Solo Star
Solo Star is the debut album by American R&B recording artist Solange Knowles, released by Columbia Records and Music World on December 26, 2002 in Japan and January 21, 2003 (see 2003 in music) in the United States. It debuted and peaked at number forty-nine on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number twenty-three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in early February 2003. Album produced two singles: "Feelin' You" (featuring N.O.R.E.) and "Crush" (later renamed to "Don't Fight the Feeling"). The former peaked at number two on US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.
Critical reception
William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars saying: "Executive producer [Mathew] Knowles has surrounded Solange with a bevy of trendy writer/producers, including The Underdogs, Platinum Status, Timbaland, The Neptunes and Rockwilder, along with such guest stars as B2K and Lil' Romeo. The result is a state-of-the-art contemporary R&B album full of big beats, catchy choruses, and gimmicky production effects. But the nominal star of the show is lost somewhere in the mix. It doesn't help that the 16-year-old has a thin, undeveloped voice that is easily overwhelmed. Slant Magazine gave two out of five stars, saying: "The largely synthetic-sounding Solo Starfollows the growing industry standard in which the focus is on production rather songwriting", also adding that Solange's voice is uncannily similar to Beyoncé's.
Release and promotion
The album was released in December 2002 in Japan, while it was released in United States following month. It underperformed in the United States, selling 112,000 copies according to Nielsen Soundscan, and dropped off the chart five weeks after its debut. The only two singles released from the album, the N.O.R.E.-featured "Feelin' You (Part II)" and the Neptunes-produced "Crush" (also known as
"Don't Fight the Feeling"), failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Solange is no longer with Columbia Records, and the album is very rare and no longer in print. The popular online music website iTunes does not sell the album; very few stores may still have copies of the album, but once sold out the album will be no longer be available. "Crush" was included on the movie soundtrack for The Fighting Temptations which stars Solange's sister Beyoncé. The song was renamed "Don't Fight the Feeling" to match the movie poster's tagline. The album was promoted with Solo Star Tour in 2003.
2006 re-release
The album was re-released in November 2006 with a different artwork and track listing. It was her final release through Columbia Records, before she left the label in 2007. Reissue album contained twelve tracks: seven tracks from 2002 standard release, four remixes and previously unreleased track titled "Bring It on Home". There is a newly recorded version of "Feelin' You" which features American rapper Slim Thug. Both singles from the album were remixed. "Crush" was remixed by Vibelicious. Also, a duet with Beyoncé featuring Da Brat titled "Naïve" was remixed by Maurice Joshua.
| 1. |
"Ain't No Way" |
3:44 |
| 2. |
"Dance with You" (featuring B2K) |
3:03 |
| 3. |
"Get Together" |
4:15 |
| 4. |
"Crush" |
4:33 |
| 5. |
"So Be It" |
4:08 |
| 6. |
"Wonderland" |
4:03 |
| 7. |
"This Could Be Love" |
4:04 |
| 8. |
"Feelin' You" (featuring Slim Thug) |
4:03 |
| 9. |
"Bring It on Home" (written by Solange Knowles, Bama Boyz and B. Taylor) |
3:47 |
| 10. |
"Feelin' You" (Nu Soul Remix) |
7:13 |
| 11. |
"Naïve" (Maurice Joshua Remix) (duet with Beyoncé featuring Da Brat) |
3:37 |
| 12. |
"Crush" (Vibelicious Remix) |
6:24 |
Track listing
| 1. |
"Feelin' You (Part II)" (featuring N.O.R.E.) | Solange Knowles, Mark Penn, V. Santiago, Jr. | Knowles, Penn, Damon Elliott |
4:07 |
| 2. |
"Ain't No Way" | Harvey Mason, Jr., D. Thomas, Erica Dymakkus | The Underdogs |
3:45 |
| 3. |
"Dance with You" (featuring B2K) | Marques Houston, Jerome Jones, K. Askew, Knowles, K. Kesse, T. Oliver | Platinum Status, Chris Stokes |
3:03 |
| 4. |
"Get Together" | Sean Garrett, Timothy Mosley | Timbaland |
4:16 |
| 5. |
"Crush" | Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes |
4:34 |
| 6. |
"So Be It" | Knowles, Troy Johnson | Knowles, Johnson |
4:08 |
| 7. |
"True Love" (duet with Lil' Romeo) | Luther Vandross, Romeo Miller, Master P | Myke Diesel |
3:49 |
| 8. |
"Feel Good Song" | Knowles, A. Jackson, T.S. Jackson | Alonzo Jackson |
3:29 |
| 9. |
"Wonderland" | Linda Perry, Knowles, Rockwilder | Rockwilder, Perry |
4:03 |
| 10. |
"This Could Be Love" | Knowles, S.P. Young, Johnson | Knowles, Johnson |
4:04 |
| 11. |
"Feelin' You (Part I)" | Knowles, Penn | Knowles, Penn |
3:22 |
| 12. |
"Just Like You" | Beyoncé Knowles, Knowles, Damon Elliott, R. Antonio | Beyoncé, Elliott |
3:37 |
| 13. |
"Thinkin' About You" (featuring Murphy Lee) | Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Hoyt Curtin, Beyoncé Knowles, Elliott, Murphy Lee | Beyoncé, Elliott |
4:04 |
| 14. |
"Solo Star" | Kandi Burruss, Beyoncé Knowles, Talib Kareem, Knowles, Mathew Knowles | Beyoncé, Burruss, Kareem |
3:14 |
| 15. |
"I Used To" | Knowles, Jackson | Jackson |
3:28 |
| 16. |
"Sky Away" | Knowles, Michael McClain | Knowles, McClain |
3:56 |
- Note: tracks 17, 18 and 19 are four seconds of silence each with these bonus tracks following:
| 10. |
"Feelin' You (Part I)" |
3:22 |
| 11. |
"Just like You" |
3:36 |
| 12. |
"Thinkin' About You" (featuring Murphy Lee) |
4:04 |
| 13. |
"Solo Star" |
3:14 |
| 14. |
"I Used To" |
3:27 |
| 15. |
"Sky Away" |
3:55 |
| 16. |
"Naïve" (duet with Beyoncé featuring Da Brat) |
3:45 |
| 17. |
"Blinded" |
5:08 |
| 18. |
Untitled (silence) |
0:04 |
| 19. |
Untitled (silence) |
0:04 |
| 20. |
Untitled (silence) |
0:04 |
| 21. |
"This Song's for You" |
3:20 |
| 22. |
"This Could Be Love" |
4:04 |
- Sample credits
Credits and personnel
- Solange Knowles – composer, primary artist, producer, vocal producer
- Ketrina Askew – composer
- B2K – featured artist, guest artist, primary artist
- Rich Balmer – engineer
- Joseph Barbera – composer
- Beyoncé Knowles – producer
- Bruce Buechner – engineer
- William Burke – programming
- Skip Burrow – engineer
- Kandi Burruss – producer
- Kim Burse – A&R
- Scott Gusty Christensen – engineer
- Cedric Courtois – producer
- John Czornyj – mixing
- Myke Diesel – engineer, mixing, producer
- Jimmy Douglass – mixing
- Erica Dymakkus – backing vocals
- Damon Elliott – drum programming, engineer, keyboards, percussion, producer
- Brian Garten – engineer
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Dabling Harward – recording
- A. Jackson – composer
- Alonzo Jackson – producer
- Troy Johnson – composer, engineer, producer
- Jerome Jones – composer
- Talib Kareem – producer
- Mathew Knowles – executive producer
- Emily Lazar – mastering
- Murphy Lee – featured artist, primary artist
- Lil' Romeo – guest artist, primary artist
- Tony Maserati – mixing
- Master P – composer
- Michael McClain – producer
- Ramon Morales – engineer
- N.O.R.E. – composer, guest artist, primary artist
- Huy Nguyen – A&R assistance, artist coordination
- Tony Oliver – composer
- Kevin Parker – mixing
- Mark Penn – producer
- Dave Pensado – mixing
- Linda Perry – producer
- Platinum Status – producer
- Rockwilder – composer, producer
- Dexter Simmons – mixing
- Slim Thug – primary artist
- Chris Stokes – producer
- Timbaland – mixing, producer
- Luther Vandross – composer
Charts
Release history
| Region |
Date |
Edition |
Format |
Label |
| Japan |
December 26, 2002 |
Standard |
|
Sony Music Entertainment |
| Australia |
January 21, 2003 |
|
| Europe |
| North America |
| United States |
November 14, 2006 |
Reissue |
CD |
References
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|---|
| | | | Studio albums | |
|---|
| | Extended plays | |
|---|
| | Singles | |
|---|
| | Featured singles | |
|---|
| | Related articles | |
|---|
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 Book:Solange Knowles
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