Solange, who, before, was largely known as just Beyonce’s little sister, releases her sophmore album, SoL-Angel & the Hadley Street Dreams on August 26th. This time around she’s taking the reigns, staking her own claim and doing it the right way: the way she wants to do it.
Solange put out her debut album, Solo Star back in 2003, with moderate success with the single, “Feelin’ You”. Although people didn’t fully flock to the project, Solange stuck to her guns and did a couple of films and stayed behind the scenes to give attention to her young son. After a short break from the industry, she began working on the album, SoL-Angel & the Hadley Street Dreams, as well as penning tracks for big sis, Beyonce, and labelmate/friend Michelle Williams.
While seeking out the right producers and writers to collaborate on the project, Solange found doors closing left and right in her face, due to past associations. But it wasn’t until she played pieces of the record, that heavyweights like Pharrell Williams, Cee-Lo Green and popular producer Mark Ronson signed onto the project. In addition to working with Shea Taylor, Soulshock and Karlin and Jack Splash.
It was then that we got a taste of her first single, “♫ I Decided,” people saw that Solange wasn’t doing anything typical, and certainly was peeping her face from big sister’s shadow. Not only that, but with her videos, we found that Solange has a great vision and sense of imagery.
Hadley Street Dreams is definitely a solid project. Critics have already acclaimed the new set as a cult classic. Solange taps into old ’60′s and ’70′s soul, as well as some down-beat electronic elements. Stand-out tracks include the afore mentioned as well as the second single, “♫ Sandcastle Disco.” From old school, feel-good tracks like the Mark Ronson-assisted ” ♫6 O’Clock Blues,” “An Ode to Marvin” and the Cee-Lo-penned “T.O.N.Y.,” to electric “Cosmic Journey,” featuring Bilal, Solange conveys her keen ear.
& Make sure you cop SoL-Angel & the Hadley Street Dreams in stores and online on August 26th!
#170 It’s funny that you say Amy copped a black woman’s band because she was put with this band by none other than Mark Ronson…the guy Solange begged (her word) to work on her album. He put them together because he thought they’d make great music together, which means their sounds were already comparable and if you’ve heard her demo’s (which were done yearrrrs before Mark even came into the picture) you’d here that her sound is comparable to the band’s. And as for her stealing a black person’s style…she made herself a student of jazz music so I would think it more appropriate to accuse someone else of misappropriating the genre…like Beyonce who goes on and on about Miles Davis but has yet to turn out anything even remotely true to the art…(and isn’t Solange responsible for most of her hits? lol). The truth is Solange is just fake…she’s a mediocre singer and her writing is just a string of cliches.
I LOVE SOLANGE! I AM TRULY FEELING HER STYLE, MUSIC, EVERYTHING! I COPPED THE ALBUM AND I LOVE IT. SHE IS DOING HER THING!
MUCH LOVE SOLO!
i love white pickett dreams (bonus track)
god give name
dancing in the dark
cosmic journey
i decided
sand castle disco
Tony
ok so safe to say this album is my current fav i play it everyday….i wasnt expecting her album to be so soulful. Im glad she can create her own sound and hopefully she’ll become more than just beyonce’s shadow!!!
well, i listened to wouldve been the one, and it took me back. i was singing and found myself on tears. it was passionate. the woman can blow. i got the album as a gift to a friend and i burned it to my laptop,thinkin i wasnt gonna listen and ended up feeling her. i love her voice and im listening to wouldve been the one as i type this comment. Solange keep doing your thing!
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS ALBUM, ITS SOO CREATIVE, DIFFERENT AND FRESH. ITS DEF SOMETHIGN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY NEEDS NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THESE CORNY ASS HIP HOP TRACKS. SHES BRINGIN SUTTIN NEW TO MUSIC AND I APPRECIATE HER FOR IT. AND HER VIDS ARE EVEN CREATIVE AND SOO COLORFUL … AND SHE LOOKS LIKE SHES REAL DOWN TO EARTH AND HONEST WHICH I RESPECT SO MUCH. BEFORE THIS ALBUM I JUST THOUGHT SHE WAS A WACKASS-NO TALENT ARTIST TRYNA MAKE IT AND SHE REALLY PROVED HERSELF ON THIS ALBUM. AND I HATE WHEN PPL SAY “EW SHES WACK, HER ALBUMS WACK” I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN TO THE WHOLE ALBUM AT LEAST ONCE N ULL BE HOOKED, SHES VERY UNDERESTIMATED!! GO AHEAD GIRLLL!!
TO 169,, OBVIOUSLY U HAVENT HEARD SOLANGES ALBUM CUZ ITS NOTHINGGG LIKEEYONCES MUSIC, BEYONCE IS CLICHE POP N R&B AND SOLANGE IS MORE LIKE SOUL R&B
TO 170… WHAT EXACTLY DOES “STEALING A BLACK PERSON MUSIC” EVEN MEAN.. THATS SOO IGNORANT TO SAY… WHO MADE IT BLACK TO BEGIN WITH? ITS JUST MUSIC AND JUST BECAUSE BLACK PEOPLE SUNG IT DOESNT MEAN ITS “BLACK”. MUSIC DOESNT HAVE A COLOR..MAD DIFFERENT PPL (ALL ETHNICITIES) SING ALL KINDS OF DIFF GENRES. I LOVE AMY WINEHOUSE (I AM A STAN BUT IM NOT JUST DEFENDING HER) IM DEFENDING EVERY ARTIST WHO SUPPOSEDLY STEALS ANOTHER PERSONS TALENT… SUCH AS WHEN PPL SAY WHT PPL SHOULDNT RAP…LIKE WHO THE EFF SAID RAP WAS ONLY FOR BLK PPL?? THATS JUST BORING ITS ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR DIFF TAKES ON ALL KINDS OF MUSIC..
AS FOR 181.. U SAID URSELF SOLANGE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST ALL OF BEYONCE HITS….HENCE THE WORD “HITS” SO HOW ARE HER WRITING ABILITIES MEDIOCRE? I PERSONALLY DONT SEE HER AS FAKE , SHES COMES OFF AS AN EXTREMELY HONEST AND REAL PERSON.. BUT OBVIOUSLY I WOULDNT REALLY KNO CUZ I DONT PERSONALLY KNOW HER AND NEITHER DO U IM SURE..
BUT NEWHO THESES R ALL MY OPINIONS AND WE ARE ALL ENTITLED TO THEM ..RIGHT? =)
I Love “I Decided” & “Sandcastle Disco”!!!
ABSOLUTELY LOVEEEEEEEEEE THIS ALBUM,
AMAZING PRODUCTION,
POETIC, DEEP BUT VERY RELATABLE LYRICS
SHE HIT EVERY NOTE PERFECTLY( I WAS SHUNNED TO BE HONEST)
JUST GREAT OVERALL CREATIVE ALBUM
WARNING: ONLY FOR EDUCATED/OPEN MINDED EARS, IF ALL YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO IS HIP HOP PLEASE KEEP IT MOVING
I love this album…..i feel this is just what music needs. Im so sick and tired of hearing the same ol topics sang the same ol way. The world is in a recession….music is changing because people are changing. I say Solange did her thang on this album. The writing is crazy, the tracks are hott and her voice is beautiful. The cd only cost me ten dollars and it is one of the best investments i have made in a long time. I actually listen to the cd on a regular and have grown to be a fan of Ms. Solange. So im proud of her and happy to see homegirl come up!! kudos to Solange! I love it!
I love this album…..i feel this is just what music needs. Im so sick and tired of hearing the same ol topics sang the same ol way. The world is in a recession….music is changing because people are changing. I say Solange did her thang on this album. The writing is crazy, the tracks are hott and her voice is beautiful. The cd only cost me ten dollars and it is one of the best investments i have made in a long time. I actually listen to the cd on a regular and have grown to be a fan of Ms. Solange. So im proud of her and happy to see homegirl come up!! kudos to Solange! I love it!
hiii
this is a cool album
shes very good, i’m impressed! lol
yeah get it. its fun to listen to.
it has a lot of 60s and 70s involved in it and also it has ‘blues’ aswell
its wicked!
xx