Label

Polydor

Release date

18th August 2008

Genre

R & B/pop

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Soul sibling unveils immaculate second album

It can't be easy to emerge from the powerhouse shadow of R&B soul's ruling diva but Beyoncé's little sister, Solange Knowles, makes a remarkably fine fist of it on this, her second album. A vivacious treat packed with killer hip-hop-flavoured tunes and succulent melodies, it's a large improvement on her comparatively thin 2003 debut, Solo Star.

Opening track God Given Name lambasts lazy critics hung up on her surname ("I'm no sister") then Solange settles into a lush, funky and fertile groove. T.O.N.Y. is an Alicia Keys-style visceral love thrill, the handclap-driven I Decided is teasing Motown soul worthy of The Supremes, and the luscious closing Shampagnechroniknightcap proves she has a set of pipes to rival big sis herself. If Solange Knowles maintains this form, it may be Beyoncé who finds herself looking over her shoulder.

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