In May, Solange announced that she'd started her own record label, Saint Records. The label's first release is a compilation curated by Solange (featuring artists such as Sampha, Jhené Aiko, Cassie, and Solange herself) called Saint Heron, and it's now streaming on Spotify.
On Saint Records' official website, a description of the album is offered:
Saint Records presents Saint Heron – a collaborative compilation album featuring 11 independent artists telling their unique stories on one innovative platform. Saint Records was designed to give new and ingenious artists a space to create their music and circulate their art – in turn becoming a haven for R&B lovers and listeners to discover music free of marketplace politics. The intent of the album, and the label at large, is to feature, highlight and align a new movement of contemporary, genre-defying R&B visionaries, which will serve as a segue into the diverse evolution of these independent artists as they share their voices and words as only they can – through pure, unadulterated music.
After a few listens, it would seem as though the album's strong point is its "genre-defying" diversity. Saint Heron kicks off with some woozy atmospherics courtesy of BC Kingdom before journeying to its darkest point, the ghostly "Jaded" -- and that's only the first two tracks. Solange does a great job of showcasing artists who are all on the outskirts of popular R&B, and more than that, highlighting the variety of sounds and styles that can be housed under the blanket term of "R&B."
You can buy Saint Heron in a variety of formats on Saint Records' official website, and watch the recent video for Solange's "Lovers in the Parking Lot" right here on Zumic.
