Since her adolescence, Solange has been hidden in the shadow of her older sister Beyoncé despite her immense talent in various different areas. With four complete studio albums and a handful of EPs under her belt, Solange has worked her way up to being a household name–– despite not having released anything since 2020. Solange’s wide range of collaborations includes everyone from Lil Wayne to Playboi Carti, even including Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child. She’s even been featured on Jimmy Fallon’s “the Tonight Show.” Surrounded by backup dancers, a band and choreographed dancers, her performance gained traction on social media and promoted the release of her most recent album.
Solange grew up surrounded by musical talent; her sister Beyoncé made her debut in 1999 with her dad Mathew Knowles acting as a co-founder and manager for over a decade. Three years after her older sister rose to fame as a member of the hit pop group Destiny’s Child, Solange’s first album, “Solo Star,” was released. Though she was just starting out in the music industry, she entered with a bang after releasing a full-length album consisting of 37 tracks with a listening time of two hours and 21 minutes. The album consists of instrumental versions of select tracks, and features artists like American rappers N.O.R.E and Murphy Lee as well as her sister, Beyoncé.
From 2001 to 2019, Solange released four separate studio albums, not including the instrumental and deluxe versions she released of her second studio album “Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams.” During this time she put out multiple singles and EPs, including her heavily streamed song, “Losing You,” which was released as a single in 2012 and samples Euro Funk’s “Dynamite.”
After the release of her second studio album, Solange was awarded the best R&B award during the 2016 Grammys. The album, “A Seat at the Table” is a 21-song compilation with jazz-funk undertones paired with rhythmic snare, putting it in the R&B genre. With returning features like Lil Wayne and Kelly Rowland, the album secured a spot on the Rolling Stone 500 greatest albums for 2020. Promptly after the album’s release, her song “Cranes in the Sky” appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains her most streamed song on both Spotify and Apple Music.
Her most recent album, “When I Get Home,” is an R&B soul album full of a mix of funky new beats and samples from big names like Aaliyah and Luther Vandross. The album contains five interludes featuring voices like renowned poet Pat Parker and instrumentals from the band Rotary Connection. With 19 tracks total, three-fifths of her most streamed songs are off this album. This includes her song “Almeda,” which has recently gained attention on various social media platforms. With it being her most recent album, Solange steps it up and features countless high-profile artists, including but not limited to Tyler, the Creator, Metro Boomin, Steve Lacy and Earl Sweatshirt, who appear as uncredited features.
Solange’s music career has not halted, as she has given multiple updates within the past year to various news sites. While on her break from making music, Solange has ventured into multiple different art forms and achieved a range of accomplishments. In 2016, Solange fabricated and put on performance art pieces at various locations with a range of different exhibitions. During 2022, Solange became the first African American woman to compose for the New York City Ballet, which was an original score titled “Play Time.” The composition was performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra at the Lincoln Center, and had its premiere at the New York Ballets annual Fall Fashion Gala back in 2024.
As of January 2025, Solange has given insights to the details of her album she plans to release. During an interview with Vogue Australia in 2024, Solange spoke out on the condition of her album, and announced that she plans to shift her focus to making music full time. The release of her newest short film on January 31st, Solange as the director and star of the film, proving her incredible range of talents in various industries. The release of new media sparks new hope for an album in the works, and excitement as to what she will accomplish in the upcoming future. sparks hope for new music to be released and excitement towards what she will accomplish in the future.
