Solange Knowles

Solange Piaget Knowles, known mononymously as Solange, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. Born on June 24, 1986, in Houston, Texas, to parents Tina and Mathew Knowles, she studied dance and theater as a child. Her older sister is singer Beyoncé Knowles. Solange expressed an early interest in music, debuting at age five at Six Flags AstroWorld and writing songs by age nine. During her youth, she served as a backup dancer and temporary tour performer for Destiny's Child.

Knowles began her professional recording career in 2001, singing the title theme song for the animated series The Proud Family. Managed by her father, she signed with Music World Entertainment. At age 14, she began working on her debut studio album, Solo Star, which was released in January 2003. The album reached number 49 on the US Billboard 200 and featured R&B music influenced by pop, rock, reggae, and hip-hop. During this period, she also contributed to projects by Kelly Rowland, Lil' Romeo, and various film soundtracks.

Knowles expanded into acting with roles in the feature films Johnson Family Vacation (2004) and Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006). She also wrote songs for other artists, including Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and Beyoncé. Notably, she co-wrote Beyoncé's singles "Get Me Bodied" and "Upgrade U," earning an ASCAP Award for "Get Me Bodied" in 2008.

In 2008, Knowles released her second studio album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams. Influenced by 1960s and 1970s Motown sounds, the album reached number nine on the US Billboard 200, and its lead single "I Decided" topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. She supported the release with a British tour and later released the 2010 single "Fuck the Industry (Signed Sincerely)."

In 2012, Knowles released the 1980s-inspired extended play True through Terrible Records. The following year, she founded her own imprint, Saint Records, to showcase emerging R&B and hip-hop talent, releasing the compilation album Saint Heron in 2013.

Her third studio album, A Seat at the Table (2016), achieved widespread critical acclaim and became her first US number-one album. Its lead single, "Cranes in the Sky," won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. Her fourth studio album, When I Get Home (2019), also earned critical praise and peaked in the top ten in the United States.

Beyond her pop and R&B career, Knowles has performed in international art venues such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Venice Art Biennale, and the Elbphilharmonie. In 2022, she became the third woman and first African American to compose a score for the New York City Ballet. Honored with the Billboard Women in Music Impact Award in 2017, her other projects include an endorsement deal with Rimmel London and a children's merchandise line.