As we look back on the incredible music of 2016, there are so many incredible albums worthy of a best-of list. Ultimately, we could only choose a handful of those albums, but instead we chose just two. Here are the best albums that just all happen to be written by the two offspring of Tina and Mathew Knowles.
- A Seat At The Table by Solange
While it seemed for a long time that singles and radio hits would rule the music industry, albums like A Seat At The Table are standout triumphs that reward full listens. A Seat At The Table is phenomenal and the songs serve as variations on a theme stitched together with verbal interludes, making it the shining star in a year full of cohesive, complete albums written by Knowles sisters.
- Lemonade by Beyoncé
Lemonade was one of the most ambitious musical projects of 2016, impeccably released as a visual and audio album. While there were many hugely ambitious projects released by people with the last name of Knowles in 2016, you can’t ignore the way Beyoncé has transformed the music release.
- A Seat At The Table by Solange
With songs like “Don’t Touch My Hair” and “F.U.B.U.” explicitly carving out space for black artists, Solange was able to offer more than a seat at the table to listeners, she was able to set boundaries and speak uncompromisingly to her experience as a black woman in America. Yes, she wasn’t the only Knowles lady to create highly political projects in 2016, but the eloquence of A Seat At The Table’s is almost unmatched. Almost.
- Lemonade by Beyoncé
Most of us can remember where we were when Lemonade came out. For cultural importance alone, Bey deserves this spot.
- A Seat At The Table by Solange
There was a time before A Seat At The Table and a time after. For cultural importance alone, Solange belongs on this list.
- Lemonade by Beyoncé
There is stiff competition among women with the last name of Knowles, but the rawly emotional depiction of a failing relationship in Lemonade set the standard for breakup (and redemption) albums.
- A Seat At The Table by Solange
The way Knowles was able to weave in her family’s voices, both thematically and literally in the album’s interludes, resulted in one of the best albums of 2016 to incorporate the wisdom and legacy of the Knowles family.
- Beyoncé’s Lemonade and Solange’s A Seat At The Table
There was stiff competition, but at the end of the day, the best albums of 2016 came from two people who share most of the same DNA.
Looking back at the list, it’s impossible not to rejoice in the wide and eclectic range of excellent music by Knowles sisters in 2016, ranging from country music to rap to R&B, from political rallying cries to meditations on depression. Sure, other music came out, but who cares?
