Grammy-winner Solange Knowles was selected as one of Glamour magazine’s “Women of the Year” honorees, and her selection is being celebrated with an eclectic cover.
Solange’s groundbreaking album, “A Seat at the Table,” catapulted her from the shadows of her superstar sister, Beyonce. The project, released late last year, tackles some critical issues including racism, cultural appropriation, activism, and empowerment.
“She’s such a fantastic and inspiring example of somebody who has always chosen not to do things the easy way,” states Cindi Leive, Glamour’s editor-in-chief. “Her sister is Beyonce. She could have become a pop star in any number of ways but she decided to really focus on her own personal vision of art.”
Knowles told the magazine that she worked on “A Seat at the Table” on and off for three years, at one point spending three months writing songs in tiny Patoutville, Louisiana, soaking up the pride, resilience, and traditions of the regional culture. She worked in a house on a sugar plantation, feeling a closeness to her ancestors and feeling a “constant state of reflection.”
Part of her goal was to reclaim and change her own narrative, she said, “whether it was people challenging who wrote what on my album, whether it was about some editor commenting on my hair in a story or someone feeling like they were entitled to space in my life. I needed to unfold, reveal and discover my truth.
Solange also says she leaned on her sister and mother Tina Knowles: “When I finally turned in A Seat at the Table, I had a pit in my stomach. It was just 72 hours before my release date. There was a lot of fear and emotion, pain and hurt and rage. My sister was there in New Orleans filming ‘Formation,’ my mom was there, the whole squad, and it was such a blessing. I truly believe that was the universe, because I was such a mess during the mastering process.”
Other honorees include Gigi Hadid, Nicole Kidman, late night host Samantha Bee, astronaut Peggy Whitson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Syrian refugee and education activist Muzoon Almellehan, fashion revolutionary Maria Grazia Chiuri, and Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. The women will be honored at an event on November 13 in Brooklyn, NY.
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