Solo Star

Solo Star is the debut studio album by American singer Solange Knowles, released by Columbia Records and Music World on December 26, 2002 in Japan and January 21, 2003 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. The album produced two singles: "Feelin' You" (featuring N.O.R.E.) and "Crush" (later renamed to "Don't Fight the Feeling"). "Feelin' You" reached no. 73 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart.[2]

Solo Star
Studio album by
Solange
ReleasedDecember 26, 2002 (2002-12-26)
Recorded2001–2002
GenreR&B[1]
Length73:27
Label
Producer
Solange chronology
Solo Star
(2002)		 Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams
(2008)
Singles from Solo Star
  1. "Feelin' You"
    Released: December 17, 2002
  2. "Crush"
    Released: 2003

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Slant[3]

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 Star follows 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.[3]

Release and promotion

The album was released in December 2002 in Japan, while it was released in United States following month. It under-performed in the United States, selling 112,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan,[4] 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. The album is no longer in print and the online music website iTunes does not sell the album. A re-recording of "Crush", with vastly different instrumental and harmonies and featuring Papa Reu, was included on the movie soundtrack for The Fighting Temptations which stars Solange's sister Beyoncé. This re-recording was renamed "Don't Fight the Feeling" to match the movie poster's tagline. The album was promoted with Solo Star Tour in 2003.

Track listing
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Feelin' You (Part II)" (featuring N.O.R.E.)Solange Knowles, Mark Penn, V. Santiago Jr.S. Knowles, Penn, Damon Elliott4:07
2."Ain't No Way"Harvey Mason Jr., D. Thomas, Erica DymakkusThe Underdogs3:45
3."Dance with You" (featuring B2K)Marques Houston, Ketrina Askew, Jerome Jones, Kelton Kesse, S. Knowles, Tony OliverPlatinum Status, Chris Stokes3:03
4."Get Together"Stephen Garrett, Timothy MosleyTimbaland4:16
5."Crush"Pharrell WilliamsThe Neptunes4:34
6."So Be It"S. Knowles, Troy JohnsonS. Knowles, Johnson4:08
7."True Love" (duet with Lil' Romeo)Luther Vandross, Romeo Miller, Percy MillerMyke Diesel3:49
8."Feel Good Song"S. Knowles, Alonzo Jackson, Taura Stinton-JacksonJackson3:29
9."Wonderland"Linda Perry, S. Knowles, Dana StintonRockwilder, Perry4:03
10."This Could Be Love"S. Knowles, Sean Paul Joseph, JohnsonS. Knowles, Johnson4:04
11."Feelin' You (Part I)"S. Knowles, PennS. Knowles, Penn3:22
12."Just Like You"Beyoncé Knowles, S. Knowles, Damon Elliott, Romeo AntonioBeyoncé, Elliott3:37
13."Thinkin' About You" (featuring Murphy Lee)Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Hoyt Curtin, B. Knowles, Elliott, Tori HarperBeyoncé, Elliott4:04
14."Solo Star"Kandi Burruss, Talib Kareem, B. Knowles, Mathew Knowles, S. KnowlesBeyoncé, Burruss, Kareem3:14
15."I Used To"S. Knowles, JacksonJackson3:28
16."Sky Away"S. Knowles, Michael McClainS. Knowles, McClain3:56
  • Note: tracks 17, 18 and 19 are four seconds of silence each with these bonus tracks following:
International bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
20."This Song's for You"3:20
21."Naïve" (duet with Beyoncé featuring Da Brat)3:45
22."Feelin' You (Part II)" (Chopped & Screwed Remix)5:22
Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
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

2006 re-release

Solo Star was re-released in November 2006 with a different artwork and track listing. The 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.

No.TitleLength
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

Personnel
  • 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
Chart (2003) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[5] 49
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[6] 23

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
  1. Ruhlmann, William (2003-01-21). "Solo Star - Solange". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
  2. "Solange - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com.
  3. "Solange: Solo Star - Music Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
  4. "Solange Not Out To Top Sister Beyonce On New Album". Billboard. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  5. "Solange - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com.
  6. "Solange - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com.
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