A Seat At The Table.
Just wow.
I am literally smiling while typing. This album takes you through a series of emotions, the most important being EMPOWERING.
A Seat At The Table is the 2016 musical release from R&B/Soul artist Solange. Solange – little sister to Beyonce. Solange – the sister-in-law who popped off on Jay Z in an elevator and then allowed him to buy her diamonds two days later. Solange – the bride who went viral with the power pose with her friends and family after her wedding. SOLANGE – mother of Jules, wife of Alan.
Now… let me be completely honest I was not on the A Seat At The Table bandwagon when it was initially released. In fact, I thought it sucked. I had to listen to this album four times before I fell head over heels in like with it. *sips wine* My bad. Then on that magical fourth listen, I heard a line that made me sit up on my sofa and scramble in an effort to rewind the track….
“When you know you gotta pay the cost. Play the game just to play the boss. So you thinking what you gained, you lost. But you know your shit is taking off, oh” – F.U.B.U.
In this moment, I listened differently. I made the decision because I knew if I kept listening to it the same way – I would keep having the same result. I would continue to not appreciate the album. I had to do it differently.
How many times have you attempted the same task over and over again…. expecting different results but your method to achieve the results had not shifted? And you stomp… and you get angry… and you feel lost, stuck and struggling for a positive outcome yet you made no shifts in how to get to a new end result?
I had to listen differently. And when I did – just wow.
I grabbed my soul and realized this album was needed. It was “for us”.
As I listened to A Seat At The Table with new ears I felt a series of emotions: pride, resentment, healing and empowered – and this… is why Solange Knowles is this week’s Brand Lessons From Pop Culture.
A Seat At The Table is 21 tracks (interludes included) of permission slips to be unapologetically dope at every opportunity. It speaks to injustice, privilege, ceiling breaking and encouragement. It’s emotional… and the only way to honor “A Seat At The Table” is to make it the premiere episode of my podcast, Kimberly Says What!?!
Listen to the premier episode of Kimberly Says What!?!
Podcast Highlights:
- Lesson 1: You Have To Shift Your Actions In Order To Receive Your Desired Results.
- Lesson 2: You Have To Rise As A Leader Of Your Tribe.
- Lesson 3: You Have To Realize Success Does Not Happen Overnight.
- Lesson 4: You Have To Remember To Stand In Your Truth.
- Lesson 5: You Have To Be Willing To Disrupt your Industry.
Five Lyrics from A Seat At The Table that can spark change in your business.
From the lyrical harmony on “Rise” to the horns on “The Chosen Ones” as Master P gives us our send off – “A Seat At The Table” is the perfect setup of #BlackGirlMagic.
- “Don’t let anyone steal your magic. Yeah, but I got so much you can HAVE IT.” I Got So Much Magic
- “You’re a superstar. Always shining in the night. And your skin glowing in the moonlight.” Scales
- “They say the truth is in my sound.”Don’t Touch My Hair
- “If you don’t understand us and understand what we been through, then you probably wouldn’t understand what this moment is about!” The Moment
- “When you know you gotta pay the cost, Play the game just to play the boss. So you thinking what you gained you lost. But you know your shit is taking off.” F.U.B.U.
Have you checked out “A Seat At The Table”? What are some of your favorite moments?