Solange Knowles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Solange Knowles
Knowles in 2019
Born	Solange Piaget Knowles (1986-06-24) June 24, 1986 (age 39) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Other names	Solange Knowles-Smith
Occupation	Singer songwriter producer actress performance artist
Years active	2001–present
Spouse(s)	Daniel Smith ​ ​ (m. 2004; div. 2007)​ Alan Ferguson ​ ​ (m. 2014; sep. 2019)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	Mathew Knowles Tina Knowles
Relatives	Beyoncé (sister)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop hip hop soul
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Music World Columbia Interscope Geffen A&M Terrible Saint
Associated acts	Destiny's Child Blood Orange Patrick Wimberly Master P Sean Nicholas Savage Raphael Saadiq

Solange Piaget Knowles (born June 24, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She showed an interest in music from a young age. Before becoming a solo artist, she was a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, a famous music group that included her older sister Beyoncé. Solange later signed with her father's music label, Music World Entertainment.

At 16, Solange released her first album, Solo Star (2002). She also acted in movies like Johnson Family Vacation (2004) and Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006). In 2007, she started making music again. Her second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (2008), was inspired by Motown music from the 1960s and 1970s. This album was very popular, reaching number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart.

She then released an extended play (EP) called True (2012). Her third album, A Seat at the Table (2016), was highly praised and became her first number-one album in the United States. The song "Cranes in the Sky" from this album won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. Her fourth album, When I Get Home, came out in March 2019 and also received great reviews.

Solange says that writing songs is her main passion. She has been recognized by Billboard as one of the most successful dance artists. In 2017, she received the "Impact Award" at the Billboard Women in Music event. She has also worked on other projects, like promoting a toy line for young children and working with international museums as a performance artist. In 2022, she made history by composing music for the New York City Ballet.

Early Life and Beginnings

Solange Piaget Knowles was born on June 24, 1986, in Houston, Texas. Her parents are Tina Knowles and Mathew Knowles. Her older sister is the famous singer Beyoncé Knowles. Solange's father is African American, and her mother has Louisiana Creole heritage.

As a child, Solange studied dance and theater. She first sang on stage at age five at a theme park in Houston. She started writing songs when she was nine. At 13, she wanted to record music, but her parents suggested she wait. When Destiny's Child was on tour in 2000, Solange temporarily filled in for a member who was injured. At 15, she performed with the group as a dancer on tour.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out: Solo Star

Solange began her music journey in 2001. She sang the theme song for the TV show The Proud Family, with Destiny's Child singing backup. She also sang on the soundtrack for the 2002 movie Austin Powers in Goldmember. Solange also wrote songs for other artists, including Kelly Rowland's first solo album.

In 2002, she voiced a character named Chanel in The Proud Family TV series. At 14, Solange started working on her first album, Solo Star. She recorded it with her father's label, Music World Entertainment, and Columbia Records. The album featured R&B music with influences from pop, rock, reggae, and hip hop. Solange helped write and produce some of the songs, including "Feelin' You (Part II)". Solo Star was released on January 21, 2003. It reached number 49 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Acting and Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams

Knowles performing in Manchester in 2008

After her first album, Solange took a break to focus on her family. In 2004, she appeared in the TV show One on One. She also starred in the 2004 comedy film Johnson Family Vacation alongside Cedric the Entertainer and Vanessa Williams. Solange sang the song "Freedom" for the movie's soundtrack. Critics praised her performance in the film.

In 2006, she played a cheerleading captain in Bring It On: All or Nothing. She was credited as Solange Knowles-Smith during this time. While married, she wrote songs like "Get Me Bodied" and "Upgrade U" for her sister Beyoncé's album, B'Day. She also wrote songs for other members of Destiny's Child.

After her divorce, Solange returned to Houston to work on her second album. In 2007, she signed new deals with Geffen Records and EMI. Her second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, was released on August 26, 2008. This album was different from her first, with a mix of 1960s and 1970s sounds, along with hip-hop and R&B. It was well-received by critics. The song "I Decided" became a hit, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

True EP and Saint Records

Knowles performing at SXSW 2013

In 2009, Solange started working on her third album. She decided to release it independently. In 2010, she traveled to Australia to work with the rock band Midnight Juggernauts. She also appeared on the children's show Yo Gabba Gabba! for a Mother's Day special, where she sang "Momma Loves Baby".

In 2010, Solange shared that making her new album was very intense. She said she "literally gave up her sanity for a while" to create it. She described the album as a "dance record" with some "dark" lyrics.

In September 2012, Solange released a preview video for "Losing You", the first song from her EP True. This was her first release with the independent label Terrible Records. The video was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa. True was released digitally on November 27, 2012.

On May 14, 2013, Solange announced she had started her own record label called Saint Records. She planned to release her third album and future music projects through this label, distributed by Sony Music Entertainment. Saint Records was created to support hip-hop and R&B artists who are not yet widely known. Her label released its first collection album, Saint Heron, on November 11, 2013.

Recent Albums: A Seat at the Table and When I Get Home

Knowles in 2017

On May 15, 2015, Solange performed a new song called "Rise" at an HBO event. This song was inspired by important social events. In July 2015, she announced that her third album was almost finished. On her thirtieth birthday, June 24, 2016, she confirmed that A Seat at the Table was complete.

The album was released on September 30, 2016, and received widespread praise. It became her first number-one album in the United States. This made Solange and Beyoncé the first sisters to both have number-one albums in the same year. On October 3, 2016, Solange released music videos for "Don't Touch My Hair" and "Cranes in the Sky", which she co-directed.

In June 2017, Solange performed at the Glastonbury Festival. Her performance was highly praised. In December 2017, she directed the music video for the song "The Weekend" by SZA. In 2019, Solange performed at several music festivals. On March 1, 2019, she released her fourth album, When I Get Home. Critics called it a confirmation that Solange is one of the most talented singer-songwriters of her generation.

Artistic Style and Influences

For her first album, Solange didn't have much control over the music style. She felt she had to please her record label. However, with her second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, she felt more mature and could create music as she wished.

Solange's songs often explore themes like relationships, world issues, and personal experiences. Her second album focused on events in her life, such as marriage, divorce, and becoming a parent. This album included different music styles like pop-soul, psychedelic soul, electronic music, and R&B.

Her EP True is a new wave album. Solange described it as "eclectic" with influences from 1980s music and African drumming. The sounds in the EP were inspired by early 1980s pop and R&B. Her 2016 album, A Seat at The Table, talks about important topics like "black womanhood," "Southern culture," and what it means to be free.

Performance Art and Ballet

Beyond her singing and songwriting, Solange has also explored performance art. She is interested in the connection between the audience and the performer. She has created performance art pieces around the world, including at the Elbphilharmonie and the Venice Art Biennale.

In November 2019, Solange directed and composed an art and music performance called In Past Pupils and Smiles at the Venice Art Biennale. In August 2022, the New York City Ballet announced that Solange would compose music for their Fall Fashion Gala in September. This made her the third woman and first African American to compose for the company.

Other Projects

In 2007, Solange started promoting Baby Jamz, a toy line for young children inspired by hip hop music. She was the executive producer of the CD that came with the toys, which featured hip hop versions of nursery rhymes.

In 2008, she became an ambassador for Giorgio Armani's Armani Jeans line. In 2009, she was part of Ocean Pacific's ad campaigns. In 2010, she worked on the children's TV show Yo Gabba Gabba! again, performing "Momma Loves Baby".

In 2011, Solange became a face for Rimmel London and Carol's Daughter. In 2013, she was named art director and creative consultant at Puma. She helped create several women's shoe collections for the brand.

In 2017, Solange was featured in a Calvin Klein campaign. In 2018, she received the Artist of the Year award from the Harvard Foundation. She also worked with Mercedes-Benz and Helmut Lang on campaigns and collaborated with IKEA on interior design.

In 2020, Solange received the first Lena Horne Prize. In 2022, she was the star of LOUIS XIII's "Believe in Time" campaign and received the NYU Global Trailblazer Award. In 2023, she designed a glassware collection with glassblower Jason McDonald. In 2024, she appeared with her mother in a Gucci Gift campaign.

House of Deréon

Solange and her sister Beyoncé modeled for their family's clothing line, House of Deréon. The line was named after their grandmother, Agnéz Deréon. Solange also helped launch Deréon, a clothing collection for younger people. Both sisters were featured in many of Deréon's advertisements, including a "Got Milk?" campaign ad.

Saint Heron

In 2013, Solange launched Saint Heron, a digital platform. It was created as a place to highlight Black artistry and culture. In May 2021, Saint Heron grew into a larger organization that includes a studio, a creative agency, a library, and an art gallery.

Personal Life

Family Life

Solange married Daniel Smith in the Bahamas in February 2004. She was 17 and he was 19. On October 18, 2004, Solange gave birth to their son. After their son was born, the family moved to Moscow, Idaho, where her husband continued college. They later divorced in 2007. Solange then split her time between Los Angeles and Houston. In 2011, she and her son moved to Brooklyn, and in 2013, they moved to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Solange married music video director Alan Ferguson in New Orleans on November 16, 2014. The couple separated in 2019. That year, Solange began dating experimental jazz artist Gio Escobar. She publicly shared their relationship in November 2020.

Discography

• Solo Star (2002)
• Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (2008)
• A Seat at the Table (2016)
• When I Get Home (2019)

Tours

Headlining

• Solo Star Tour (2003)
• The Art of Love Tour (2008)
• Solange Presents Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams Tour (2008)
• True Promo Tour (2012)
• Orion's Rise (2017)

Supporting

• Simply Deeper Tour (2003)
• The Justified World Tour (2003–2004)

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Achievements

At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017, Solange Knowles won her first Grammy Award. She won for Best R&B Performance for her song "Cranes in the Sky". This was her first Grammy nomination. In 2017, she also won a Glamour Award for Woman of the Year. She became the first person to win the Billboard Women in Music Impact Award. Solange has also won other awards, including a BET Award, a Soul Train Music Award, and a Webby Award.

See also

In Spanish: Solange Knowles para niños