Beyonce is at the very top of the entertainment food chain. She has sold millions of albums, won countless awards, produced hit after hit after hit, made the best music video of 2009 (according to the self-proclaimed Louis Vuitton don and MTV, which doesn't count for much but still, I think that we all agree) and is married to the one and only Jay-Z. Being her younger sister attempting to launch your own music career must suck. Unfortunately for Solange Knowles, that's precisely the situation she finds herself in. If something was said to be impossible, this would definitely be it. So, what is the girl to do? Réponse: brand yourself in an entirely different way. And that's exactly what Solange Knowles is doing.Solange Knowles has decided to go indie. Now, although her foray into the indie music scene is a recent development, Solange has always seemed to have a more rebellious side than her older sister. She did give birth to a son when she was only 18 years old and she has released tracks on mixtapes that Beyonce would never think of releasing (i.e. Fuck the Industry (Signed Sincerely)).
Her current image is the polar opposite of Beyonce's. In July 2009 she shaved her head which gave her an edgier look. On her twitter she stated that she wanted to focus on other things than going to the hair salon. And in response to the criticism she said that she found it ridiculous that her haircut was getting more attention than the election in Iran. This honesty is crucial for her to create an authentic image. Artist's need to speak their mind. That's why we like rock stars, because they say what they want, when they want. These comments also allow Solange to brand herself as the antithesis of the girly female pop star. She's alternative, cool and intelligent (I don't think that the same can be said of Britney Spears, even though she also shaved her head at one point).
Solange further associated herself with the indie music scene by releasing a cover of the Dirty Projectors' (a reputable indie band) song Stillness is the Move, which was posted on Pitchfork's website (the indie kid's music bible). However, Universal Music wasn't too happy about this and forced Pitchfork to remove the track. Again, Solange didn't hold back when talking about the incident: "So fucking crazy universal has been taking down a COVER I'm NOT selling or trying to publish. Never heard of that shit in my life! Not to mention Dirty Projectors, LOVED the cover & all parties are happy. Doesn't Lil Wayne a Universal artist rap over other folks' records?" (pedestrian.tv) Would Beyonce dare to say something like that? Never. Solange openly attacked Universal Music and she even called out Lil' Wayne! She stands by her music and defends it when she has to. The sign of a true artist.
Another way to reinforce your indie image is to part ways with the major label (in this case: Interscope-Geffen-A&M) representing you and plan to release your fourth album independently. Solange also decided that she wanted to work with the Midnight Juggernauts for her next album. She has already joined them in the studio and they've performed together at the Falls Festival in Australia where she appeared as a guest vocalist during their concert. (pedestrian.tv) Her love of indie music also lead to a confirmed future collaboration with Of Montreal. She will be making a guest appearance on the next album. Solange has even put her older sister onto indie acts. Beyonce told the Guardian that she would also love to work with Of Montreal on a future album. In fact, Beyonce stated that her next album might go in a more indie direction thanks to the bands that her sister has introduced her to. It seems like Solange has branded herself so well that even Beyonce wants to redirect her career.
These decisions are all helping Solange create an authentic image, gain artistic credibility and allow her to differentiate herself from her sister. Solange doesn't want the same career path as Beyonce. She couldn't care less about the fame. She's indie. She started her music career at a very early age so it has taken her time to find her place in the music world but I think that she finally has. It may not be at the very top of the entertainment food chain but she's exactly where she wants to be and that's all that matters.
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