Solange Knowles knows how to sing R&B. She knows how to be a Hip-Hop artist. Her new album “A Seat at the Table” goes beyond her talent as an artist and tells the story and struggle of black Americans. Her third album offers a different approach her music.

This album offers 14 songs with a similar range, and a similar beat. This style highlights the lyrics that are the ultimate reason to listen to this album. As the album goes on, the songs become less simple, beats are added to the

The album starts off with “Rise,” a song stating “Fall in your ways, so you can wake up and rise.” She proclaims giving up her self identity and culture so that she can fit in. This speaks to competing cultures in America, a theme in her album. She follows with a song called “Weary,” on which she states “Be leery ’bout your place in the world

“You’re feeling like you’re chasing the world, You’re leaving not a trace in the world, But you’re facing the world.”

The first two songs build up to “Cranes in the Sky.” As the first two songs point out the injustice of her giving up parts her heritage and culture, “Cranes in the Sky” is a song of embracing parts of her she tried to change. She sings “I tried to drink it away, I tried to put one in the air, I tried to dance it away, I tried to change it with my hair.” This song is ultimately a turning point from which the album builds on.

The following songs are more aggressive in beat and tone. They speak towards protecting the identity and pride of the Afro-American. “Don’t Touch My Hair”, states “Don’t touch my pride, They say the glory’s all mine, Don’t test my mouth, They say the truth is my sound.”

The final song is “Scales.” The song is a sad realization of America and of our culture, we love to pride ourselves on being color blind, being an equal society. But we find everyday that our culture is not perfect or equal in any way, especially in modern America.

This song’s lyrics include “Your love is kind, Your love is kind, But your love ain’t blind, Your world is kind,Your world is kind, But your world ain’t blind.”

This album reaches to every person in America, preaching black culture will not die, or fully assimilate. When people in ethnic groups assimilate into a general population, they reach for an impossible task, because they all have something unique about them that keeps them from being a generic American, just like everyone else.

People shouldn’t be deemed bad for appreciating and taking pride in their differences, they should be celebrated and recognized. Otherwise, the quilt of America turns into a monotonous rag. And this idea is important on the most diverse block in the State of Mississippi.