Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles (/soʊˈlɑːnʒ/; born June 24, 1986)[1][2][3] is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Knowles expressed an interest in music from an early age and had temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, which featured her older sister Beyoncé Knowles among its members, before signing with her father Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment label. At 16, Knowles released her first studio album Solo Star (2002). She also appeared in the films Johnson Family Vacation (2004), and Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006).
Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles-Smith
- Singer
- songwriter
- actress
- performance artist
2001–present
-
Daniel Smith(m. 2004; div. 2007)
1
- Beyoncé (sister)
- Blue Ivy Carter (niece)
- Angela Beyincé (cousin)
- Vocals
In 2007, Knowles began to record music again. Heavily influenced by Motown girl groups, her second studio album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (2008) deviated from the pop-oriented music of her debut to Motown-inspired sounds from the 60's and 70's. It peaked at number nine on the US Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from critics. She followed this up with the 1980s pop and R&B-inspired extended play True (2012) on Terrible Records and her imprint Saint Records. Her third studio album, A Seat at the Table (2016) was released to widespread critical acclaim and became her first number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single, "Cranes in the Sky" won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance. Her fourth studio album, When I Get Home, was released in March 2019 to further critical acclaim.
Knowles says that her first passion is songwriting. Frequently compared by the media to her sister Beyoncé, Knowles has claimed that they have different aspirations and are musically different. She has been ranked by Billboard as the 100th most successful dance artist of all time,[4] and in 2017 was honored with the "Impact Award" at the Billboard Women in Music event.[5] Her other ventures include an endorsement deal with Rimmel London and a line of hip-hop-oriented merchandise for young children.
Knowles has also ventured into performance art, working in several international museums and exhibitions, such as the Elbphilharmonie, the Venice Art Biennale and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. In 2022, Knowles became the third woman and first African American to compose a score for the New York City Ballet.
Early life[edit]
Solange Piaget Knowles was born on June 24, 1986 in Houston, Texas to Tina and Mathew Knowles. Her older sister is singer Beyoncé Knowles. Her father, originally from Alabama, is African American, and her mother, originally from Texas, is an African American of Louisiana Creole heritage.[6][7][8][9][10][11] Her maternal grandparents are Lumis Beyincé and Agnéz Deréon, a seamstress. She is also a descendant of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard.[12] Knowles was raised Catholic until the age of four, when her family became members of a Methodist church.[13][14][15] As a child, she studied dance and theater. At age five, she made her singing debut at Six Flags AstroWorld, a theme park in Houston. She began writing songs at the age of nine.[16] At 13, she decided to pursue recording, but her parents initially advised her to wait. During Destiny's Child's opening stint for Christina Aguilera's 2000 tour, Knowles temporarily replaced member Kelly Rowland after she broke her toes backstage during a costume change.[17] At 15, Knowles replaced a departed dancer and performed with the group on tour.[18]
Career[edit]
2001–2003: Early career and Solo Star[edit]
Managed by her father Mathew, Knowles first ventured into the music business in 2001 as the lead singer, backed by Destiny's Child, on the title theme song for the animated television series The Proud Family.[19][20] She also was a featured performer on "Hey Goldmember" for the soundtrack to the 2002 film Austin Powers in Goldmember,[19] as well as a backup singer on the track "Little Drummer Boy" on Destiny's Child's 2001 holiday album 8 Days of Christmas.[21] In 2002, she was featured on Lil' Romeo's second studio album Game Time, singing portions of Luther Vandross-penned "So Amazing" on the single "True Love", and on Kelly Rowland's debut solo album Simply Deep, for which she also wrote the tracks "Simply Deep", "Beyond Imagination" and "Obsession". In 2001 she appeared as Lil' Bow Wow's date in the music video for his single "Puppy Love".[22] She also made an appearance on The Master of Disguise soundtrack and made cameos in Play's video for "M.A.S.T.E.R. (Part II)" featuring Lil' Fizz.
In 2002, she lent her voice to the character Chanel, the cousin of the protagonist Penny Proud, in an episode of the animated television series The Proud Family.[23] In June 2003, Mathew Knowles excitedly announced that he was considering adding Knowles to Destiny's Child when the group reunited in 2004, thus turning them into a quartet for the first time since short-lived member Farrah Franklin left in 2000. Mathew Knowles said he was testing the reactions, and, judging by what he had heard, "it seems like a good idea".[24] Later in August, however, Beyoncé said it was only a rumor and Destiny's Child would remain a trio. Rowland added, "She's a solo star," name-dropping Knowles's debut album.[25]
At 14, Knowles started working on her debut album Solo Star,[26] which involved American producers such as Jermaine Dupri, the Neptunes, Linda Perry and Timbaland among others. She then recorded the album under her father's Music World Entertainment label with Columbia Records.[27] The album is primarily uptempo R&B, although Knowles said there are pop, rock, reggae and hip hop influences.[19][21] Knowles co-wrote and co-produced some of the 15 tracks in the album,[28] including its lead single, "Feelin' You (Part II)". The song failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, but reached number three on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales and Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.[29][30] Solo Star was released on January 21, 2003, in the United States, where it debuted at number 49 on the Billboard 200 and reached number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[31][32] Solo Star had a mixed critical reception: William Ruhlmann of AllMusic called it a "state-of-the-art contemporary R&B album", but deemed Knowles "lost somewhere in the mix".[33] By mid-2008, the album had sold 112,000 copies domestically according to Nielsen SoundScan.[32]
Artistry[edit]
Music and influences[edit]
On her debut album, Knowles had no control over which kinds of music to produce, stating that "when you're 14, everyone else is older and more seasoned and you trust their decisions".[26] She was more concerned with pleasing her record label by submitting to their desires.[44]
Her musical influences were better expressed on Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, when she considered herself mature and was able to write and produce songs as she wished, without worrying about the expectations of others.[26] Knowles's lyrics tackle relationships, world issues, and deceased friends,[44][86] with her second album focusing on events in her life, such as marriage, divorce, and parenthood.[44] The album touched upon a variety of genres including pop-soul,[87] psychedelic soul,[88] electronica,[89] and R&B.[90]
Knowles's debut extended play True is a new wave album with Knowles stating, "This is a dance record, but the lyrics can get pretty dark at times."[62] Knowles described the EP as "eclectic with 1980s references and African percussion influences." Sonically the extended play is influenced by the keyboard sounds and beats of early 1980s pop and R&B music.[91] The EP was recorded in five cities including Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, and on the German Autobahn.[92] Her 2016 album, A Seat at The Table, discusses themes such as "black womanhood," "Southern culture and glory," and "what it means to be free and not free all at once."[93]
Performance art and ballet[edit]
Outside her work of being a singer-songwriter, Knowles has also ventured into performance art. In an interview with Surface magazine, she said "I'm not at all interested in entertainment. I'm really interested in energy exchange between the viewer and the performer. One way to do that is to make an inclusive experience through style, through energy, through space."[94] She has put on subsequent performance art pieces throughout the world, including Witness! at the Elbphilharmonie, Metatronia (Metatron's Cube) at the Hammer Museum and Bridge-s at the Getty Museum.[95][96][97] In November 2019, Knowles directed and composed the art and music performance In Past Pupils and Smiles at the Venice Art Biennale.[98][99] In August 2022, the New York City Ballet announced that Knowles would compose a score for the Fall Fashion Gala the following September, becoming the third woman and first African American to serve in that role for the company.[100]
Personal life[edit]
Relationships[edit]
Knowles married Daniel Smith in the Bahamas in February 2004, when she was 17 and he was 19.[134] On October 18, 2004, Knowles gave birth to a son.[135] After their son's birth, the family moved to Moscow, Idaho, where Knowles's husband continued studying in college.[47] The two divorced in 2007, after which Knowles split her time between her residences in Los Angeles and Houston, Texas.[136] She and her son relocated to Brooklyn in 2011,[137] and to New Orleans, Louisiana in 2013.[138]
Knowles married music video director Alan Ferguson at the Marigny Opera House in New Orleans on November 16, 2014.[139] The couple separated in 2019.[140]
That year, Knowles began dating experimental jazz artist Gio Escobar from the band Standing on the Corner,[141] with whom she had previously collaborated on her studio album When I Get Home. Knowles publicly acknowledged the relationship on Instagram in November 2020.[142]
Elevator attack video[edit]
On May 12, 2014, TMZ released security video footage of Knowles appearing to physically attack her brother-in-law Jay-Z and being restrained by a security guard in an elevator at The Standard, High Line in Manhattan.[143][144] The video went viral, receiving a significant amount of media attention from news organizations and gossip columnists, with many wondering what led to the violent confrontation.[145][146] The infamous moment was mentioned in monologues on late night talk shows such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[147] The matter was also spoofed on television shows including Saturday Night Live and Family Guy.[148][149] Knowles, Jay-Z, and Beyoncé called the occurrence an "unfortunate incident" and stated that the family "has worked through it."[150] Knowles later clarified that she and her family were "all good."[151]
Headlining
Supporting