Songs that Solange had written for Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland & Michelle

I posted a tweet to inform everybody to not forget that Solange co-wrote one of the best Beyoncé's bops that is "Get me bodied" and it blew up, for reasons unknown to me and my deadass little Twitter account. Until I realised that Solange herself had liked it.

It's not uncommon knowledge amongst members of the Beyhive that Solange has co-writing a couple of songs for her big sister over the years. But it's still something that is oft overlooked. But more-so the fact that Solange has written a song for each member of Destiny's Child. Shit. I bet Solange even had songs in her notebook for LeToya, LaTivia and Luggage.

Her name is Solange Piaget Knowles because a bitch always has time.

So let's run through all of the songs that Solange had a hand in for the Trinity that is Beyoncé, Kelendria and Tenitra.

01. Why don't you love me?
I am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
Written by Solange Knowles, Angela Beyincé, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Smith III, Jesse J. Rankins & Jonathan D. Wells

The song that not everybody who purchased I am... Sasha Fierce got, due to it being a bonus track on selected editions of the album. But none the less got itself a Melina directed video and became a single late in the albums' cycle.

"Why don't you love me?" is a case of life imitating art, because as we all know, the subject of this song would become a very real situation for Beyoncé following Jay-Z's infidelity. Which would then lead to Solange infamously going Chun-Li on Jigga's ass in an elevator.

02. Simply deep
Simply deep (2002)
Written by Troy Johnson & Solange Knowles

Kelly Rowland's debut album was...interesting. It seemed to want to skirt with a Traci Chapman-esque type route with acoustic guitars and an 80s vibe, which actually really suited Kelly's voice. I wasn't sure what to expect from Kelly's debut album, but the one thing I didn't expect was to see Solange Knowles as a featured artist and as a songwriter in the liner notes - for the album title track no less.

Solange contributes to the backing vocals of the song, but doesn't have her own verse, which may make the featuring credit seem strange to some. Especially considering that she hadn't put out any music yet. But this was the exact reason why Mathew Knowles had her credited as a featured artist; to pave the way for Solange's debut album. An album which was really fucking good by the way. "Crush" and "Ain't no way" still slap.

03. Get me bodied
B'Day (2006)
Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Solange Knowles, Angela Beyincé, Sean Garrett, Makeba Riddick & Kasseem Dean

Ya'll can say what you want about "Crazy in love". But this, for me is the quintessential Beyoncé song and Solange is co-responsible for it. Let it be known here and now that there would not have been a "Single ladies (Put a ring on it)" if it weren't for this song. In fact, "Single ladies" sounding like a copy of "Get me bodied" was one of the reasons why I didn't like it initially. I remember thinking 'What is this inferior sounding version of "Get me bodied"?!' It was only when I saw the now iconic music video that I started to like the song.

Solange featuring in this music video was a nice touch and a glimpse at what Destiny's Child would have looked like with her in the line-up. And her running out to support her big sister during her performance of the song at Coachella set was a whole moment.

04. Love
Ms. Kelly (2007)
Written by Slav Vynnytsky, Marc Joseph & Solange Knowles

Whilst Beyoncé got her dues for Lemonade, Kelly had given us the confessional album long before with the criminally overlooked Ms. Kelly. An album which chronicled the breakdown of Kelly's relationship with her then fiancée.

The penultimate song on the album "Love" is a highlight. Written from the perspective of somebody telling their once lover that the grass isn't necessarily greener on the other-side and that by the time you realise that, it's already too late. It's 3 minutes and 51 seconds of Kelly telling her ex 'Boy, bye'. Solange did a grand job writing a song about love that's different from a typical love song in a way that most can relate to. Especially those who are like 'FUCK LOVE. FUCK ALL OF IT'.

By the time this song came along, I think Solange's fans had caught onto her style, but "Love" really reinforced that Solange had a particular writing style and a way with arrangements. As great as Kelly sounds on this song and as much as she owns it, it's not hard to imagine Solange on it every single time I listen to it.

05. Upgrade U
B'Day (2006)
Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Solange Knowles, Angela Beyincé, Sean Garrett, Makeba Riddick, Shawn Carter, Kasseem Dean, Willie Clarke & Clarence Reid

After "Déjà vu" (which I liked by the way) I was done hearing Jay-Z on a Beyoncé song. Especially given that he gave Beyoncé such a dusty set of bars in comparison to "Crazy in love". The fucking nerve. But "Upgrade U" was a different matter. I can't imagine the song without Jay-Z. And whilst "Déjà vu" went to length to recapture the energy and vibe of "Crazy in love", "Upgrade U" got closer to it. Oh. And obviously Solange co-wrote the song.

Solange co-writes two of B'Day's best songs. Her mind. It makes me sick sometimes.

And let us be 100% real. Beyonce really did upgrade her man.

06. Bad habit
Destiny fulfilled (2008)
Written by Kelendria Rowland, Bryan-Michael Cox, Kendrick Dean & Solange Knowles

A solo song that doesn't belong to Beyoncé on a Destiny's Child album!? BITCH, WHAT?! Beyoncé and Michelle don't even provide backing vocals on this shit. It's all Kelly. Giving us what essentially sounded like her version of Usher's "Burn". A result of it sharing the same producer, Bryan Michael Cox.

I have no idea how or why this song ended up on the album or what part of her soul Kelly sold to Mathew Knowles, but we got it. And of course Solange co-wrote it. It's also the only song on the album on which Beyoncé and Michelle don't receive a writing credit. I genuinely do wonder what the deal with this song was... A Ms. Kelly leftover perhaps?

06. The movement
Do you know (2004)
Written by Troy Johnson & Solange Knowles

We know that the Knowles' be churched up, so Michelle Williams giving us a Gospel album wasn't some left field, out of pocket thing and neither was Solange writing a song for it. Michelle Williams' second solo album Do you know featured "The movement". One of the albums' more dance-able moments in what was a wholly mid-tempo album.



I'mma be honest. I like Solange. I like me some Michelle. But this song is probably the weakest out of all of the songs that Solange wrote for the women of DC-3. "The movement" is very much of its time and has a production style and bounce about it that quite a few producers in R&B were flirting with. The song probably would have come off a lot better had Solange or Beyoncé sung it, as they both have a knack for delivering vocal arrangements that can transform a song and elevate it in ways that not just anybody is able to.

07. Scared of lonely
I am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
Written by Crystal Nicole, LaShawn Daniels, Rico Love, Solange Knowles & Beyoncé Knowles

One of the best songs on I am... Sasha Fierce that not everybody would have gotten or heard due to it being a bonus track. I was fortunate enough to pick I am... Sasha Fierce up in Japan, which featured this on it.

"Scared of lonely" didn't only see Beyoncé team back up with Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins, the man responsible for "Say my name", "Déjà vu" and the B'Day deluxe edition cut "World wide woman", but marked the second song on I am...Sasha Fierce that was co-written by Solange.

The two songs that Solange wrote for I am... Sasha Fierce both being tales of isolation. Chile. What was a bitch going through!?

08. Obsession
Simply deep (2002)
Written by Troy Johnson & Solange Knowles

When I first heard Kelly Rowland's debut, three songs stuck out to me and remained on repeat. "Train on a track", "Love / Hate" (which was written by Brandy) and "Obsession" which was penned by Solange.

This was one of Solange's first professional writing credits and at this point her album Solo star wasn't out. We hadn't heard anything from her. Yet somehow, Solange still managed to come through on a song with a writing style and vocal arrangements that felt unique to her, by using Beyoncé as a point of reference, because both of them share a very particular way in which they arrange vocals which is clearly in their blood.

It's a shame "Obsession" didn't get the love that it deserved, because it really is a great song which was a great showcase of both Kelly and Solange.

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Solange has always been open about her love for songwriting and that she's done it since the age of 9. As somebody who was a fan of Solange, before Solange even had a damn album out, it's been amazing to see her growth as a songwriter and a producer, through other peoples songs, to each of her albums.

Female songwriters are seldom given the credit that they deserve (just ask Mariah Carey). And whilst Solange is on a journey of self discovery and feeling her own blackitty-black oats, I would be very much here for Solange lending her pen and production game to other artists. Solange goin' back and writing a song for Beyoncé? Lawd. Could you imagine if Solange had written a song for Lemonade? Shit would probably be called "Dat thang in my purse", "Pull up" or "Try me".