Solange Knowles is an American singer, songwriter, performance artist and actress from Houston, Texas. She is best known as a US R&B vocalist whose work moves across alternative R&B, contemporary R&B, neo soul and soul. Born in 1986, she is the younger sister of Beyoncé Knowles and is associated with the name Solange Piaget Knowles.

Career

Solange shows an interest in music from an early age and begins her career with temporary work as a backing dancer for Destiny's Child before signing to Music World Entertainment, the label run by her father, Mathew Knowles. She releases her first studio album, Solo Star, at the age of 16.

After that debut, she takes on several small acting roles between 2004 and 2007, including the direct-to-video film Bring It On: All or Nothing. During this period, she also continues to co-write songs for Beyoncé and for former Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

She returns to recording in 2007. Her second studio album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, shifts away from the pop style of her first record and draws on Motown-influenced sounds from the 1960s and 1970s. It reaches number nine on the US Billboard 200 and receives positive critical attention.

Later releases

Solange follows with the EP True in 2012, released on Terrible Records and her own imprint, Saint Records. The release is shaped by 1980s pop and R&B.

Her third studio album, A Seat at the Table, appears in 2016 and receives widespread critical acclaim. It becomes her first number-one album in the United States. The lead single, “Cranes in the Sky”, wins the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance.

Her fourth studio album, When I Get Home, follows in 2019 and also receives critical praise.

Style, recognition and other work

Solange says songwriting is her first passion, and her music is often compared with Beyoncé's, although she states that their artistic goals and styles are different. She is influenced by Motown girl groups.

Her other work includes an endorsement deal with Rimmel London and a line of hip-hop-oriented merchandise for young children. Billboard ranks her as the 100th most successful dance artist of all time, and in 2017 she receives the Impact Award at Billboard Women in Music.