BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene blog
[Update: Solange edged Bon Iver to take the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, which makes her and Beyonce the first siblings to have a No. 1 album in the same year since Michael Jackson ("Invincible") and Janet Jackson ("All for You") in 2001.]
It's been a long road for Solange Knowles, but she's about to make history.
With her third album, "A Seat at the Table," at No. 1 on the iTunes chart and poised to bow at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart this week ( behind Bon Iver ), Beyonce's little sister has the biggest success of her 13-years-in-the-making career.
Beyonce’s “Lemonade” is perched at No. 4 on the iTunes chart and No. 16 on Billboard.
Their simultaneous success marks the first time that sisters have earned No. 1 albums in the same year (as we well know, "Lemonade" roared out of the gate when it was released this spring) or, as far as any chart research can uncover, the first time sisters had albums on the chart at the same time (a sibling band, such as Heart, doesn't count).
"A Seat at the Table," which has received critical raves for its visceral alt-R&B sounds (Solange wrote the album's 21 tracks by herself – which, for better or worse, differs from her sister's songwriting method ), features influential names including Lil Wayne, Q-Tip, Beyonce's former Destiny's Child mate Kelly Rowland and Atlanta's The-Dream and Andre 3000 .
The album was released on Sept. 30 in digital form only – it’s expected to sell about 60,000 units this inaugural week – and will arrive in physical form on Nov. 18.
About the Author
