Solange’s Success is a Testament to Late Bloomers Everywhere

We’re having a serious Solange moment right now and it’s LIT. After over a decade of making outré-soul music with quirky vibes, the world finally gets it. The world finally gets Solange Knowles. Just a week after the release of her critically acclaimed  “A Seat at the Table,” the album scored the number one spot in the country– a first for the songstress who’s dealt with years of comparison to her older (and massively successful) sister, Beyoncé. But this time, we don’t talk about Beyoncé. Solange sits at the head of this table and this gathering honors her, alone.

“A Seat at the Table” is a meticulously curated exhibit of black womanhood, off-centered from typical love songs and focused on inner being. Black women are scared and resilient, mad and joyful, depressed and peaceful, possessive and generous, weary and woke, magical and ordinary. Black women are human and Solange illustrates our humanness  in the most melodic of ways. Perhaps what’s more uplifting about Solange’s latest body of work is the long-awaited realization of her greatness. Better now than never, Solange’s rise is a testament that late bloomers still bloom.

Ms. Tina Lawson, the fabulous matriarch of the Knowles dynasty,  celebrated her youngest daughter’s success with Instagram posts, while acknowledging that even though it took some time, Solange’s dream finally came to fruition. “I am so happy to see that the world can finally see what I’ve seen since you were three years old. That you were really special that you were ahead of your time and that you walked to the beat of your own drum and that you stuck to it no matter how much shit people talked. I knew it,” reads one of Ms. Tina’s captions.

“Beyonce and myself and Kelly and Angie have often had conversations about you saying, ‘We will cherish the day that the world knows how talented and creative and amazing an artist you are!’ I do believe that the day has arrived thank you Almighty God,” reads another.

This moment reminded me of my own conversations with my mother — current conversations. Like many other people with a dream, I sometimes get tired. But, my mother is constantly trying to keep me up. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and I feel like it worsens the more I pay attention to the pace of other people’s growth. I don’t even get jealous, it’s more like self-resentment, dissatisfaction, and extreme frustration. There are times my dream can’t pay all the bills. There are days my goals seem far-fetched. There are days my vision of my desired future get blurred by the crystal clear, unsatisfactory present. In these doubtful times, my mother reminds me to be patient and stay focused. My time will come.

Many of us are familiar with The Law of Attraction. What you want, wants you. What you think, comes true. Mantra your way into uncontainable happiness. Subscribing to this belief can be both motivating and exhausting. Everyday there’s a new success story about a young person who wanted “it,” and “it” came to them immediately. Why can’t we all get this instant gratification? How long should I will something before resorting to the conclusion that maybe that thing I want so badly, doesn’t really want me back? How long does it take for “my time” to arrive and could it possibly come too late? In a world that cheers for the early-bloomers, it’s both comforting and inspiring to see an artist like Solange get this much praise for something she should’ve been praised for all along.

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As a black woman, I can tell you that I haven’t always related to black woman icons. Sure, I aspired to be like the sassy, overachiever, boss black chick I saw in the movies, magazines, and on stage. But, I wasn’t her. Growing up, I, like every other black girl, didn’t have the luxury of seeing varied black characters on screen. They were either the comic relief or the superwoman. No space was made for the women in between. Since her second album “Sol-Angel And The Hadley St. Dreams,”  Solange has been breaking down that wall between strong, invulnerable black woman and introspective free spirit. The wall has finally broken and we are bearing witness to it.

We are so used to triumphant stories about the person who started small and ended up big, or someone who crashed and burned and then rose from the ashes. Solange’s achievement came from perseverance and passion. There was no publicity stunt to reintroduce her. She didn’t go viral a week before her album release. She didn’t “win the internet.” She didn’t use that elevator fiasco to grab our attention. Solange simply put out a good album, showcasing the pretty vocals, lullaby melodies, and chill vibes she’s been working with for the last 10 years. It truly is  just her time.  

When you plant your seeds, nurture them. Nourish your ideas, shine light on your goals, put the work in that will help you grow. Even in drought, keep nurturing, nourishing, and shining. Your dreams may not become reality as soon as the next person’s. You may not get the praise, recognition, or even the help when you want it. While, we don’t always know what’s next for us, we can rest assured that every effort is a layer of foundation to whatever we are building. Every move we make, good or bad, feeds us with experience that will aid us in making the next move. Every work we complete is just another product added to our catalogue of achievement.  

It can feel like you’re always sowing and never reaping — believe me, I know. But every action is bound to meet a reaction. Time varies for all of us, and it can’t hold our individual journeys hostage. Master P, who stars in the interludes on “A Seat at the Table,” reprises his legendary No Limit gospel and reminds us that there really is no limit to what we can achieve.

I bask in Solange’s victory. I pull up a seat at her table, dine on diligence, and sip on someday. Later enough, looking back will make make sense why now is the perfect time.