Award-winning musician Solange shared the lessons she learned while making her recent album When I Get Home. The star revealed this while she was honoured with the first-ever Lena Horne Prize for Artists Creating Social Impact at the Town Hall in New York City.
Image: Solange Daily
During her speech, Solange said in part; “This album marked a colossal pivot moment in my life that I’m still in the thick of the lessons today. Suddenly there came a great, great fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of trust, fear of love, fear of silence, fear of having to confront things and pain that I have buried too deep, deep inside. It was easy for me to show up and be the unstoppable woman for everyone else, but terrifying for me to be that woman for myself.”
She continued; “My mother made me feel a little less afraid during those days and brought home to me. She came over every day for a few weeks to cook me okra and brown rice and cornbread with her little book of prayers. My beautiful hometown and neighborhood of Third Ward Houston held me … My dear friends, all of which are here tonight. They lifted me so high with so much love and so much hope.”
She concluded by saying; “I know that these speeches are meant to be aspirational, leaving you feeling warm and fuzzy and inspiring you to be yourself,” she added. “But I’d like to have the space right now to be all of these things. I’m honored to be all the things that my mother and my dear friend Toyin [Oijih Odutola, a visual artist] have said, but I’m also in a moment of great transition and transformation and we all deserve the space to be all of those things — the space to love my people, to vow to continue fighting for us, for our peace, uplift us, make us seen and heard, celebrate our undeniable supreme light while trying really hard to find my own.”
Solange shares lessons learned while making When I Get Home. Here’s a look at what she had to say.