Solange Presents: When I Get Home
Jalen Hendrix
Jalen Hendrix
In 2016, the world saw Solange release her groundbreaking R&B album aptly titled A Seat At The Table. The album brought along righteous songs and even gave Solange a brand new audience. After the albums release in 2016, she was no longer known as just Beyonce’s sister. Her art direction along with her hands on involvement seem to be two great factors that work well for the singer at the age of 32. Now three years later we get a deeper look at Solange’s vision and mindset, this is Solange Knowles’ When I Get Home.
A visual album is defined as a hybrid medium between music video and film. It allows music to be played as a standard album does, but it also allows for a visual representation to be shown. This brings songs to life in a different way than other regular music videos. Beyonce (Solange’s older sister/pop icon) released an entire visual album in 2016 which included voice overs, political messages, talks of infidelity, and prejudice in America. Lemonade broke barriers, sure not the first of its kind but at the same time it kind of was. Visual albums were never that grand before and they never had a huge platform like Beyonce’s did.
Solange brought her visual album to the still young streaming service Apple Music. In fact that is the only place you can watch every single motion in all its fluidity. “I believe it’s a step up.”, says college student Jamal Hendrix.He goes onto say,“Her music is peaceful and calm but if you slowly listen to it you can hear her express her feelings of love life and taking pride in being black in the world.” The album itself touches on various topics, the main topic of course is cultural appropriation and identity. The song “Almeda”, for example, talks about black ownership and proclaiming the things that black people cannot change about themselves, all the while being okay with it. It states,“black skin, black braids, black waves, black days, black baes, black things, these are black owned things.” This song also represents self-love and freedom and urges other cultures to remember that a lot of things they find cool and exotic were known as black culture first.
One of the things that makes this album so appealing is the way it allows songs and interludes to flow into each other. You can get completely lost in some of the songs, it allows you to relax and makes you forget that you have been sitting and listening to music for 40 minutes straight. The most outstanding elements of course are the visuals that go along with the 33 minute movie. Solange made sure she brought in her Texas roots, including several cowboy and rodeo references. She also featured an all black cast of all different shades, depicting how black is beautiful in every tone.
The album also has a feature list full of big name artists. “Down With The Clique”, the third track from the top, includes vocals and production from Tyler The Creator. Other interludes feature dialogue from Houston natives like Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad who are from the same neighborhood as Solange. Also contributing is rapper Playboi Carti, The Dream, Pharrell Williams, and Gucci Mane. All in all this album is celebratory, it celebrates the excellence of black culture and the meaning of being black.
A visual album is defined as a hybrid medium between music video and film. It allows music to be played as a standard album does, but it also allows for a visual representation to be shown. This brings songs to life in a different way than other regular music videos. Beyonce (Solange’s older sister/pop icon) released an entire visual album in 2016 which included voice overs, political messages, talks of infidelity, and prejudice in America. Lemonade broke barriers, sure not the first of its kind but at the same time it kind of was. Visual albums were never that grand before and they never had a huge platform like Beyonce’s did.
Solange brought her visual album to the still young streaming service Apple Music. In fact that is the only place you can watch every single motion in all its fluidity. “I believe it’s a step up.”, says college student Jamal Hendrix.He goes onto say,“Her music is peaceful and calm but if you slowly listen to it you can hear her express her feelings of love life and taking pride in being black in the world.” The album itself touches on various topics, the main topic of course is cultural appropriation and identity. The song “Almeda”, for example, talks about black ownership and proclaiming the things that black people cannot change about themselves, all the while being okay with it. It states,“black skin, black braids, black waves, black days, black baes, black things, these are black owned things.” This song also represents self-love and freedom and urges other cultures to remember that a lot of things they find cool and exotic were known as black culture first.
One of the things that makes this album so appealing is the way it allows songs and interludes to flow into each other. You can get completely lost in some of the songs, it allows you to relax and makes you forget that you have been sitting and listening to music for 40 minutes straight. The most outstanding elements of course are the visuals that go along with the 33 minute movie. Solange made sure she brought in her Texas roots, including several cowboy and rodeo references. She also featured an all black cast of all different shades, depicting how black is beautiful in every tone.
The album also has a feature list full of big name artists. “Down With The Clique”, the third track from the top, includes vocals and production from Tyler The Creator. Other interludes feature dialogue from Houston natives like Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad who are from the same neighborhood as Solange. Also contributing is rapper Playboi Carti, The Dream, Pharrell Williams, and Gucci Mane. All in all this album is celebratory, it celebrates the excellence of black culture and the meaning of being black.
