Solange says she’s still sorting through the issues discussed on her album. (Peter Lindbergh)
Solange released “A Seat At The Table” a year ago and the album continues to have an impact on the community.
The critically and commercially successful record’s ode to Blackness and Black womanhood has struck a chord with many.
And Solange is incredibly humbled by the reception.
“It has been quite a journey to tour this album, to say the least,” she told Another magazine. “To be able to connect on the road with people who this album has reached and touched is incredibly rewarding. Especially because in some places, I’ve seen very few people of color. It has overwhelmed me in such a powerful way. I have the utmost gratitude that essentially myself and my band can just be used as vessels for communication.”
Tracks like “Cranes In the Sky” sound off on the anguish many Black people feel living in America. So much so that they may try to “change it with my hair,” as Solange cooed on the single.
Fans have related to that feeling and continue to praise the way the record has transformed them and the culture.
mane Solange A Seat At The Table album gives me peace
— STUNNA 🦇 (@LILAFRIMANE) September 15, 2017
say what u want but i swear to god solange's a seat at the table will transcend generations issa fucking classic i love u queen solo
— 𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗜 𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁 (@random_almonte) September 3, 2017
https://twitter.com/Xzzzaari/status/858838319660228609
Solange saw that influence for herself when she performed at New York’s the Guggenheim Museum in May. If these snaps from Variety are any indication, the showcase “An Ode To” brought to life the performance art of her “Seat” visuals. It gave the crowd life, too.
More On “A Seat At the Table”
Solange Drops Two New Visuals Off Highly Acclaimed ‘Seat at The Table’ Album
Solange Reflects on Alarming Remark by White Writer That Influenced ‘Seat at the Table’
White Viewers Trash Solange’s SNL Performances, But Black Twitter Comes to Her Rescue
“It was such a phenomenal experience and all about community,” Solange told Another magazine. “It was an ode to all of the experiences that have nurtured me leading up to that moment. An ode to all of the Black women artists who have come before me who made that performance a possibility.”
Solange has long been outspoken about Black social issues. (Peter Lindbergh)
Unafraid to both sing and say her opinions, Solange has made headlines for calling out white supremacists and racists. It’s something that has been inspired by Black women creators like essayist and poet Claudia Rankine, who has discussed race and the imagination in her book-length poem, “Citizen.”
“When I look back, there had been a number of things that had happened personally,” Solange said. “There were other explorations that I was working through to just be comfortable in saying, ‘You know what? This is the work of a Black woman’, and being confident in saying that and not trying to make it universal and dumb that down.
“I am so grateful to have other Black women artists and writers like Claudia who have helped me reach that point — to be able to have ownership of my artistic journey.”
