songs, themselves. The breathy vocals feel tentative, throughout, and I want more strength in them. - Also, the album really feels like it goes on a long time because of the sheer number of tracks & interludes and some of the songs that aren't as good as the others. - I'd say it's a 3.5.
Excellent, conscious and unified. Hadn't heard this and enjoyed it greatly.
7/10
Really liked this actually. It’s a little cooler than what her sister does. Very cohesive album
5/10
Listened on 2nd April 2024. Favourite songs are Cranes in the Sky and Don't Touch My Hair.
A beautiful, black powered, modern day masterpiece
Smooth lounge pretty voice
Slow R&B with good vocals, not a top 1,000 album
Not really for me, didn't really connect with me. It wasn't terrible but it felt overproduced and polished. 4/10
The cool Knowles sister (no offence to Beyonce, I'm sure she'll wipe away her tears with a $100 note that she's the slightly less cool sister). I was really obsessed with this album when it came out and it does hold up. Expertly crafted and lots of bops - nice one!
Really really good neo soul music, super dynamic but super subtle with so much depth. Pretty hard to find any flaws in tbh. Beyonce could NEVER. This is a modern classic
This was great.
I appreciate her addressing issues that needed(and and still need) to be addressed, but I get the impression she's only on this list because her sister is one of the most likable, and talented billionaires on the planet. I just found myself bored throughout the entire album. I don't know what else to add. It barely seemed like music at times. Favorite Track: "Rise".
Prone to the usual tendency to over sing, coupled with the backing singers also trying to over-sing and out-sing the main act. Despite that and despite the irritating segues, it wasn’t tooooo bad. Floated around me whilst I was busy doing my stuff. Next….
A seat at who's table? I was trying to work out what her influences were. Sade? The interlude between songs hinted at your average US mainstream Rap artist. But unfortunately, this whole mess was plain boring and one dimensional. Pedestrian at best. If it was trying to be soulful, then it was lost one me. The only thing I found of interest was the black persons take in Black History Month, it made me think about things from that point of view. Sadly it had nothing to do with her music at all. What exactly was this seen as a good example of?
# Album Name: A Seat at the Table # Artist: Solange # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Honestly, absolutely meh. Decent voice but clearly has a famous family member to lean on.....oh wait, whats that? Beyonce. I'd never have guessed it was someone famous. Definitely should not be on any must listen list. Way too long. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? NO
This list has a few performers (Cobain, MJ, Lauryn Hill) whose charisma is undeniable…..Solange is not one of those performers. Lots to like in this album, the production, the guest stars, even the interlude into song format all works for me but the songs all fall flat because they sound like they’re being sung by Beyoncé’s little sister.
3.0 A nice, understated effort. The more we go through the list the more I think interludes and skits are a waste of time and dont really add anything for me
yummy elegant neo-soul
Interesting album. Like the beats and her lyrics are poignant and delivered well. The skits get to be a little annoying. 3/5 Might listen again
Not my style
This is a perfectly fine album, but it's just not the type of music that really interests me. The production is smooth, the songwriting is thoughtful, and Solange has a pleasant voice, but I never found myself getting pulled into it. My biggest takeaway from this was find out that Beyoncé has a sister. I had no idea before listening to it.
Really lovely album, I do like most of what Solange does, and this doesn’t disappoint
Not for me. Too popish.
One of my favourite albums of all time. Atmospheric and beautiful. Moments of grace and anger. Songs you can hum along to and also listen hard to. I’ve loved her work since but this one is the one for me. Perfect. No notes.
I didn't even know Beyoncé had a sister. Pleasant vocals and would listen again, but not really my thing.
не зашло.
2.9
This one didn’t really do much for me. The general message throughout the album was good and necessary, but it doesn’t drive the point home enough for me. 2/5
Nice melodies - sort of reminded of 80s R&B artists. Not really my type of music but pleasant enough to have on in the background. 3/5
2.5
3.0
awesome
Good voice. Not the type of music I listen too. Did not like anti-white message of the song "Interlude: Tina Taught Me". The constitution gives this artist the right to compose and write whatever she feels. That same constitution says I can rebuke her message if I so choose. Instead, I'm not going to continue listening to her racist drivel.
I've been waiting for this one to show up for a long time now, and it didn't disappoint. This reminds me a lot of CTRL, I was surprised that it came out the year before because I thought the interludes were very reminiscent of that, but I don't think that it hits quite the same highs as that one. The interludes, while interesting, I think are too numerous, and they kinda interrupt the album for me. I don't think there's a need to get rid of them, but perhaps a couple could get cut. But that's really my only complaint. Favorites: Mad, Don't Touch My Hair, Junie
Different
The album is way too repetitive but at least it makes sense
The most 2016 album of all time. Kinda incredible - basically a pop album built around a really good backup singer with a bunch of twee white 2010s Brooklyn hipsters doing production and songs which are very broadly political, but the album comes out at a time when political sentiments started expiring extremely fast but before artists realized that they shouldn't build those timely sentiments into their timeless art. Anyway. Cranes in the Sky is so awesome. Album is really bloated.
A lovely record with heartfelt interludes throughout. Carries a strong vibe from start to finish.
sosososo good
pretty nice
Dreamy and vibey pop/soul. I'm still not a fan of interludes on albums and in this case it just contributed to the already slow pace set by the songs. The songs all kind of felt the same to me and I didn't really vibe with any of them.
gibt mir bisschen Friends Who Failed At Love von Chloe Angelides vibes aber weniger touching. 2.71 Sterne
My rating 3.3
Ok, as a thirty-year-old white male in 2016, I'm keenly aware that this record isn't "for me", per se, but that hasn't really stopped me from loving it. Maybe part of that is because I'll always think of a story when I think of this album. Years ago (some context clues suggest it was around 2019), I was at home on a Friday night minding my own business, cooking dinner for myself, and planning to just spend the evening at home. I put this album on while I was cooking, and didn't think anything of it; I was cooking a normal meal for me, and just felt like listening to some chill R&B. It was either R&B or Bossa Nova, and I just felt a little more contemporary this particular evening. I'm a true "I listen to a bit of everything" person, so none of this is strange to anyone who knows me. While I was cooking, a friend of mine (black male, also early thirties) texted me to see what I was up to so I grabbed my phone to tell him exactly what I was doing. Somewhere between typing "Listening to Solange and making chicken and collard greens." and his "Bro wtf" reply, I realized the strange optics of this whole situation and had to laugh. What is my life? I know none of this is very funny to you, a stranger, but that's your loss. Anyway, this album slaps and it's been on my personal "you must hear before you die" list ever since that night.
21 songs The most mid to ever mid. Nothing stands out, just a way too long album for how boring it is.
Had no idea who or what this was, really enjoyed it. A super solid R&B album that I will likely listen to again. Just overall good production, impressive vocals, awesome features
Damn the Wayne song is awesome. This album sounds like if someone heard it and then tried to recreate it from memory, they would end up with a worse version - Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. Such good producing and mixing. The sounds were so clear and real, there wasn't apparent quantizing or machine-ish loops; It sounds like real music played by real people. Got slightly bored towards the end. Good album though. Would listen again.
lil Wayne has never sounded better
Nicely done solange! I really liked the writing on this album
Lots of the same, fair amount of filler. I'll say 2?
Not something I would revisit but she is talented. Some cool songwriting and features. Non of it was super poppy which is good!
Was not expecting her to be on this list and she was definitely better than I expected.
3.5
Weirdly feels like a 90s R&B record, right down to the interludes. Listening to A Seat at the Table, I’m immediately hooked by the minimalist neo-soul vibe and Solange’s airy vocals. It’s a super cohesive, well-crafted project that wears its message of Black empowerment on its sleeve. "Cranes in the Sky" is a total standout, the perfect mix of chill production and deep lyrics, and it’s easy to see why this is considered a modern classic. That said, I get why some people aren't fully sold on it. The tempo is so laid-back that it can occasionally drag, and I found myself wishing for a few more catchy hooks to shake things up. Also, while the spoken-word segments definitely add to the message, they really kill the momentum and get a bit repetitive after a few listens.
Not my type
Aching vocals ambitious production very good
Very feminine album--light touches, smooth and gentle beats, delicate vocals, etc. I liked it! I thought I'd like it more, though. It was pretty long. Unlike the rest of the peanut gallery, I didn't think there were too many interludes and thought they added a lot to the album as a work. High 3, almost 4
This feels like a Dirty Projectors album
This has no fucking place on this list
Nice voice, good production, important message,but kinda one note. If it wasn't for all the spoken interludes it would be hard to tell where one track ended and another began. Not something I'll revisit. 2.5* Rounded to 2*
omg - this is a perfect album. so tied to a magical point in my life and i am so fortunate to have heard much of this album live
The album cover is a perfect encapsulation of what this album is... Solange in front of a big load of beige. She's an unexceptional vocalist singing to unexceptional music.... why is this here?!
Big ooof here, as we realise that for all of Queen Bey's undoubted pop smarts, she probably hasn't released the best album of people in her own family. This is really good from start to finish, smooth but not dull, fun but not frivolous, and varied but not unfocused. I really like it, is what I'm saying. I think that she wears the weight of the songs quite lightly, because there's no doubt that they're dripping in meaning, but the delivery isn't at all over the top. Big fan.
Smashed jay z with handbag, smashed making this record
I liked this more than I thought I would, just not quite my genre
Is something that gets better the more you listen to it just conditioning yourself to like bad music? Not sure. Either way, this got better with the second listen.
An interesting R&B album that I still don't feel I've fully gotten hold of just yet.
I like the instrumentation/production more than the vocals - Solange has kind of an “airy” voice which is pretty but seems less like a soloist voice. The songs feel more like jazzy spoken word. It’s all pleasant but not as catchy.
Very much a cohesive album. No huge singles that warrant a 5 star rating, but likewise very little that slips below a high 3. Sometimes consistency is a good thing, if it rewards the long listen.
Minnie Ripperton-esque vocals, smooth R&B instrumentation, and subtly defiant socially conscious lyrics. I'd written off Solange as a nepo-adjacent beneficiary of Beyonce (it doesn't help that Lemonade came out the same year) but this is a super solid listen that resulted in multiple tracks ending up on playlists. & god, this lyric: Man, this shit is draining But I'm not really allowed to be mad ...is such a solid truth, something I've personally said so many times (especially in a professional context). So props to Solange for speaking truth, making people who look like her feel seen & heard, and doing it in a way that almost makes you let go of being mad for a minute.
A nice voice but this album is just ordinary, boring, and not very good
Really like it
Only found out afterwards that’s she’s Beyoncé’s sister! That’s cool! There a part of me which can hear that in the music, but just as much of me likes how it has huge style difference whilst being in adjacent genres. It really gives indie for some reason??? It did drag in bits, I do feel like these sorta albums work at 40mins a lot more then 55mins
Look, it’s a powerful album that represents being proud of their blackness, which is powerful and it is evident in its how it is produced and the energy it gives off. Other than that, it’s a more modern R&B album that is just a decent pleasant listen. I just learnt that she is Beyoncé’s sister, didn’t expect that.
I was hyped to see a hip hop & soul album with female vocals in this list, but disappointment kicked in soon afterwards... The songs aren't bad, and I always love the idea of an album where songs get connected and introduced as a whole. The interludes made it a nice, more personal appraoch, but the songs themselves just didn't spark at all. Too much repetition and lack of novelty - and in the end, less than mediocre.
A Seat at the Table is slow, minimal, introspective R&B — Solange processing identity and race over sparse beats. Important themes. The music itself is a woman vocalizing over production that never quite arrives. 1/5 — the message is there. The songs aren't.
The coolest things about this: the interesting intro track and the interludes that often use snippets from interviews and connect most tracks seamlessly which I think is really cool. Also, great voice. Unfortunately most of the actual songs are pretty boring to my ears with barely anything happening beat-wise or intrumentation-wise. 2/5 - below average
7/10 - Its really beautiful at points Fav Tracks: Cranes in the Sky, Mad Heard before? ---–- ✅ Saved a Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? --–-- ❌ Will Listen Again? -- ❌
Concious black tyyppistä hyvää musaa
I liked this!
Not bad for Beyonce's sister
A tremendous R&B album. A very hot take of mine is that this is a better album than any of her sister’s albums (hiding from the Bey-hive!). Cranes In The Sky is an incredible highlight. This isn’t everyday listening for me but it’s as well executed a concept as you’ll find in the R&B space.
I like the minimal arrangements and Solange can sing, but I'm not into this music.
Solange is one of the most underrated people in the music industry, but at least she got her flowers with this album. So well deserved. It’s just perfect: the vocals, lyrics, beats, messaging. This is a hugely important album and puts words to the feelings so many people have. Not to mention it’s just so beautifully produced. Top Songs: Cranes in the Sky, Mad, Where Do We Go, Borderline, Junie, Don’t Wish Me Well, Scales
Quite enjoyed it. Not really sure when you would listen to it in day to day life though.
It was alright I guess
It was fine, nothing more
Monotonous. Wouldn't bother with again.
Indie girl R&B that is very enjoyable
Happy almost 10 years to A Seat at the Table. I get something new from this album each time I hear it, and love it a little more with every listen. Her voice has a delicate power that shimmers in the lush production that's always just right - never over the top, but never understated. The interludes are woven in so seamlessly; I kind of experience them as a guided tour of a fine art exhibition. Knowing the historical context behind the art can broaden the understanding and experience of each piece. Also, an amazing team of artists contributed their musicianship, but I most especially love Sampha's feature. He has such an instantly recognizable voice and presence, and his tone is so heavenly. Overall, a beautiful album about claiming empowerment in a world that wants to see you fail just because of the color of your skin.
I usually reach for the skip button when I hear R&B music, but this album was really lovely listening, with a few minor unlovely moments but overall an incredibly good album.
A great album full of a mix of Solange’s smooth R&B and guest performers adding brilliant collaborations. Really great listen.
A five-star album that just isn't my thing.
This probably deserves better than simply being dismissed as "just pop music," but that's all I could really hear. I'm giving it a second listen but I'm not sure it's going to change my mind. This came and went for me without incident.
I've liked Solange before, but this kind of came and went for me. Weirdly, the interstitials stuck were more memorable than the music. None of it is bad—it just didn't hook me. Imagine being a singer and having a sister who's a generational talent and icon. Kudos to Solange for having the guts to do her own thing.
bbb
Wonderful artist. The lyrics are incredibly empowering and meaningful.
It was ok
Appreciate it, but not my speed. Didn't speak to me.
A good album that could be improved by cutting 2/3rds of the interludes. I'd love if we just cut the 47 sec-1min tracks into one song.
Great voice mixed with a rnb sound, reminds me of a more moderrn take on soul as well. Great album. I have a prefrence for female voices unless its gym noise so 5/5
A beautiful laid back RnB record. Little slower than I am used to enjoying, but the sheer quality makes up for it. Perfect to put on during a nice sunday. I adore musicians who (at least partly) produce their own music. You can feel the difference in artistic expression and cohesion in their records and Solange is a great example of this. Solanges music ofcourse draws comparison to Beyonce's records. Where Beyonce's voice is a big bombastic megaphone, Solanges voice is a clear spring filled with cool fresh water. I also rather like her approach in tackling social issues, something her sister can learn something from. People should compare Beyonce to her clearly more talented sister, not the other way around. Difficult to rate. On the one hand I don't see myself quickly putting this record on again as it just isn't music I tend to listen to, but I have to acknowledge the quality of this record. 8.5/10
A great album, powerful and personal. The music isn't big, but it knows how to properly fill in with the lyrics and the story the album tries to tell. Each song is distinct and has its own place in the album, yet they flow effortlessly into one another.
She can stand, for all I care.
Godly music, queen of beating up jay-z
Fome
A nice mix of dream pop and R&B. I liked this more than I expected but will probably not revisit much.
As someone who is indifferent to RnB and a certified Beyonce hater, I did not have high hopes for this album, but it is surprisingly a very solid album. This isn't life changing by any means, but it is leagues better than anything I've heard from Beyonce. Low 4.
This was a long 52 minutes. And, this may be an unfair hot take, but in an album supposedly in part about female empowerment, were there a lot of male voices explaining the world?
Without making the obvious comparisons, she has a nice voice but this album just drags on and on.
Was not what I was expecting from the album cover but actually quite enjoyed it. There were some really interesting beats and melodies with a black power theme
People on here claiming this is slow when it’s on such a propulsive and enveloping wavelength. Complaining about the interludes as though they weren’t thoughtfully and seamlessly counterposed against the grooves driving the record forward. Clearly one of the greatest albums of the century so far and if you can’t see it you really need to interrogate your biases, sorry.
booom
Voice 10/10 Music 5/10 Lyrics 3/10 Lots of collaborators. Lots of spoken word bits. The singing is very good her voice soars effortlessly but to me everything else is just meh.
I won't remember any of this, but I quite enjoyed the listen
Wow. This was really great and exceded my expectations. The music is consistent throughout and alternates from more contemporary r&b and heavy snare and stand up bass. Solange's voice is great and so is the theme of black perseverance and excellence. I should have listened to this long ago.
4.3055
zzzzzzzzzz
A solid album, although, in my opinion, not really too worthy to be on this list... 😀
I absolutely appreciate the message, but I didn't find the music compelling.
Langweiliges Gequietsche! Wirklich furchtbar! Wer hört sich so ein Gejammer an?
Not awful; a decent range of sounds. Def sounds like Beyoncé at times. Could absolutley do without all the “interludes” - just don’t ‘get’ those, on any album.
Nice and chilled and worth a second listen
I am waffling between a 3 and a 4 on this one. The interludes are overdone and detract, but the music is great. I am going to focus on the music.
I'm not really a fan of 10s R'n'B but I found this quite listenable and both lyrically and musically interesting.
I enjoyed it. I like her voice. Obviously nice to have a recording studio and all the tools needed from big sis, but she created her own sound. Lots of black culture education fueling the lyrics. Wish there was a more standout hit.
Oh, September 2016. Two months before “Revenge of the White Supremacy” came out and has been playing in theaters ever since. I think the cheesiness and corporatization of black empowerment in the Obama era played some part in creating the world we live in today. The little internet Nazis that have been running amok since 2016 turned into that because liberalism stopped seeming cool and young people want to be cool. This album isn’t cool. Interludes of dumb people saying dumb things isn’t cool. Boring generic bland hip hop easy listening isn’t cool. I’m not saying Solange is solely responsible for the rise of Trumpism, but she certainly didn’t help matters.
Limite 3
cool
Gefällt mir recht gut
Overall: 8/10 This is such a chill album. I'll admit, I had my doubts about this one due to the fact that I'm not a huge Beyoncé fan, and I was afraid that this album would just be manufactured garbage. There is a bit of a glossy feel to the songs that you get from mainstream pop music, but it's mostly slow burning R&B/soul album. I think this type of music is an effective way to get her messages of black and female empowerment out there. I'm heavily impressed by her voice and style. Fav Song: Don't You Wait
Surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. Not really my thing but would happily give it another listen.
really nice
I really liked the production value on some of these tracks but honestly, this album was just exhausting to get through. So repetitive, incredibly preachy with all the interludes. Maybe it’s just how mainstream everything like this was for a decade but I really struggled to get through this one.
An album that’s easier to admire than love. It has something to say and the production is really interesting, I just wish the melodies were stronger.
Not bad, but forgettable. 2.5/5
Erykah Badu's modern competition. Hard to believe this album's a decade old.
It is not really my kind of music but elements of it were nice and it was very well crafted. It stood out from the usual R&B format
It’s ok. Not sure what about it stands out.
Chill
"It's Silk da Shocker's birthday" - Master P when on WCW Television. I didn't realize that when the Master was "making 'em say UNHHH" it was about "his pain." That sampled anecdote possessed the rare two punch combo of being a poignant statement on race as well as gut-bustingly hilarious. This record also hit me as not terrible! I saw the year and the cover and knew that it wasn't for me and as I listened, the singer expressly said that it was "for us" which I don't think includes me. While that all may be true, I couldn't hate this. The samples were varied and interesting, and I found myself actually listening to R & B vocal lines without wincing as if I'm get a tooth removed sans anaesthesia. That in itself deserves a full star upgrade. A true surprise on this dismal early summer Tuesday. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: Stop trying to touch her hair, alright? I've heard a few of those clips are LOADED with poison
3.5/5
6 - great voice, mediocre songs
-first time hearing Solange and i definitely understand the hype among R&B enthusiasts. i usually hate albums with a lot of interludes but i think she did it ok. really good vocals on here too -fell a liiiittle flat for me due to personal taste but i respect it a lot. i miss this type of woke -Favorites: Rise, Cranes In The Sky, Borderline
The extreme positivity around this album was excruciating when it came out but, ya know, even though she'd never again reach the heights of Losing You, this is a dang good record. As expected, crybabies in the reviews crying about Beyoncé. Sort it out fellas.
I thought this album had a fresh, more electronic, R&B sound to it. With some solid vocal work too.
Solid pop album. Cranes in the Sky is the clear stand out for me.
an audibly pretty album. the sound gets around a little, and it's exceptionally vibey overall. solange is a very good singer. Cranes in the Sky brings up a star on its own. soft 4
I almost liked it but it was too sleepy for me. The songs were pleasant but there wasn't enough cohesiveness to it all 5.6/10
Meh
Boring album with too many interludes.
This is Solange getting her wings, and girl, fly!! Fantastic vocals, great interludes, and a solid, solid record.
Not my thing.
Sponges
80/100.
It’s cool, it’s listenable, and it says something Very good!
The creative force of this, a neo-soul adventure into psychedelia, and the positive, empowering messages it conveys have to be acknowledged. But it's just not a style of music for me, I'm afraid.
No private session used, but I should have. I don't like R&B.
Pretty good R&B. I liked the track with Lil Wayne.
Lovely voice with sleep inducing songs.
Who? Beyonce's sister? Never heard of her or heard her. Really cool cover, what the f...?! Pure pop drivel whispered to me until I dozed off from boredom. "Cranes In The Sky" has 189M listens, why?! Do these people not have ears? She obviously cannot sing upbeat songs with range, it's all done in a super small vocal wheelhouse. At this point, I'm so irritated by this list. I haven't heard a deserving Top 1001 album in weeks -- this is what they do to prisoners when they're torturing them for secrets. 1 star. So utterly boring and downtempo. This wouldn't make anyone's Top 2002.
I listened to this two summers ago during the Apple Music GOAT countdown, before I started this project. I didn’t hate it then, but I wasn’t a huge fan either, so I was curious if 676 days of doing this generator had changed my perspective any. “Weary” kind of reminds me of something Ciara would’ve done in the early 2000s. I also forgot about the spoken word interludes setting up the subject matter for the next song, which is a pretty nice concept. Then Lil Wayne shows up on “Mad,” and that’s a bonus. The album really gets heavier with the “Tina Taught Me” interlude going into “Don’t Touch My Hair.” And that was three years before the first CROWN Act was even passed in the US, so the subject matter definitely had weight to it. This still isn’t really my genre, and would she have gotten the same record deal opportunities without her big sister being Beyoncé? Who knows. But I’ll give it 4 stars for the subject matter and the songwriting.
I connected with this. 4!
A nice album with some good social commentary. But not really my thing.
Really good songs, hate the 9 interludes
I can't relate to the subject matter at all, but the album flowed very well and Solange has a nice voice.
2026.05.18
A great album with one of the best songs of the last 10 years in "Cranes In The Sky".
Solange’s voice is angelic. The production is amazing. Not really “for me” in terms of genre but clearly a great album.
so bland and pretentious
A pleasant surprise. The list should be more like this, rather than "albums you've never heard of because they absolutely suck."
i liked this
Great songs and the production on this is kind of incredible. A lot of prescient songs, but a really timeless vibe.
Some of the song themes are weighty, but some fairly trite, and musically it lacks edge. Solange’s vocals sometimes brought Sade to mind.
A couple of tunes and I was ready to stop.
So boring, perfect for H&M. 3/5
I didn't know Beyoncé even had a sister, let alone one with a musical career. Solange Knowles does have some talent, as shown on tracks like "Cranes in the Sky". After a while, "A Seat at the Table" seems like your average modern RnB album The biggest problem with "A Seat at the Table" is the number of unnecessary interludes. They take up half of the tracklist. 3 stars for "A Seat at the Table".
So dreamy and cool girl coded
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.
Good voice, boring music, the attempts at social commentary just don’t land when juxtaposed with such dull music. A double album has to contain phenomenal music to be worth hanging around for, like Songs in the Key of Life or Blonde on Blonde, this just isn’t. Too long, too dreary. 2/5 because if I was out somewhere and this was on in the background I wouldn’t be offended by it, but I’ll never choose to listen to this again.
Her music is fine, just not for me.
Solange, and thanks for all the fish! Spotify says she’s an “expectation-defying artist” which is rich since this was a real one note album. I don’t inherently have a problem with one-note, but I got really dig that note.
I liked this more than most of the soul/r&b on this list but as she said in the album, this isn’t for me
This album has had staying power for a lot of people, but I was soft on it then and softer on it now. Her voice is thin to the point of emptiness and becomes grating the more she layers it to cover for that, the production is slick but lacks the impact and spirit of its influences such as Jai Paul, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo etc. This is propped up at least in part by a parasocial cult or Knowles celebrity, I feel.
Very well produced and pleasant to listen to. But it feels like she hiring all the coolest collaborators and producers of the time to make something very calculated and on brand so it lacks a certain spirit.
musica de niñas, chill, casual, nada de mi estilo, 1/5
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
Decent. ei oikein muuta sanottavaa.
Smooth and easy listening music with no really excellent stand out songs. Some of the more soul like songs were nice and the singers voice is really good. I just weren't hooked by anything.
Great voice with good vibes
Important topics addressed by an able singer in a style that wasn’t for me.
Don't Wish Me Well was the only song that stood out in a formless sea of pretty vocals.
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.
Not bad. Always hard to rate songs where I'm sure it's just that the genre isn't my thing. I'm sure if I was looking for something in this genre this would fit the bill but overall it is just okay.
Double blind. I was aware of the existence of Solange but was not aware that she had music worthy of inclusion on this list. It’s not my favorite but I understand why it’s on the list. It feels like an obvious homage to “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”, between the smooth vocals and the filler tracks. It seems like Solange has done a good job of living up to her own last name, while creating music that feels uniquely her own
I think I'll stick with Beyonce
Weird album for me. I can tell the music is quite good but it’s absolutely not my style… too moany etc High 3*/5
This album is super pretentious. There’s lots of weird interludes, the beats are super boring. The artist has a really amazing voice, but she uses it sparingly, none of the songs are catchy. I really don’t think this is my kind of music.
Solange's life experience is very different from mine, and I respect what she's trying to do, but I'm not sure the music matches the message. Actually, it's low-key enough that I get the self-care and maybe grief, but not anger. Maybe determination and strength. I was unaware that she's Beyonce's sister. Guess that's where the high energy in the Knowles family went, as my kids are very different, too. Cranes in the Sky was really the only memorable tune for me. The interviews with her parents on the interludes were nice, but otherwise, the interludes felt like a forced attempt to create some flow on an album that was often repetitive.
How can you make good vocalist sound this dull. Absolutely nothing going for it.
Ok album with good execution of having a story in it. The music it self didn't really work for me and I felt it tad bit boring but it definitely wasn't bad. 2,5/5 but I'll round to 2 as I feel it wasn't quite worthy of 3.
2.3 2x youtube -- not great
There are a number of concepts in this album - all of which are good but not fully realized. Choose one, make it tighter and it's a great album.
This was decent. You can tell she's Beyonce's sister, their voices sound similar. The interludes were kind of Lauryn Hill-ish.
Important story
I didn’t realise before listening that Solange is Beyoncé’s sister. Going in, I wasn’t sure this would be my kind of album, but I was open to it. Overall, it’s a very pleasant and easy listen. Solange has a great voice, and the production is smooth, polished, and really well put together. There’s also a clear social message running through the album, which adds depth and purpose. That said, nothing really jumped out at me as a standout moment or a track I’d go back to. It all blends together a bit too much. There are some solid collaborations throughout, and while the album is consistently good, it never quite reaches that “wow” level for me. Interestingly, I’d say this is better than any album I’ve heard from Beyoncé, even if it didn’t fully connect with me. Favourite tracks: Nothing really stood out, but everything was a decent listen Least favourite tracks: Same as above, nothing I’d single out either way Album artwork: A standard cover, nothing particularly memorable
Not my thing. Good voice though
No soy muy fan del r&b, pero es un álbum que esta muy bien
Smooth listening and good vibes. Love the collaborations.
Modern version of "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill".
It was an ok album, I felt parts got a little long but didn’t hate it.
Deep. Helps me understand what some folks have to go through, and we absolutely need constant reminders. Which sucks. Hopefully there will be change someday. Oh, also great music by a excellent singer. Solange delivers her message in a sweet-tasting way, making it easy to listen to - gets your attention, makes it enjoyable while not berating or lecturing. Just brings you to the experience.
smooth 7/10 Will I add this album to my library? maybe
Muzikaal niet onaardig, relaxte R&B, niet al te veel geklets. Wel weer een boel preken. Neem dan op z'n minst de moeite om de preek op muziek te zetten.
Zoveel producers en dan nog zo saai. Dan zit die saaiheid toch intrinsiek in de zangeres zelf...
Een zangeres die alleen haar voornaam gebruikt. Dat is redelijk hip. En ook hier hebben we er daar al veel van gehad. Het gebruik van autotune valt in dit geval gelukkig mee, dus in die zin is het beter te pruimen dan sommige andere over het paard getilde vergelijkbare muziek. Maar ik merk dat ik dit gewoon totaal oninteressant vind en vooral heel erg saai. Misschien dat ik anders zou piepen als het om NL muziek zou gaan. Want ik denk dat het voor ons veel interessanter is om Froukje, S10 en bijv Merol te luisteren, dan deze Amerikaanse equivalenten. Daar kan Solange niks aan doen, die is gewoon uitgekozen door ome Robert en zijn snobberige kornuiten en die hebben zich nooit verdiept in onze nederpop. Gemiste kans zou ik zeggen. Een ietwat saaie en oninteressante 2 sterren. Ik luister het wel uit, maar ik ben blij op het moment dat ik weer iets anders op kan zetten.
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. probably belongs on the Must Hear list, but I think I'm rounding down.
Musically is very very good! Greatly layered with such soothing vocals mixing R&B and pop and a bit hip hop. Not much my taste but i get it.
The production was really nice but overall I was lukewarm about the album.
Message is fine but this reinforces that I don't like this type of music
Yeah listened to this for the first time recently and enjoyed it so much. One of those “woah” moments. 4.8/5.0 Best Song: borderline
Really good stuff, listened to it recently and enjoyed it, enjoyed on this listen to. Really great gear
I think this is quite well regarded. To me this production never really works, feels like a collage of layers more than a track often. Probably I am missing some musical context.
I've never heard of this artist, but enjoyed the album.
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.
What she talks about is really important and good to hear, but overall I didn’t like the album that much. There are some great moments, but also some parts I really didn’t enjoy. 2.5/5
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?”
R&B, nice voice
There are times when the production and sound of this is fantastic...and there are other times when I'm just bored. R&B tends to go that way for me.
I swear I heard the Bulls championship song in here. Lots of interesting coming up stories. Some OK harmonies. Respect for a release looking at the list of Divas from 2016.
Don't think I've ever heard Solange Knowles sing before but I really enjoyed this album. Nice and eclectic. The interludes I thought added a great deal, broke up the songs and was a nice way to introduce the next number. Lovely voice.
Many albums i’ve listened to were set in different cultures, like most hip-hop and country music, but I still enjoyed the music and understood the message. This album, though culturally different, I did not enjoy. Probably the best thing about this album were the beats. Everything else on this album fell flat. There was no discernible melody and it was so subdued as to be sleepy and boring. However, she’s a vast improvement over her sister.
the messaging is clear, but the listening experience as a whole is just good, not spectacular.
Music was meh but I gave her an extra star for beating up JayZ
It's so annoying to finally listen to an album you've been meaning to check out for 10 years only to realize it kind of super sucks. This would be 2 stars but it does bring a smile to my face to think about Solange beating the shit out of Jay-Z in that elevator, so she gets 3 stars for throwing hands like the true ride or die bitch she is.
2.5
Mycket intressant med ett ganska nytt album. RnB, Beyonces syster. Lugna låtar och beats men blir aldrig riktigt ointressant. Kul med "interluden" med kommentarer. Tydligt tema på svartas situation, rasism osv. Hög nivå på produktionen. Kanske inte lyssnar på hela igen. 3:a
I understand the appeal but it's really not for me.
Deux albums de néo-soul en 3 jours et je pense que je peux conclure sans me tromper que le genre n'est tout simplement pas fait pour moi. Celui-ci était beaucoup plus dépouillé musicalement que celui que j'ai entendu avant-hier, mais il se distingue par une construction un peu différente, avec de nombreux interludes avec des gens qui parlent de racisme (et qui en parlent bien, d'ailleurs). Le reste du temps, j'ai pas fait attention aux paroles, mais des chansons comme "Don't Touch My Hair", me font me dire que c'est l'un des grands thèmes d'A Seat at the Table. Si le côté politiquement chargé me plaît, au niveau strictement musical, ça ne me parle tout simplement pas. 3, parce que je ne pense pas qu'il s'agisse d'un mauvais album, bien au contraire, mais sur ce site, je note avec un peu plus de subjectivité que je le ferais ailleurs.
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."
Boring. After five tracks, the album started to get on my nerves. 2/5
1001 Albums Vol. 0037: A Seat At The Table ============================================================ Introduction: Ack! Oh, well it seems that time is...relatively normal again? I mean, car models look relatively...modern even though I don't see any Cyber Trucks. Um...oh wait. I know exactly what year it is now...Markiplier has red hair and I know the lore of Markimoo better than anyone so that means we must be in 2016...specifically after March of 2016. So um...yeah, here we ar-.....Wait...Oh...um...hello? I think I heard something clanking around in this box of text? Um...maybe not. We'll just keep going for now. Anyway, the year is 2016. The Zika Virus is running rampant, South Park airs its weakest season up until that point, Gen Alpha has just begun to grow out of being toddlers so they can wipe their grubbly evolved hands all over their phone screens, and Donald Trump...wait...actually he hadn't won yet because we're in September of that year. But most historically important of all, Solange would release A Seat At The Table that year! And trust me, this changed the trajectory of the entire fucking worl-! What the hell?! I....It-It's the clanking again. This time it was louder and sounded...a lot more echoey? Is there like...something in the walls of the text box or something? Okay...we're going to need to try and get through this intro fast. So um...yeah Solange released A Seat At The Table in 2016. And it apparently even won a Grammy Award too...huh? A rare instance where we're giving musical awards which are actually deserving I see. You know, musical Grammy Awards really should be reinvented or at least a few categories should be added. Like of course Sabrina fucking Carpenter is going to get nominated while artists that are objectively better like...I don't know...Geese are not. And awards like that keep encouraging artists like Sabrina to keep pumping out the same bad music and the cycle just continues and goes on and on and on and on and...yeah...I'll digress for now...just one of the many flawed things about the music industry. So um...anyway...yeah, the album. Like I was saying, it changed the trajectory of the entire world! And while that may be an over exaggeration, it at least attempted to have a huge impact on its listeners and the world around it which is more than I can say about a lot of albums that were made around this era. How? Well, very similarly to To Pimp A Butterfly released the year before, the album covers themes of Black empowerment, history, and experience in the questionaly great U.S.A. And...well...um...I won't even lie, something like this would probably be enough to make me like an album already, especially if its lyrics are well-written. I mean, albums like this are very typically some of the most personable and genuine stuff you can find in the industry which is something that I generally love and respect. There...are some pretty...obvious exceptions to this rule...Nostalgia Critic...oop...I didn't mean to say that. But um...yeah, there's just something about albums like these that hit in a very different sort of way. And, combine this with an actually interesting setup we have going here, and you hav-oh wait? What's the setup? Well, silly reader, clearly you haven't been keeping up with our amazing series of album reviews we have going on here. Why, I'm talking about hearing the evolution of Soul music across the span of 50 years of course. But really, the one Ray Charles album on this site was the last album I generated and now we timeskip 50 years in the future to see how far Soul has come since that album. That's...kinda the setup and the hook that I'm going to create here because I really don't have all that much else otherwise. I think I've used the "apparently this album is pretty good but let's see" hook way too much already and we're only like 30 albums in! So um...yeah, I really don't have much else to say, so let's jus- just...there...there's something in the text box. It just happened again.The clanking. There-.....................There's something in here with me....I'm gonna....go ahead and switch over to my phone now and start the album on Spotify, rate tracks along the way like always and just...just see if anything's happened when I come back for the conclusion. Yeah, let's just....let's just go ahead and...yeah. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 1: Rise: 8/10 Track 2: Weary: 8/10 Track 3: Interlude: The Glory Is In You: 6/10 Track 4: Cranes In The Sky: 10/10 Track 5: Interlude: Dad Was Mad: 7/10 Track 6: Mad: 9/10 Track 7: Don't You Wait: 9/10 Track 8: Interlude: Tina Taught Me: 8/10 Track 9: Don't Touch My Hair: 9/10 Track 10: Interlude: This Moment: 7/10 Track 11: Where Do We Go: 8/10 Track 12: Interlude: For Us By Us: 6/10 Track 13: F.U.B.U.: 8/10 Track 14: Borderline (An Ode To Self Care): 8/10 Track 15: Interlude: I Got So Much Magic, You Can Have It: 6/10 Track 16: Junie: 8/10 Track 17: Interlude: No Limits: 6/10 Track 18: Don't Wish Me Well: 9/10 Track 19: Interlude: Pedestals: 8/10 Track 20: Scales: 7/10 Track 21: Closing: The Chosen Ones: 7/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Conclusion: Okay...I...I just re-read the intro after listening to the album and everything seems relatively...normal. I think my wording is about right and nothing...seems to be changed. Alright. I think we're good for now. I'll...try to keep this review more brief than my previous have been because I just want to get out of here. So um...yeah, here we go with the album. And...well...I won't lie, after listening to it, I really don't feel like I'm the most qualified person to really even be reviewing it. And, of course, I don't mean that in a bad way at all. I'll be honest, I'm a cisgender White male, so there's just...plenty of stuff on this album that won't quite resonate as deeply with me as I imagine it would for someone who is part of the Black community. And that's completely okay. There were still plenty of moments across this album that did have a genuine effect on me either simply because I agreed with the message or I could relate it back to my own life in some way. Basically, point is, there are some aspects of this album that I might just...ignore without meaning to or not understand the true meaning of. But regardless, I'm still going to explain to the best of my ability what this album did well for me without overreaching into topics that I can only pretend as if I understand and never likely truly will. Okay? Got it? Alright. Cool. So...um I'm going to go ahead and delve into simpler topics first like the music and production before I get into the more complex subjects so as to kind of warm myself and my voice up. And, well, first things first, I think I quite literally just the voice of an angel for the past forty minutes. And I'm not even really exaggerating. I normally discuss the music first but I just have to praise Solange's voice before anything else because OH MY GOD. This girl...this girl can FUCKING sing. Okay, seriously though, she is undoubtedly THE best singer we have come across on this site so far and may genuinely be the best singer I have heard of all time period. I mean like, I don't really think I have to say anything more than Cranes In The Sky's outro to prove my point but I guess I will because the review calls for it. So, yeah, on top of Cranes In The Sky having the most angelic vocal performance I can recall hearing in recent memory, Solange is also able to perfectly mix her voice in a similarly transient yet fitting way in pretty much every other song heard on this album. I haven't quite touched on it yet and I will soon, but there's a pretty wide variety of Neo-Soul, Pop, R&B you can find on this album. Some melodies are more intimate and quiet while some try to sound more energetic and pretty. Regardless, Solange is perfectly able to retain her more than angelic tone while flawlessly adapting her voice to fit the changes in music as well. I mean, I can't really describe it all that well here and would more than recommend you just hear for yourself, but she's just able to keep that same beautiful tone and quick pitch shifting across the entire album...a-and...and you have s-such clean delivery as well and- I'm not blushing, what? I'm not. Really....um...so-...okay fine, maybe, just maybe I kinda find good singers to be attractive. I mean, I can say without a doubt that singers like Robert Smith move a whole point up for me simply because of how unbelievably good his voice is. But um...yeah...okay...calm down...yeah, regardless, Solange's voice is just great. I would genuinely recommend you listen to this album just for her voice if for nothing else and would at least suggest you to give Cranes In The Sky a chance at bare minimum. There's just something about her voice that I can't quite describe here that elevates it above all other singers I've heard. So, yeah, that's that. And now the glaze ends and we can finally shift focus to the music before we touch on the general themes of this album. So, is the music anywhere near as perfect as our lady of the day's vocals?.......Well, no. I'll just keep it straight. But I mean the bar was as high as the...the cranes in the sky anyway so like that's not an insult at all. In fact, literally just take a glimpse at my ratings and you can tell that I actually find the music here to be quite appealing. As stated above, there's a fair mix of Pop, R&B, and Soul across the album, and all of it works insanely well. You have laid-back and quiet songs such as Weary or Rise, more energetic melodies such as FUBU, and just a good mix of stuff in between as well. Despite this, every track just has this very distinct intimate feel to its music that works really well in unison with the album's themes...of which we will get to in a bit....It just feels like every track was made with the intention of the listener being able to fully catch every detail of the song without too much effort and I just...I really like it. It gives the already artsy melodies across the album an even more experimental and almost Folk-like feel to it in the way that the lyrics are meant to take the foreground and not the melody....Of course, that's not...the exact case here. I mean, I would say the music and lyrics are about equal in terms of the musical intensity but I digress. And...OH MY GOD. Don't even get me started on the production. Okay. I'm going to have to hold myself back here because I have talked and talked and talked about how much I love the style of production this album uses in the pas-...You know what, screw it. I'm going to label this style of production the "Melody A.M." production seeing as that was my first album with this style. What does the Melody A.M. stamp of approval, you ask? Well, basically, think of a cocoon. You are trapped inside, the space is enclosed, and you can probably die from a solid object the size of a golf ball being thrown at you...okay, that last part may be unneeded but still you get the point. Basically, you have a speaker inside of that cocoon with you and...well...this album's playing. Do you get it?...No...maybe...oh...alright. Layman I get it. Alright, so basically what I'm trying to say is that this album just has a very entangling kind of production to it. A kind of style to its sound that can very easily pull you away from anything you are doing and thoroughly engross you in its sound...which kinda sucks in this case because I usually have the album on as background when I write these but in this case it's literally just too distracting. It almost feels as if the sound of the album is like its own fleshed out world that you kinda just want to...find a portal too and delve into...Okay look, I am actually trying my hardest to explain this style of production here but I literally can't think of the words or metaphors to describe it properly or in a layman way. If you really care that much, just listen to Eple off of Melody A.M. and you should hopefully get what I'm saying. Basically, to truly put it into layman's the point I'm trying to make is that the album sounds great. Very good producing and mixing that I find to be genuinely praiseworthy...Um...okay, so that's music and production checked off, double whammy there...oh...okay...now it's time for me to get serious for a bit as we turn our attention to this album's themes and lyrics. Okay...just...switching hats....alright. I have a tophat on now, my serious hat. Alright, so just as a reminder, there are probably going to be things that I glaze over or don't understand fully here but I do hope to give my best analysis possible. And also, I should have said this earlier, but I am in complete support of pretty much all things Civil Rights and equality. "We should be judged on our character and not our physical appearance" is a statement that I firmly agree with and stand by. So, it should come as no surprise that I can resonate with a lot of stuff on this album even if I am not its target audience. Something that I haven't mentioned yet but are a crucial part of the album as a whole are the interludes. As pretty much all interludes do, they serve as a transition between tracks. Yet here, they serve as Spoken Word segments meant to describe themes of racism and Black empowerment with a bit of backing instrumentation. While these interludes are definitely the weakest part of the album in terms of music, they completely make up for it with their very powerful, moving, and fearless messages. Take Tina Taught Me as an example. It boldly pushes back against the entire claim for a "need" for White History Month in a way that you really couldn't argue with even if you wanted to. And the same thing goes for all of the interludes. They all have these very deep and empowering messages that just work perfectly in unison with the album. And, pretty much every musically-focused track has similar messages albeit with a more poetic tone to their lyrics and music. And like I said, I really don't understand some of these songs or their lyrics fully. Hell, I had to look up Junie simply because I didn't get it at all. Ironically, that specific track is meant to be about people who claim to be in the Black empowerment movement but don't truly understand it...which...who knows...maybe that's me but I digress. But regardless, something that I really like about Solange's lyrics is that, while they are aimed towards Black empowerment, they can have a very personal meaning for pretty much anyone no matter who you are. I can relate songs like Cranes In The Sky or Don't Wish Me Well back to my life and my struggles pretty easily. And that's why I think this album is as effective as it is in a lot of ways. It has a target audience in mind, yet it is able to deeply speak beyond that target audience at the same time with minimal effort. And...well...yeah...the lyrics and especially the themes are just amazing as well. Alright...cool...now let me just walk back over to the coat rack...top hat...comes off...and...maybe I should switch it up with a Fred Durst ballcap for my final few sentences...alright...yeah.........there we go. Okay. Yo! What's up everybody! Are we ready to get this party start-.....Oh....god....I forgot about that...the clanking. I.......okay um...I....seriously need to......okay it's non-stop now......why is this......why is-..............Oh......oh my god...um....h-h-hello oh w-w-w-w-wise one...I-Listen, let thy heart be-ho-Don't be afraid, let th-How?-HEY, Lester, cease the ink of your mind. Let thy heart be still for a moment without shame. Be not ashamed of thy dread, but f-I need to go to the next album. Get rid of this now. ============================================================ A Seat At The Table: 8/10 Song Average: 7.7/10
hard not to compare her to her sister, but sounds like she could've used some of the projection lessons her mum had already obviously paid for. She's got a great voice but I wish there was better production at times.
In think this does what it aims to do very well. But what it aims to do is not for me. I added “Cranes at the Table” to my Generator playlist.
3.5 perfectly enjoyable
Really good! Great RnB album with really unique tracks, I listened to this twice through. Easily 80/100
Quite a talented lady
great message... not particularly great music. interesting interludes. 2.5
Number: 96 Date: 04/08/2026 Artist: Solange Album: A Seat at the Table Year: 2016 Genre: Pop Soul Rating: 2 Notes: Before: ======= Solange, never heard of her. Wow, 2016. This is the most recent album I've had so far. This better be good. During: ======= Six songs in now. So far all 3's or 2's. It's OK as background music. In that spirit, let's get some other stuff done whilst I listen to the rest of the album. How's about we check my personal top 10 albums of 2016 against the 1001 list. Admittedly, they are all very "white" with the exception of Xenia Rubinos. Angel Olsen "MY WOMAN" Autolux "PUSSY'S DEAD" Living Hour "Living Hour" Lambchop "FLOTUS" Michael Nau "Mowing" Band of Horses "Why Are You OK" Thee Oh Sees "A Weird Exits" Xenia Rubinos "Black Terry Cat" Kevin Morby "Singing Saw" TOY "Clear Shot" None of these artists are even on the list at all, except for Lambchop, and it's a different album from them, "Nixon". My ratings for this album: 3 Rise 3 Weary 3 Interlude: The Glory Is In You 3 Cranes In The Sky 2 Interlude: Dad Was Mad 3 Mad 3 Don't You Wait 3 Interlude: Tina Taught Me 3 Don't Touch My Hair 3 Interlude: This Moment 4 Where Do We Go 3 Interlude: For Us By Us 3 F.U.B.U. 3 Borderline (An Ode To Self Care) 3 Interlude: I Got So Much Magic, You Can Have It 3 Junie 3 Interlude: No Limits 3 Don't Wish Me Well 3 Interlude: Pedestals 2 Scales 3 Closing: The Chosen Ones ----------------------------------------------------- 3.00 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= Oh, so her sister's Beyonce? That's interesting. Overall, I found the music on this album to be nice but nothing really special that would make me want to listen to it again. 3 my personal rating 1 suitability for this list 2 impact ----------------------------------------------- 2 composite rating
When the beat drops, this is a solid album with an important message. However, slow R&B never did it for me, and a lot of this one is exactly that. The comparisons to her (admittedly more talented) sister are inevitable, but at least Solange has carved her own path.
I can see why some people same that Solange's music is better than Beyonce's.
Criticising this as the sole product of being related to Beyoncé seems incredibly reductive. Is it the greatest album ever? No, but it does have some pretty great production and featured performances. It lacks dynamism and everything is maybe overly mellow, but I’d struggle to be upset if anyone popped this on as background music. I can’t even find it in me to be upset by the multiple interlude tracks. I came in thinking I’d be making a snarkier review where I’d shove 8 of my own interludes in. But they barely take up any time, are woven into the tracks, and aren’t filled with content designed to shock like many male artists historically seem to find so amusing. They all offer insight and positivity and I’m not so cynical that I can’t find value in that.
So beautiful
I liked it. Didn't love it.
This is far better than how others have rated this. She's a great voice and the production is great but no real change in tempo and the voice over things get in the way. Done on other albums too. Use a song to connect the story. You don't need to do this
This wasn't bad at all, but no clue why it was included on the list.
I recognise is an album full of meaning but i didn’t find a song that stuck in my head
It's aight, but it's boring
I actually like her music more than other similar artists, like her sister.
Pretty damn bad and thinks it’s special
You aren't allowed a seat, Blancmange Knowles. Fisher price 'my first r&b' ass beats
Oh man. I've always heard this album's great, but I've never been a big R&B fan. But listening to it now. I get it. It's incredibly smooth. A little jazzy at times with songs like Where Do We Go, a lot of soul and R&B. Just a great vibe throughout the whole thing. Definitely an album I'll go back to and pick apart.
So boring and repetitiiiiiiiiiive boriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing But yes, I understand she has a good voice,but man, this was so boring, can't remember a thing and... I could easily die without this experience! 2/5 because of the voice, and that's it
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.
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"
This is good…is something that people who like this would say, but unfortunately this isn’t really my thing. In fairness, it had its plus points in production etc but I lost interest after the first few tracks.
listened to this a few days ago and didn't have anything bad to say but already can't really remember anything about it. so that's the review.
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.
Well produced with nice vocals. 3.6/5.
Een prettige ervaring. Zou me ook wat moeten verdiepen in de teksten. Thema ‘black’ komt regelmatig naar voren. Bij eerste keer luisteren is het ook wel een beetje kabbelend.
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.
Had hier hoge verwachtingen van. Ik heb mijzelf moeten forceren om dit album na de eerste teleurstelling nog twee keer te luisteren. Het is een bijzonder persoonlijk en ook maatschappelijk boeiend album. Ik moet heel erg mijn best doen om dit er uit te halen omdat ik het stemgeluid en stijl bijzonder onaangenaam vind. De r&b vibrato is iets wat ik altijd als heel storend heb ervaren. Icm met het zachte en bijna hijgerige sla ik de meeste nummers het liefst over. Het is wel jammer want ook de productie is best goed met mooie arrangementen. Deze review heeft niks met kwaliteit te maken. Ik bezit simpelweg de capaciteit niet om deze muziek te waarderen en hierdoor mis ik ook een groot gedeelte van de boodschap. Ik kan wel begrijpen dat dit voor veel mensen een bijzonder album is.
Ik vond het tof om eens goed in dit album te duiken. Ik wist natuurlijk dat Solange de zus is van Beyoncé, maar ik had me nooit echt in haar muziek verdiept. Verrassend album. De sound past perfect bij haar stem: warm, dromerig en soms bijna fragiel, maar wel met een duidelijke identiteit. Het geheel voelt heel consistent en verveelt niet. Er zit genoeg afwisseling in om het interessant te houden zonder dat het zijn sfeer verliest. Wat ook blijft hangen zijn de thema’s. De interludes met voice notes voegen echt iets toe. Het voelt niet belerend, maar roept wel iets op van bewustwording zonder dat het geforceerd aanvoelt.
a beautiful tribute to the challenges of black creatives
Fell asleep halfway through so it gets three stars