Solange, an artist who for years has come back with a different sound, resurfaced with a new, R&B/neo-soul album; A Seat at The Table. The album explores themes of cultural appropriation, black power, and racism.
A Seat at The Table was released in 2017, but still holds relevance today with the prevalence of issues that still face Black people around America. Many of its tracks are self explanatory such as “Don’t Touch My Hair”. This track touches on how Black peoples natural hair is often gawked at, and treated as something out of the ordinary. Instead the lyrics detail how her and other African Americans natural hair is a symbol of pride and empowerment. Solange also mentions how some people cannot seem to understand how important hair is to African Americans.
The record also features many interludes featuring several African Americans speaking on racism and sharing their experiences that they had in the past. “Interlude: Dad Was Mad” illustrates a black mans past, his arrest, as well as how bad life was for black people in general in the past. “We lived in the threat of death everyday”. Other tracks emphasize black pride like “Interlude: Tina Taught Me”. With lyrics like: “… There is so much beauty in being black…” and “Why are you mad at that? Why does that make you angry? That is to suppress me and to make me not be proud.”
“Cranes in The Sky”, a single released prior to the albums debut, details Solanges’ personal struggle with pain and anxiety. The lyrics are very blatant about difficulty coping with said pain. The song features powerful lyrics like: “I tried to drink it away”, “I tried to keep myself busy” , and “I tried to work it away, but that just made me even sadder.” However I believe the song has another meaning, that being Solanges´ anxiety about the way black people are being treated in America. So these lyrics could also be her desperate attempts to escape these conditions before she reached acceptance.
In my opinion however, the song I enjoy the most and believe has the most meaning is “Mad feat. Lil Wayne”. The song opens with Solange stating “You got the right to be mad”, but then follows with “But when you carry it alone you find it only getting the way. Then they say you gotta let it go”. She knows that her grip on anger is only getting in the way, so she tells herself to let go of said anger. Later in the song, Solange acknowledges the “angry black woman” stereotype by presenting her lyrics as if someone where questioning/antagonizing her : “… Why you always gotta be so mad?”, but then replies with “I got a lot to be mad about”. Now normally this could mean she as a person has a right to her emotions, but she´s referring to the injustice and cruelty that is imposed upon her community. Black people have experienced oppression at the hands of whites for over 200 years, Solange has every right to be angry.
Finally, the production of this album is exquisite. Every song sounds different than the previous, and the interludes add a unique flare to the record. However my favorite aspect of the albums production has to be the transitions between songs and interludes. Each song transitions smoothly into the next and makes the album feel more complete, as if it were a book. A Seat at The Table is one of the few albums that you have to listen to in order, if you skip a interlude, you would essentially miss out on the story that inspired that song. All in all, A Seat at The Table is an excellent album that shines more light on black issues, but also instills confidence and pride within the listener.
Joshua Carrera
Joshua's Music 