“A Seat at the Table” is a clear indication that Solange has found herself and settled into her long eluded identity of the soulful songstress and revolutionary. This is the most involved the R&B singer has been in one of her albums, being that she co-produced and wrote every song.
The rhythms and melodies are the love children of neo-soul and R&B, and the lyrics – that reflect the lives and everyday feelings of African-Americans and the like-minded – sit on top of those rhythms to make a powerful piece.
Many of the songs are preceded by testimonies and the voices of loved ones – one of them being her mother, Tina Lawson – that add to the potency of the song that follows. Two crowd favorites have been “Don’t Touch My Hair” and “Mad,” which features multi-platinum rapper Lil Wayne.
“Don’t Touch My Hair” speaks on the role that hair has and how the expression of it in a woman’s life reflects her culture, mood, experiences and everything in between. “Mad” tells the story of African-Americans and their right to be angry at things they may live through. According to the song and the matching testimonial – “Dad Was Mad” – those things include but are not limited to the non-acceptance of afro-textured hair, the mass incarceration of black and brown people and police brutality. The heavy presence of piano in both songs helps to smooth out what are hard subjects and opinions to preach on.
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“Something Worth Saving” has placed Gavin DeGraw in the same boat as Solange because both artists are honest, new and completely transparent about their feelings and experiences.
“Something Worth Saving” is a collection of carefully chosen strings, cymbal hits, piano chords and choir-like echoes that blend together to make ear-soothing timbre. There are some songs, like “How Lucky Can A Man Get,” that reflect an early soft-rocker DeGraw. With bold trumpets and a leading electric guitar, the song makes for a groovy and hip-moving sound.
“Harder to Believe” is one of the songs that add to the transparency of this album. With choral echoes being the most present in this song, it speaks on a rough past that most wouldn’t believe if they heard. The song is one that can be deemed personable and relatable on different levels.
The track “Say I Am” follows in those footsteps, providing the listener with the story of a man in love who proclaims his letting go of loneliness and readiness for happiness. Strings and strategic piano cords are also present in this song.
Both albums revealed a new layer to their respective artist and listeners couldn’t be happier.