Solange Knowles considers tuba album, unsure of fan reception

Solange Knowles wants to release a record of tuba tunes. The 37-year-old Grammy-winner and younger sister of Beyoncé said that she has picked up the skill of playing the brass instrument and has been crafting music specifically for it. However, she expresses doubt about whether her fans would appreciate a full album showcasing her tuba-centric efforts.

She told the new issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine that, “I love it. I’ve started writing music for the tuba, and I am trying to talk myself into releasing it, but I can only imagine the eye rolls from people being like, ‘This [girl] hasn’t made an album’.”

Knowles, whose last album When I Get Home was released in 2019, also explained why she took up the tuba, “It sounds like what the gut feels like to me. There’s a way that it takes up space that you can’t deny, and it also just feels very Black to me.”

Along with taking up the tuba, Knowles who has recently toured the world, held a special performance at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale de Venezia and written the score for a 2022 New York City Ballet production.

Last month she also put on a multi-medium performance exhibition in four acts called ‘In Service to Whom’ at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, which saw her delve into “everyday” and “mundane” gestures that have contributed to her creativity.

The 84-minute show featured Knowles performing original orchestral works apparently inspired by repetition, gospel vocal arrangements, minimalism, and the Black-southern marching band music of football games.

She also told Harper’s about how she remained almost anonymous for some elements of the show. “There were moments I just stood there in silence. When people entered the space, they didn’t notice that I was there.[When they did,] they had to adjust to the uncomfortableness of me just existing, not entertaining or delivering or slaying,” Knowles said.