R&B

We all love Beyoncé. It’s practically engrained in our cultural fabric at this point. But what about Beyoncé’s incredibly talented, sorely underappreciated younger sister, Solange?

While Beyoncé crafts incredible mainstream pop, Solange has created an EP, True, that draws from the mainstream and places it in the margins. True is a refreshing, stripped-down take on what we’ve become accustomed to in pop music. And I’m not the only one who thinks so; True ended up on many year-end lists and Solange is currently touring with sold out shows and snagged the cover of the February/March issue of Fader.

I want the Knowles sisters to take over pop culture. Judging from this EP, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.

Like so many musicians and artists who die so young (she was just 22 when her plane crashed), we can only imagine what Aaliyah's career would look like now. Considering how self-possessed and strong she already was at such a young age, I can only guess that she'd have gone on to do even bigger and better things for women in the industry.


(Song lyrics here)

This week around Bitch HQ, we indulged in musical guilty pleasures. So, I combined some of my most guilty and most pleasurable, for you! Track list after the jump.

When in need for inspiration, riding your bike, or just hanging out this mix can do it all. ANYWHERE, ANYTIME style.

 

Today’s BitchTapes is a tribute to Soul Train, which saw its syndicated debut on October 2, 1971. As we look back, 38 years later, on this legacy of funk, we see the show did more than open the ears of its fans to the smooth, soul-hits of so many black artists of the time. Soul Train acted as a cultural bridge. For viewers it was THE place to go for clues on the newest fashion and the hottest dance moves. As well as being a hub of style, Soul Train also boasted substance. The Soul Train Scramble was a mini-lesson in African-American history. Once the puzzle had been solved, host Don Cornelius would place the person who had been the answer to the scramble in context, ending the homage with a motto, "…whose name you should know…"