Just when I think I can't love Solange any more, she comes floating in on her carefree Black girl cloud with yet another dose of inspiration. While accepting the Centric Award for "Cranes in the Sky" at the BET Awards (her first ever BET Award, if you can believe it), the singer reminded us all about the influence of the network.
"I just wanna thank BET for my teenage years, giving me images of queens like Missy Elliot and Lil' Kim and Aaliyah and Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill and Kelis and Reese, and the list goes on, and showing me those images and letting me know the sky's the limit," she said. "This is for everyone in the category. I love Syd and Kehlani and SZA and Kelela and all the new school girls who are out here killing it. Thank you so much, this is such an honor, I'm so humbled."
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I appreciated that Solange not only took a moment to support her fellow nominees — who are all killing the game, indeed, following a trail she blazed before them — but also to point out the importance of having outlets that unapologetically celebrate and represent Black women.
Of course, a Solo speech wouldn't be complete without her keeping it real. She began her thank you's by admitting that her armpits were sweating. (Though it's hard to believe, because her pony and Black girl glow were on point.) She also thanked her co-producer, Raphael Saadiq, as well as her husband Alan Ferguson, and 13-year-old son Jules for giving her "the courage to create art as free as I possibly can."
And perhaps the best part? The New Orleans resident, who turned 31 on June 24 fresh off a performance at the Glastonbury Festival, capped off her speech by calling it "the best birthday ever!" Happy birthday, Solange — and congratulations!