There's no doubt that A Seat At The Table is all Solange, but Beyoncé did have a hand in one aspect of the album. When Beyoncé interviewed Solange for Interview magazine the two discussed the visuals for A Seat At The Table. For clips like "Cranes in the Sky" and "Don't Touch My Hair," Solange traveled cross-country from her home in New Orleans to New Mexico with a crew that was led by her husband, the director Alan Ferguson. Solange admitted that for years she'd wanted to work with Ferguson, who she married in 2014, but was afraid it would hinder their bond.
I felt like our relationship, by the grace of God, is the one thing that I can count on to be intact and to be solid. When I go out in the world, I know that when I come home, I'm going to find peace with him. And I didn't want any variable that could interrupt that.
But Beyoncé disagreed. She suggested Solange take the chance because the reward would be much great than the risk. According to Solange, her older sister told her that she would "probably make the best work that you have ever made because of the way that you love and respect one another and each other's vision."
Now, Solange believes her big sister was right. The videos allowed her to explore her own creativity alongside someone who understood her better than anyone else — mainly, because he was experiencing this album with her, which Solange admits was "depleting."
It's no surprise that Beyoncé would encourage her little sister to work with her husband being that she's done it many time before herself. Jay Z has been her musical partner in crime, the Clyde to her Bonnie, since her 2003 debut solo single "Crazy In Love." The two have gone on to make five videos together and co-headline the On the Run tour, which spawned its own faux movie trailer that has the two playing criminals on the run.
Jay Z would once again help in the visuals of Beyoncé's Lemonade, appearing in the intimate clip for "Sandcastles," which focuses on moving past infidelity. His presence on this video, and the clips of their wedding video in the section "All Night Long," which focuses on moving forward towards forgiveness, show that they are a creative unit.
Following her example, Solange told Beyoncé, "it was Alan who would encourage me and help lift me back up and give me that coach speech to go back into the studio and start a new day." So, when it came time to talk about how she was going to visualize these songs, she knew only Ferguson could "help bring the vision to life."
The journey the couples embarked on though wasn't always easy, but that didn't stop the two from hitting the road. While she started with a "sizable" crew to make the videos, it soon became a two-person project: just Solange and Ferguson taking on the elements.
Solange found stability in Ferguson, who would help her realize her vision. "Alan was there to say, 'Hey, the light is fading. Everybody is telling us that we can't get this much light in the aperture. We need to wrap,'" she explained. "'But I think that this is when the light is just beginning. This is the color the sky needs to be.'"
Working with Ferguson on A Seat At The Table would be one of the most importance decisions she would make when it came to making this album. It gave her a "partner in crime" who could translate the visuals she wanted to make when she couldn't. But making these videos with Ferguson also showed her something special about their relationship. "The experience was one I will cherish for the rest of my life," Solange said.
No doubt her fans feel the same way. They may even have to send Beyoncé an Edible Arrangement as a thank you.
