Creative Minds At Work: Solange Documented Her Album Making Process And It’s Everything

The world is still bopping its head to Solange’s latest musical offering, A Seat at the Table, but she keeps us coming back for more content.

The latest is an 11-minute documentary-style video that gives us a  glimpse into the eight-year process it took to make the 21-track album. With no narration and Solange-worthy imagery, the documentary was shot in the places where she recorded the early parts of the album: Long Island, New Orleans, and New Iberia, LA.

“When I look back at the beginning stages, I remember the powerful energy that set the tone, and that I’m so grateful followed us everywhere during the creation of this record,” Knowles said in a statement.

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The film is punctuated with imagery of a fresh-faced Knowles jamming with different musicians, and touching mother-son moments with her son Julez. Even more fascinating is watching the songs like “Don’t Touch My Hair” grow from just melodic ideas into the full-bodied songs that eventually made the album.

“I feel like, in some ways, the album wrote itself,” she told FADER. “When I first started to write a lot of new songs, it was just me and piano. And [the songs] didn’t have life; they were just the beginning stages. Throughout the different eras of the album, I found my voice and it became clearer and clearer through the backdrop of what was happening in the world and everyday life. Lyrically, everything that came to me on this record was directly influenced by my personal journey, but also the journey of so many people around me. That’s why I feel like it wrote itself.”

Since its release this last week, A Seat at the Table has been acclaimed by critics, and shot to the top of the iTunes to chart. It is also expected to debut at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.