Solange’s first offering since 2012’s EP True dropped today, and critics haven’t been stingy with superlatives when describing the rush of listening to the album.
Related: Beyonce Speaks Out Against Anti-LGBT Law, Says “Y’all Means All”
The Guardian calls A Seat at the Table “a stately, sprawling celebration of black identity” that displays an “artful, keening single-mindedness.” Mashable gushed that “her ethereal voice demands attention and space that we must grant her in order to collectively move forward, even just a bit.” NPR hailed the work as “a floating melange of R&B, bold in its quiet and understated sounds, bolder in its message.”
Related: Lemonade Takeaway: Beyonce’s Four Best Tracks (And One Glaring Problem)
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Solange herself describes the work as “a project on identity, empowerment, independence, grief, and healing.”
Fans have been taking to Twitter all morning to praise the surprise release:
Y’all need to listen to this Solange album like yesterday.
— I’m Jass (@jASSrcouch) September 30, 2016
This Solange aint got a wack song on it bruh. BRUH
— Chil Scott-Heron (@GFiftyTwo) September 30, 2016
New Solange pic.twitter.com/maxfu8IJCh
— Lillian (@lillian) September 30, 2016
THANK YOU SOLANGE FOR THIS ALBUM !!!!!
— bbysmith. (@_crownxroyal) September 30, 2016
This Solange album is a solid project
— (insert pun here) (@alovelytay) September 30, 2016
Yes this Solange album is ???
— Yy?¿ (@SylvrDolla_) September 30, 2016
In less than 24 hours of being released, I have listened to Solange’s album three times, and have no plans of stopping
— Cierra Baldwin (@Yung72Chisholm) September 30, 2016
Solange’s album is great.. that’s all.
— ye (@OnYeahK) September 30, 2016
I’m obsessed with A Seat at the Table. Thank you for this album, Solange.
— Brit M. (@britmishelle) September 30, 2016
This Solange dope af
— Kel (@FeetUp_Chillin) September 30, 2016
Solange’s album is good for my soul.
— Jilly (@JillianNiaa15) September 30, 2016
Have you given the album a spin yet? What are your first impressions? Weigh in in the comments below.
Creamsicle
Makes sense. I haven’t listened to the album yet, but I know that Solange Knowles and Janelle Monae are good friends, and she is a very meticulous and socially conscious musician. I think I’ll pick up this album sooner rather than later.
Captain Obvious
You know music is on it’s last legs when people act like they discovered Solange like she was some indie underground artist they’ve never heard of before. They do this every time she releases an song let alone an album.
Her only problem[also the only reason anyone knows her name] has always been that she’s Beyonce’s little sister and that’s not going to go away.
Brian
I’m not here to make the Knowles family more wealthy.
Solange is as empowered as Beyonce is a feminist.
IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou
She’s the less talented to two no talent sisters. Beyonce is queen of puppetry of the weave and nothing else. She lip syncs what others write and play the music to like a drag queen and dances while slinging her weave around like a dead cat. That’s it. And her sister is only known for mauling someone in an elevator.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RSQaVG7_QI
Here we go again. A straight woman, a diva, gets centred on a gay platform. Talk about unearned fucking privilege! Where was Frank Ocean’s Blonde dedicated post (and no they didn’t post it) . What about Kaytranada’s album. What about a dedicated post to Mykki Blanco (I had to bang on about before you included a desultory mention buried amongst the insta whore pics). What about igthe likes of Woodkid? Or guys likes of Mnek who are killing it but get no shine on gat blogs. I don’t even necessarily like everyone of these guys or their particular genre but they excel in it and are rated by critics …just not here. Never fucking here unless they have ovaries.
And again I’m gonna post this fucking guy again whose won the best song/video of the week on so many music sites the past week..but totally ignored here and other gay sites; I even emailed a couple — and nothing.
Kevin Abstract
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RSQaVG7_QI
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
This is the ONLY fucking site — almost literally– that ignored the former world champion skateboard champ coming out. What the fuck is the editorial policy or agenda here?
Brian
@PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID: I agree. I think there is a group of trans-gay guys who revel in identifying with the female body. Female body worship follows from this.
As trans-gay guys, they totally objectify women. Their objectification of women rivals that which straight-identifying guys display towards women.
A lot of these trans-gay guys are homophobic in the sense that they fear the power of male homosexual desire, with the accent on the word “male”. They would much rather be that which they objectify – ie females.
Ander
Why does this “article” smell of paid placement?
Kangol
@PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID: Glad you made this point. I also thought they’d cover Brian Anderson’s coming out because he’s a 40 year old white dude who’s pretty well known, but I guess not. Maybe if someone mentioned him on Whisper or he were dating a twink, etc., he might get some coverage here.
I noticed today that once again, other than Solange, a straight woman, the only gay/queer people of color on Queerty’s main page were linked to RuPaul. I mean, it’s a lazy pattern this site falls into over and over. No amount of pleas and critiques, however friendly, seem to get them to change. Those interesting musicians you mentioned? Perhaps they just don’t care. I’m glad you posted their names for others to learn about, though.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
@Kangol: Thankyou, mate. It just pisses me off that young gay kids are not seeing our full potential and the progress we *are* making culturally and excelling…alongside the negative shit still happening to us in society; and the clickbaity ratchetness (which has its place too!) We need to see the full picture.
I don’t even hate Solange, I fucked with the True EP
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Kaytranada acclaimed artist and superproducer and gay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaWesK-nWts
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Kaytranada’s new single
feat Syd tha kyd (also LGBT) from The Internet , and Odd Future (who HAVE featured on this site ..in connection with hip hop homophobia. Funny that )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKlA5tRu6f0
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Classic by Woodkid, artist, producer, amazing director
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSkb0kDacjs
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Frank Ocean’s ex boyfriend (French model Willy Cartier) is the longhaired dude in the Woodkid video
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Mnek from couple of years back (but hey Queerty works on geological time spans when it comes to acknowleding certain types of artists)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1MmHm4Wusc
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Gay site creaming its panties over Solange’s boutique SJW …but ignore real art shit like this by a gay artist B.Slade (formerly Tonex). As did every other site except “problematic” Cypher Avenue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvMkBVh9-5Q
Dorian Prince
@Prince of Snarkness aka DIVKID, Thank you for sharing these gems! I LOVE MNEK and B.Slade. And I agree, Queerty should be featuring LGBT artists first. This should be a place where these artists can become known so that we can post them on our platforms. Re: Poor little Solange, always at the kids table…I would love to see her become big in another arena so that she can get out of her sister’s shadow. So far she hasn’t proven herself to be like Janet who successfully found her own niche and stands next to her big brother as a legend. I don’t know if Solange is interested in acting or not but hypothetically, it would be nice to see her do something like that where she does really well in the movies or on a tv show…comedy, drama, whatever, as long as it is AWARD Winning good. Then she will come out of her sister’s shadow…otherwise she stands in the shade along with Kelly Rowland and the crew. 🙁
SeijnSei
Frank Oceans cd was garbage. Both of them. So NOW we have to support something because a gay or bisexual breathed on it? FOH What pisses me off is Lady Gaga will probably release something subpar in a few days and it will be ALL anyone is talking about. You know its bad when Billboard has to “declare” something a hit before its even release.
jdboston617
Sorry. I don’t think she’s talented. She living off her mom’s… sorry, sorry, I mean, her sister, Beyonce’s name.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
@SeijnSei: Frank Ocean is not for the likes of you. You, me and Frank can agree on that.
RomanInfinity
If you’re complaining about the fact that she isn’t straight, you are no better than the plenty of straight people who hated on Gaga or Ocean. Just shut up. If you like her music that’s fine but don’t critisize it to death unless you c ad n do better. Solange is a supporter of the lgbt community like her dister. Did you ever stop to think about the confidence she gave to so many Black gay and Trans people with this album? Her music speaks to me because sometime the Gay community has its ways of shunning people of color. Sometimes there isn’t a gay person I
can relate to. That’s why we listen to Todrick Hall, Frank Ocean, Angel Haze, Sya, an The Internet. Don’t bash her album because (which some probably haven’t even heard yet ) you can’t relate. Now you know how we feel.