‘A Seat at the Table’: The Soundtrack to My Prayer for Liberation

Now before I begin, I ask that you bear with me. I am in no way a music critic, music writer, or industry insider who happens to be connected by default.

I’m just a fan of art with an inexplicable connection to music and this album, for the first time in a long while, inspired me to write.

So this post, in many ways, is me processing my inspiration.

Now let’s get to it.

1. Rise

You know how sometimes you can tell if an album is going to be great or trash depending on how you feel when you hear the first song?

Totally happened here.

‘Rise’ hugged my soul and then kissed it.

(FYI: This post is gonna be lengthy as hell.)

Anyway. Back to ‘Rise’.

When the album opened and I heard, ‘fall in your ways.. so you can crumble’ I got instant chills. CHILLS. Not only did Solange bust out the bando bringing amazing vocals with harmonies so tough that it made you screw face, she gave us potent poetry as lyrics to make you think.

“walk in your ways, so you won’t crumble”

‘Rise’ is the song you purge all negativity to. It’s a song of encouragement, warmly reminding you that you’ll make it; and that you’ll be okay.

2. Weary

Sometimes you just get tired of dealing with everything and everyone. Sometimes you think everyone is sketchy. Sometimes you lose the faith. However, ‘Weary’ seeks to understand ‘our place in the world’ and perhaps seek redemption for us all.

“A king is only a man with flesh and bones.. He bleeds just like you do.”

Also let me say, ‘Come through then, Tweet!’ I will remind anyone that Tweet is criminally slept on and for Solange to have her on the album is just.. Love.

‘Weary’ brings humanity to the forefront and asks, “where are you placing your value and to whom?”

3. Interlude: The Glory Is in You

Percy Miller narrated this album DOWN. Truly self-made and aware, this interlude introduces you to a way of thinking that leads you to that one big idea that has the ability to completely change your life’s trajectory.

“As long as you find peace in what you doing, then you successful.”

Master P. was a brilliant addition to the album.

4. Cranes in the Sky

‘Cranes in the Sky’ has completely taken me to a place. This track is arguably the song that makes this album Solange’s magnum opus. At its core, ‘Cranes in the Sky’ is simply about healing.

“I tried to keep myself busy, I ran around in circles, think I made myself dizzy.”

I immediately saw someone who is constantly running from whatever it is that they need to handle. I saw someone coping by masking pain and hurt by always staying ‘busy’ to avoid dealing with it altogether. Yet, even in all of that, ‘Cranes in the Sky’ tells us that there is always hope.

“Away… Away… Away… Away… Away…”

I’ve… Been there.

5. Interlude: Dad Was Mad

I love how Solange reveres her family. She will protect them at all costs and always tell their story through telling hers. Enter Matthew Knowles. OG Destiny’s Dad. While Matthew shares his experience growing up in the Civil Rights Movement , Solange is giving the audience context.

“We lived in the threat of death everyday… I was angry for years. Very angry.”

‘Dad’ grew up a brilliant black child during a time and place where his brilliance was not only questioned, but stunted by people who thought his rights didn’t exist. (Kinda like today.)

6. Mad

This song makes me think of every brother who has ever felt invisible. For every sister who was angry as hell because she was simply tired of explaining. We have a right to be mad. We have plenty to be mad about. Lil Wayne comes in and floats. This was the perfect song for him to add his story. Moses Sumney and Tweet’s vocals are amazing here as well. ‘Mad’ gives us the space to feel the anger but release it, too.

“Let your love go…”

7. Don’t You Wait

Ok so can I just say that this is SUCH a groovy ass jam?! A groovy ass jam to basically… breakup with someone to. I think Solange decides to tap out here.

“I don’t want to waste the time to know you.”

Making the decision (for yourself) to opt of a situation that you don’t see the long-term benefits of is important. Saying ‘No’ on your own terms is revolutionary. As hell.

Solange swears she knows my life.

8. Interlude: Tina Taught Me

Is there a Tina Knowles-Lawson appreciation day, yet? Because there should be. Hearing Ms. Tina reaffirm her love for Blackness not only moved me, but it solidified what so many of us already knew: the Knowles girls were taught to always remember where they came from and to always be proud to be Black.

“I’ve always been proud to be Black. Never wanted to be nothin’ else.”

9. Don’t Touch My Hair

My god. Talk about LAYERS?! I love this song not only for the way Sampha croons mid-track, but simply because it demands that our experience remains OURS. Our hair is an extension of our identity; an identity that, in its totality, has never been accepted. I also love how ‘hair’ is totally interchangeable with any area of our experience here. See: Art, Style, Faith. Culture.

“They don’t understand what it means to me. Where we chose to go. Where we’ve been to know.”

Basically, our experience is ours. You’ll never understand it if you’ve never lived it. Don’t. Touch. My. Hair.

10. Interlude: This Moment

“This is home. This is where we from. This is where we belong.”

Master P. is really for the people. As Devonte Hynes and Lu provide the vocal backing that drive the message home, Master P. is affirming the right to be here. This is home. We belong here.

11. Where Do We Go

Sometimes places that were once familiar can be completely foreign to us. What happens when that place is home? Aren’t we home?

“Where do we go from here?”

Where can we go without fear? Where can we go to love on each other and be happy and carefree? This feels like her ‘What’s Going On?’. This song is important because it asks the question(s) none of us really have the answer to right now.

12. Interlude: For Us By Us

Don’t sell yourself short. When you know you have something to offer and you’re confident in that, stand in it. If Master P. would’ve taken the first deal that was offered to him, who knows what kind of hell he would’ve been in. He had a vision. No Limit was for his people.

“If you don’t understand my record, then you don’t understand me so this is not for you.”

13. F.U.B.U.

This. Is. A. Proclamation.

“All my n*ggas in the whole wide world/Made this song to make it all yall’s turn”

‘F.U.B.U.’ solidifies the album for me. If there was ANY doubt regarding why she made this album and for whom, it’s this song. The Dream and BJ the Chicago Kid each bring their signature style and vocals to give the song even more depth. Hearing BJ the Chicago Kid sing feels like Sunday morning.

‘F.U.B.U.’ is a chant that reaffirms our brothers and the community that we hold dear. ‘F.U.B.U.’ says, ‘This space is ours and we are always welcome. We got us.

“Some sh*t you can’t touch. This sh*t is for us.”

14. Borderline (An Ode to Self Care) feat. Q-Tip

Sometimes I think we don’t truly understand all of the trauma that we deal with and are expected to operate ‘normally’ through on a daily basis. So many of us navigate life in the state of rage that James Baldwin spoke of so long ago.

“Let’s take it off tonight, break it off tonight… Baby let’s know when to let go.”

Self-care is such an important practice. Do what you must to protect your mental state. We have to save room for joy. Black joy. ‘Borderline’ is a reminder to breathe. It is okay to breathe.

15. Interlude: I Got So Much Magic, You Can Have It

This interlude is me and my girls on every road trip. At this point, Solange, Kelly, & Nia are my BFFs, too.

“Don’t let anyone steal your magic.”

16. Junie

‘Junie’ feels like an old funk song that you’ve heard your whole life. In the theme of self-care, this feel-good jam says to me, ‘fight to get free.’

“Then I’m up up up and away and away and away and away.”

17. Interlude: No Limits

Master P. is literally giving us the blueprint here. The story of how he started No Limit is nothing short of incredible. Master P., like Solange, will forever put on for their family.

“Grandson, you need to start your own army.”

(This whole interlude is the shocked Wee-Bey .gif)

18. Don’t Wish Me Well

This is Solange’s middle finger to anyone who doubted her. ‘Don’t Wish Me Well’ is a song to get sh*t done to. Her airy vocals fill the song mid-track as she proclaims that, “when she says what means, you ought to know”. The freedom in being assertive. That alone is a whole entire word for another post.

“They say I changed, What a pity if I stayed the same.”

19. Interlude: Pedestals

Master P. breaks down his story while reminding us that none of us are perfect. However, here, he speaks candidly about the differences between Black children and White children when it comes to having the opportunity to process and deal with pain.

“Black kids don’t have rehabs to go to. You gotta rehab yourself.”

20. Scales

I love the narrative that Solange provides here. It is a story that is familiar to many of us; one of a young man living in and navigating through two worlds and trying to be seen for who he really is in both. The young man in ‘Scales’ is my cousin, your best friend from the neighborhood, our brother.

“The streets say you’re a king, The world says you’re a failure.”

Kelela’s vocals here are absolutely beautiful. I love how she and Solange compliment each other on this track.

21. Closing: The Chosen Ones

This interlude specifically honors the ancestors. By recognizing that we are here solely because of our ancestors’ refusal to break, we honor the very best part of our heritage.

“Now we come here as slaves, but we going out as royalty.”

We are the living, breathing realization of our ancestors’ wildest dreams. This is what gives me the strength and courage to continue to fight for liberation. What an outstanding end to this sonic journey.

Solange gifted us a brand-new, beautiful patch to carefully sew into our intricately woven tapestry of Blackness. The music is beautiful and crisp. The art direction of this album alone permanently solidifies Solange as not only an artist, but a true visionary. Honestly, this album couldn’t have come at a better time. We needed this album. I needed this album.

‘A Seat at the Table’ is an album we can grow to. It is an album that we can figure it out to. An album that we can listen to for inspiration when we want to give up. This album says, ‘keep going’. Most importantly, this is an album we can get free to.

It was, indeed, just for us.

Thank you, Solange.

Until the next thought,

ND