Review of Solange "A Seat At The Table"

I've been listening to this album on repeat on my Google Play Music for the past couple of weeks, i haven't done that on album in awhile and that's because this album is fucking great. I gotta admit I haven't really check for Solange's music in the past, maybe I was sleeping on her (or the music in the past wasn't that good?!). I didn't know she had it in her but this a very powerful album, very black , very conscious. The lyrical content is up there, we finally have a R&B album that isn't full of love ballads or songs about sex, there is real content in this album.

The album starts off with "Rise" which is a great opener letting the listener know about what this album is about. The first single and one of the most powerful songs on the album is "Cranes in the Sky". I read that she wrote the song 8 years ago and I was just shocked that she wrote such a great song while she was really young. My interpretation is that the song is about coping with the depression and I felt like I could really relate to that and most other people could.

"Cranes in the Sky"

[Verse 1]
I tried to drink it away
I tried to put one in the air
I tried to dance it away
I tried to change it with my hair

[Verse 2]
I ran my credit card bill up
Thought a new dress would make it better
I tried to work it away
But that just made me even sadder

[Verse 3]
I tried to keep myself busy
I ran around in circles
Think I made myself dizzy
I slept it away, I sexed it away
I read it away
Away

[Refrain 1]
Away, away, away, away, away
Away, away, away, away, away

"Mad" was on point with 2 surprisingly deep and decent verses from Lil Wayne, "Don't you Wait" is smooth and melodic. The "Tina Taught Me" interlude is really, really on point and I felt like what she was saying about pro-blackness...she took the words right out my mouth. "Don't Touch My Hair", that title is self explanatory,

"Don't Touch My Hair"

[Hook: Solange]
You know this hair is my shit
Rode the ride, I gave it time
But this here is mine
You know this hair is my shit
Rode the ride, I gave it time
But this here is mine

[Post-Hook 1: Sampha & Both]
What you say, oh?
What you say to me?
What you say to me?
What you say to me?
What you say to me?

I like how she incorporated hair into this discussion on race / racism, our hair as always been a highly debated subject in the black community especially other people's opinions about our hair and our appearance.

Next we have the song "F.U.B.U." , another awesome song touching on black power and prominence, this is music that we need to hear , that all peoples need to hear but especially because we have not made music to be proud of lately. The song touches on discrimination and cultural appropriation , I was just feeling it, I didn't hear anyone speak on issues like that in awhile.

"Junie" is a real upbeat, jazzy song with Andre 3000, it has real old school vibe that works really well. The rest of album shows Solange's vocal skills and it ends on a great note with "Scales".
I hate to compare her to Beyonce but I feel that this album is way better than anything Beyonce ever put out. I say that as far as content and purpose, I feel like Beyonce's music is just there....there's no growth, no deeper meaning but "A seat at the table" has a depth that you don't usually hear from most. It reminds of Marvin Gaye's "Whats going on", like its ok to sing love songs but let's also talk about some real shit and Solange does that the whole album. I listened to this album front to back, x in a row while waiting for a parking spot. I hope this album does well, I hope that everyone listens to it and I hope she gets the credit that she deserves.