I'm trying to cut down my cursing.
I'm not very good at writing songs when I have a lot of clutter in my mind.
If I had to define 'sexy' now, as Disney as it sounds, I would have to say it's about complete and utter confidence.
I'm super-sensitive when it comes to my sister. I've been known to snap off a little bit behind her.
I have been writing songs since I was 9 years old, so writing has and always will be my first love and passion.
Every mom believes her kid's school doodles are amazing, and I'm no different.
I still stand behind the stuff I did early on, but I was on a record label, and I didn't have a lot of creative control. Another side of that is just being young and having bad taste. There was plenty of that, too.
There are a lot of historical lofts in Houston, and it's amazing for me that a lot of them were built in the 1920s. I love the exposed bricks and the very industrial stuff.
I felt like when I took my weave out, I wasn't pretty, I wasn't noticeable.
Beyonce adores my little boy. She takes him everywhere.
I'd rather be on the cast of 'Love & Hip-Hop' than 'Project Runway.'
Beyonce has set the tone as an aunt. I've set the tone as a mom.
Everyone talks about how, in your 30s, all of these growing pains transition into wisdom and you feel more self-assured and confident, but I think I had a bit of a jump-start on that at 27.
My name, Solange, means 'Angel of the sun,' and I'm completely enamored of my African history. The culture is so expressive.
When you take care of yourself, you're a better person for others. When you feel good about yourself, you treat others better.
Both my parents are first-generation success stories.
People who live in L.A. don't like to leave their homes because they have so much space. They have the nice kitchens and a cook and a pool. When you live in L.A., there is a sense of isolation in terms of raising a family.
For me, I always have looked at 'indie' as a term of 'independence.' Never associated a sonic gesture with that in the same way that pop music has always meant 'popular' to me; you know, it didn't define a sound.
I'm happy that I have a beautiful, wonderful, amazing child who's made me a better person.
Just going through a marriage and a divorce - which I essentially did by 21 - will give you an insane amount of perspective on life.
You're just so excited that you have this record deal or this movie opportunity that you don't stand up for yourself and say, This is what I want to do.
I have a father who was the first black student at his junior high and high school and had to do a lot to get to that point.
When Destiny's Child released their first record, I don't think I even noticed. I was still at school, and I had my own life in Houston.
I have a lot of guy-like quintessential relationship qualities that I have had to work on.
I'd rather live in the U.S. than Europe.
It is always an honor to work with those that share your passion for music and just enjoy making great music.
It's so sad, actually, how teachers and parents tell their kids, 'You're never gonna be anything.'
Whether it be a red eyeliner or a graphic line on the crease of my lids, I'm more attracted to the ideas of something interesting than being 'pretty.'
I'm making the music I want to make, in my own space, and it's just incredible to be able to continue to do that.
You just have to know that the more successful you get as an artist, the less of a normal life you have. It's a trade-off.
My sister and I were not allowed expensive clothes. We so badly wanted these Fila sneakers as kids, but my mother took us down to the flea market and got imitation ones. Look at the early Destiny's Child videos. You'll see.
It's always been my dream to look like Mariah Carey in my photos with a microphone. I don't know how she does it. When she sings, she looks perfect.
My mom's best friend growing up was diagnosed with AIDS, and he basically raised me when my mom was launching her business. Although I didn't understand at the time what HIV or AIDS was, I knew that's what he passed away from.
I have a mother who never took no for an answer when it came to her creative pursuits. She started a hair salon in her spare bedroom and four years later had 30 employees.
Mainstream media tends to showcase a very specific kind of Mardi Gras, but my experience of Mardi Gras is very different; it's very cultural.
The Fela Kuti Queens - the band members and wives of the late African musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti - are my fashion icons.
People from New Orleans are extremely prideful.
In any relationship, there's gonna be conflict.
At 15, saying I wanted to do a reggae album after growing up in a snazzy house in Houston - it was kind of random.
Every teenage artist out there is mostly talking about boys, and I think there's so much more to being a teenager than just boys.
You have Vampire Weekend who have more African references musically than most African-American artists.
Self-love is really a foundation for everything, and however you practice or express that is so, so important.
I really enjoy my privacy and being able to walk my son to school every morning and pick him up every afternoon.
I'm a lot more interested in style than fashion - style is what makes us who we are.
I don't feel like I owe anybody other than my child and my family anything.
Through style, you can communicate to the world who you are and what you stand for.
Dubai's a pretty powerful place.
I'd rather be the cool aunt than the authoritative aunt.
Traveling is definitely something that your average 17-year-old doesn't get to do. One week we're in Japan, one week we're in Australia, one week we're back home going to football games.
