Solange Knowles Has “Star” Power
“I gotta do my own thing,” sings fifteen-year-old Solange Knowles
on the title track of her debut album, Solo Star, due in
stores October 22nd. (The track also appeared on last year’s
Osmosis Jones soundtrack.) Solange, the younger sister of
Destiny’s Child’s Beyonce Knowles, wrote most of the songs and also
co-produced three tracks for her upcoming album.
“The name of my album is called Solo Star, so I didn’t
think it would be appropriate to have a million dozen people on
there,” she explains.
But she was happy to make a couple of exceptions for boy band
B2K, who sing on the track “Dance With You,” and, of course, for
sister Beyonce. “I was definitely excited about getting to write
with her,” says Solange, who has previously sung with Beyonce on
“Hey, Goldmember” from the Austin Powers in Goldmember
soundtrack and the theme to the Disney Channel TV show The
Proud Family. “I just thought that if she wrote too much then
maybe people would compare us. But definitely someone who has
written seven Number One singles is going to have a couple of songs
on my album.”
As for her own songs, Solange says they are “half about boys and
half about life. . . . I just like to call it music that makes you
feel good. I definitely have R&B songs. I definitely have pop
songs. Actually, I don’t have that many pop songs, but I definitely
have alternative. I have rock. I have songs that have Latin guitars
in them and hip-hop beats, and I have a reggae song.”
In keeping with her rock enthusiasm, Solange is learning to play
drums. “My whole philosophy is to be different, and there are no
girls out there — especially young girls — playing drums.” She
also wants to tackle the violin.
Destiny’s Child fans are already familiar with Solange, as she
danced with the girls for a year and a half — at one point filling
in for the injured Kelly Rowland — and served as emcee for their
last tour. “I just got the audience to sing the ‘Bootylicious’ song
with me,” Solange says. “The girls, especially Beyonce, have taught
me so much about writing, so much about imaging, so much about this
business, so much just about my career. They’ve opened so many
doors for me, and I just really appreciate them teaching me.”