When I Get Home
by Solange
  • Record Label: N/A
  • Release Date: Mar 1, 2019
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 322 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 243 out of 322
  2. Mixed: 43 out of 322
  3. Negative: 36 out of 322
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  1. jesusbronze
    Apr 26, 2019
    9
    By no means this is shade, but if you feel like you live in a world where you feel compelled to be Beyonce, you can always be Solange. Following the path of "A Seat At The Table", Solange's eccentric voice and style guide its listeners through the intricate lyrics and experimental melodies of this bold yet cohesive body of work.
  2. Kerry-Paul
    Mar 16, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A solid effort! Solange continues to blaze a trail and go places where your typical Pop or R&B star of this Era won't. It's a great follow up to the Iconic A Seat At Table. Her intelligence is leaps and bounds ahead of her Pop peers. I cannot wait to see what she does next!… Expand
  3. lifeimitatesart
    Mar 12, 2019
    7
    it's a pretty smooth record which can play quietly in the background in the dim lights of an empty room as just her previous work but it's seems a bit fragmented by initial listen. it looks like solange takes us on a journey but still haven't a final destination. she throw a challenge by making us staring at misted glass for almost 40 minutes straight and by the end of the album it startsit's a pretty smooth record which can play quietly in the background in the dim lights of an empty room as just her previous work but it's seems a bit fragmented by initial listen. it looks like solange takes us on a journey but still haven't a final destination. she throw a challenge by making us staring at misted glass for almost 40 minutes straight and by the end of the album it starts to feel like 40 minutes is not enough for solange to get home. and maybe it should be so because the title is a blur definition. solange is not intented to give an accurate predictions about the time when she finally gets home, she just states the fact of returning. it's not a bad record at least sonically it's a winning moment of this journey.… Expand
  4. Nadigg
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    Everyone isn’t going to hear the beauty of this album. It’s not for everyone. And I didn’t get it on my first listen either. Not that it necessarily calls for a second listen but it deserves one. The more and more I Listen to this album the greater it seems to get. I would encourage anyone to At least listen twice.
  5. hellokittypie
    Sep 3, 2020
    9
    I love her power, this album is a cohesive masterpiece, just like her first work. is by far one of the best records of 2019.
  6. sammyanthony
    Mar 1, 2019
    8
    A celebration of black culture and mockery to discrimination seems perpetual. But this time, Solange puts everything related to smithereens and let those tracks do their job to connect themselves. Not unlike A Seat at the Table, When I Get Home's concept shines through all the nodes.
  7. bodakyellow
    Mar 2, 2019
    9
    This album is way ahead of its time. Loving the elements of all kinds of genres, from jazz to trap, this album is the whole package. More lyrical diversity on some songs would have been appreciated. Favourite songs: Things I Imagined, Stay Flo, Almeda, Sound of Rain
  8. ewhite
    Mar 2, 2019
    10
    A beautiful, cohesive and well produced body of work. It might not be as good as her previous "A Seat At The Table" but it's still a great body of work that stands out. She mixed the elements of R&B, jazz and hip-hop just perfectly. Stand out tracks are: Things I Imagined, Way To The Show, Stay Flo, Dreams, Almeda, My Skin My Logo, Beltway and Sound of Rain.
  9. gurvinder3
    Mar 12, 2019
    8
    An incredibly cohesive album pushing artistic boundaries.

    Fav tracks: Almeda, Stay Flo, Down With the Clique, Binz
  10. musicwizard636
    Mar 2, 2019
    8
    Solange's new album When I Get Home is, much like her last, a bold artistic statement about black faith, love, and pride. However this time around, the production is rich in personality. The features are low-key and bearable. The essence of Solange flows throughout each song, making each unique track uniquely hers.
  11. tevin_pa9551
    Mar 8, 2019
    10
    For me being a fan of Solange since her Sol-Angel album, it's understood of her eccentric style. I loved "A Seat at the Table". I still believe it was the best release of 2016. I love her confidence, I can't see her sister being bold when crafting an album together. My first reaction to her latest record was exactly how she put... it was a record based around feel. I heard the music andFor me being a fan of Solange since her Sol-Angel album, it's understood of her eccentric style. I loved "A Seat at the Table". I still believe it was the best release of 2016. I love her confidence, I can't see her sister being bold when crafting an album together. My first reaction to her latest record was exactly how she put... it was a record based around feel. I heard the music and the production but I couldn't understand what she was saying. Felt like a D'Angelo album. it's 39 minutes of pure fun, dancing and her homage to the city of Houston. I watched a great video on a person who never heard any of Solanges' work but by him being from Houston he read the tracklist and knew certain towns, streets and intersections. That video was special. I understand why this is getting a negative review from the listener but she's never done the same thing twice. How I feel about it really was an prime example from the year 2015 for Kendrick's TPAB. I remember people hating the album when it was released. Solange is a 1 of 1 and I will continue to BUY her work because it's that DAMN GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!

    Favorites: Sound of Rain, Binz, Time (is), Dreams, Stay Flo and Way to the Show.

    Lastly, I believe the album flows well and by me having an open mind I love the jazz / funk influence surrounding the sound of the album.    … Expand
  12. kurvin1125
    Mar 4, 2019
    10
    She always amaze me. ugh. her mind. a musical genius. This album is a piece of art. A masterpiece rather
  13. Francesco98
    Mar 2, 2019
    10
    This album is a masterpiece! There are elements from different genres and the style is perfect! it is perfectly composed and the voice of Solage is clear and elegant. Really good!
  14. matthewmirliani
    Mar 2, 2019
    8
    Solange’s “When I Get Home” is equally hypnotic, equally frantic, equally comfortable, equally smooth. It’s a jazz-infused patchwork of sophisticated, avant-garde R&B, that may feel scattered at times — but is ultimately a sonically lovely stream of consciousness. My favorite track is the gorgeous “Stay Flo.”
  15. marcmyworks
    Mar 2, 2019
    8
    Solange proves she really is carving her own way as an artist by going even further away from the mainstream with ‘When I Get Home’. Her 3rd full length album is an urban lullaby filled with circular/repetitive lyrics and sonically sounds like Afro-funk contemporary Erykah Badu. Listen to: Stay Flo, Dreams, Time (is)
  16. PeterSant
    Mar 2, 2019
    10
    Solange surprised once more. It has evolved with each job and it proves that it is on the right track
  17. wntrtea
    Mar 5, 2019
    10
    i didn't know i needed this album until i listened to it. album of the year.
  18. montag30
    Mar 7, 2019
    9
    Brilliant, can't stop listening. Best album of 2019 so far, will probably be in my top 5 come the end of the year.
  19. systemBuilder
    Mar 7, 2019
    10
    In many ways this is the closest show to ST:TOS there ever was. Weekly self-contained episodes. Despite being on a star ship the leadership is drawn into solving a moral problem, usually from another species and just like Gene Roddenberry's original creation (Roddenberry wrote police episodes before Star Trek). The humor is sometimes flat, often amazing (Cupid's dagger). They areIn many ways this is the closest show to ST:TOS there ever was. Weekly self-contained episodes. Despite being on a star ship the leadership is drawn into solving a moral problem, usually from another species and just like Gene Roddenberry's original creation (Roddenberry wrote police episodes before Star Trek). The humor is sometimes flat, often amazing (Cupid's dagger). They are working on developing a dramatic side in S2. It's the second or third best Star Trek cast of all time (far better actors than ST:TNG). You must see this show and don't judge until you've seen S1E3.… Expand
  20. carrsean
    Mar 4, 2019
    8
    Having Playboi Carti as the only vocal guest here perfectly encapsulates what Solange is going for on When I Get Home. Carti’s lyricism here is vapid filling his allotted time with his typical ramblings about money and fame. Yet Carti has never been an artist to rely on his words, rather for his case - it’s all about the sound. His flow melts with the production and his voice perfectlyHaving Playboi Carti as the only vocal guest here perfectly encapsulates what Solange is going for on When I Get Home. Carti’s lyricism here is vapid filling his allotted time with his typical ramblings about money and fame. Yet Carti has never been an artist to rely on his words, rather for his case - it’s all about the sound. His flow melts with the production and his voice perfectly accent whatever he’s trying to say. His performance is almost hypnotic in quality, where his voice and melody are so sweet that its distracts from the fact that he’s not saying anything profound.
    And as Playboi Carti mastered this technique, it seems to have inspired Solange on her latest effort. I’m not saying that this record has nothing to say - far from it. The themes of black and female empowerment from A Seat at the Table radiate throughout the record. But where as A Seat at the Table kept intense eye contact as its heavy themes left little to nothing to one’s imagination, When I Get Home lacks that sense of directness and swaps it out for a more abstract approach to the same ideas. The powerful laments of black identity “Cranes in the Sky” and “Don’t Touch My Hair” are nowhere to be found here. In fact, the album rescues the idea of a traditional single all together. The songs instead bleed together here, favoring for the listener to take a moment and take in its breezy thirty eight minute runtime. Solange is on record that jazz is at the core of this record and you sense that in its untraditional mindset here. WIGH is heavily fragmented, as it comes off as a broken glass version of its predecessor. Solange's lyrics here refuse to be direct and instead create ideas that reflect black culture opposed to the structured vignettes. My Skin My Logo comes to mind where she laughs why repeatedly saying “gucci this gucci that” (bad paraphrase, but you should hear the song yourself as it is slow burning poetry), while the renowned Gucci Mane ad-libs in the background sounding like a baby, making noises like “a-ha”. Sure, Solange’s message gets across after a couple of listens, Gucci Mane’s appearances is the funniest this I have heard this side of the decade.
    This is definitely a s sister album to A Seat at the Table, just look at the covers of both. Yet each take Solange’s powerful message to exciting musical places. Their exteriors and methods may be different, yet the core and fundamentals remain the same. Whereas A Seat at the Table is more like Frank Ocean’s Blonde (both powerfully emotional statements that intensely engage you, When I Get Home is more like Endless (a looser, more abstract project that power comes from the project as a whole). People might not like it first listen, but it rewards multiple listens. But if you did not like A Seat at the Table for any reason, I’d stay away from this. Unless you’re one problem was with Solange herself. She removes her from the center of her own album to give you the space to see the world from her perspective.    … Expand
  21. aleppo
    Mar 5, 2019
    9
    For those complaining about the looser, less fully-formed nature of When I Get Home: that's the point! The album is structured similarly to A Seat at the Table, but the songs here are composed more freely, which is reflected in the release's sound and themes. Still, despite others' claims that her lyricism on the record lacks substance, Solange has much to say about the black (female)For those complaining about the looser, less fully-formed nature of When I Get Home: that's the point! The album is structured similarly to A Seat at the Table, but the songs here are composed more freely, which is reflected in the release's sound and themes. Still, despite others' claims that her lyricism on the record lacks substance, Solange has much to say about the black (female) experience, and she captures it deftly in this subtly ambitious exploration of and homage to her Houston upbringing.

    Highlights include 'Stay Flo,' 'Almeda,' and 'My Skin My Logo'.    … Expand
  22. prestonhung
    Mar 5, 2019
    7
    I know that a lot of people do not like this project, but personally, I like this project. Although hard to digest, it has more substantive tracks, more punchy and quirky beats, and overall a step more experimental for Solange. Decent/Strong 7.
  23. Flawlessasurnot
    Mar 1, 2019
    7
    "When I Get Home" is a dedication to Truth, Pride of being oneself and the Joy of thriving. Excellent production of Panda Bear, John Key and, obviously, Solange herself. Meaningful and surreal lyrics, a travel throughout this album, which can sometimes confuse you; however it is not an impediment to enjoy the ride. 72/100
  24. daniel_galvez
    Mar 13, 2022
    8
    La producción es muy buena. When I Get Home tiene muchas atmosferas que hacen entrar en una inmersión de lugares asombrosos de su ciudad natal, junto con la voz espectral de Solange, convierte a WIGH, en uno de sus proyectos mas interesantes.
  25. daironbustos
    Apr 5, 2019
    10
    this is powerful project of woman, I love her confidence, best album of 2019 so far.
  26. PretentiousGeek
    Apr 24, 2019
    9
    Experimental ventures into hypnotic repetition and sonics that both recall the past and propel the viewer into the future work together to conjure a deeper understanding of Solange as a creative and how she perceives the Houston she so proudly hails from.
  27. NicoNicole
    Aug 6, 2021
    10
    Quando decidi parar o que estava fazendo para me dedicar a ouvir esse álbum eu sabia que iria gostar, e de fato Solange de novo não me decepcionou. Tudo exatamente no lugar, inclusive os interludes que muitos criticaram, o álbum não seria o mesmo sem eles, e quem não gostou claramente não entende que um álbum as vezes é muito mais do que várias musicas sortidas e espalhadas, as vezes é umaQuando decidi parar o que estava fazendo para me dedicar a ouvir esse álbum eu sabia que iria gostar, e de fato Solange de novo não me decepcionou. Tudo exatamente no lugar, inclusive os interludes que muitos criticaram, o álbum não seria o mesmo sem eles, e quem não gostou claramente não entende que um álbum as vezes é muito mais do que várias musicas sortidas e espalhadas, as vezes é uma história, e quando se trata de Solange é sempre um deleite ouvir suas histórias.… Expand
  28. Lajaleaa
    Aug 22, 2019
    8
    ( 86/100 )

    Solange, quien no es identificada hasta que alguien aclara: La hermana de Beyonce Knowles, tiene una carrera musical poco presencial que comenzó a formalizarse después de los 2010s. Solange es R&B, Easy Hip Hop, Electro Jazz contemporáneo y, al ser este mi primer acercamiento a su música, me reconforta el hecho de no encontrar mucho de Beyonce en ella, Solange se escucha    ( 86/100 )

    Solange, quien no es identificada hasta que alguien aclara: La hermana de Beyonce Knowles, tiene una carrera musical poco presencial que comenzó a formalizarse después de los 2010s. Solange es R&B, Easy Hip Hop, Electro Jazz contemporáneo y, al ser este mi primer acercamiento a su música, me reconforta el hecho de no encontrar mucho de Beyonce en ella, Solange se escucha autentica y personal. Pero no las comparemos. "When I Get Home", el nuevo proyecto de Solange es una colección de voces, frases, discursos y sentimientos que se introducen en una música que crea un ambiente lejano, añorado y soñado. No hay una estructura musical en el álbum, pero sí hay una narrativa: Solange canta sobre su vida laboral y mental diaria y hace sentir su música como algo tan fácil como tararear en un taxi camino a casa después de un largo día en la oficina. Cuando Solange canta, se exilia del mundo real para ir a su espacio personal en donde puede hacerlo a gusto, tranquila e íntimamente sobre los recuerdos de su casa y entorno en el pasado y las comodidades de lo mismo en su presente. Con ayuda de Tyler The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Pharrell Williams, Steve Lacy, Metro Boomin y John Key, entre otros, la producción es dinámica y se sostiene con detalles y arreglos que purifican y presentan la voz de Solange junto a sus ideas muy únicas y singulares. Junto a varios "samples" que coloca como "interludes" e "intermissions", "When I Get Home" se convierte en un álbum de fotos y recuerdos que hablan cuando Solange canta. Personalmente Beyonce me intimida mucho, así que siento no solo contento y gozo, sino tranquilidad cuando escucho a Solange en este álbum, pues ahora la calidad tiene un perfil suficientemente bajo como para que la gente la pueda disfrutar con mucha intimidad.
    -
    Solange, who is not identified until someone says "the sister of Beyonce Knowles", is not as much of a public figure in her music career as Beyonce is. Solange is contemporary R&B, easy Hip Hop, Electro Jazz and, being this my first approach to her music, I like the fact of not finding much of Beyonce in this. Solange's music feels authentic and personal. But let's not compare them. "When I Get Home", the new project of Solange is a collection of voices, phrases, speeches and feelings that are introduced in a music that creates a distant environment, missed and dreamed. There's not a musical structure in the album, but there is a narrative: Solange sings about her professional and mental life and she makes it feel like doing it is as easy as humming in a taxi on her way home after a long day in the office. When Solange sings, she banished from the real world to go to her personal space where she can do it with ease, relaxed and intimate about the memories of her house environment of the past and the commodities of the same in her present. With the help of Tyler The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Pharrell Williams, Steve Lacy, Metro Boomin and John Key among others, the production is dynamic and solid thanks to the details and arrangements that purify and expose the voice of Solange along her very unique and singular ideas. Along many "samples" that place in the album as "interludes" and "intermissions", "When I Get Home" becomes an album of memories and photos that speak when Solange sings. Personally Beyonce intimidates me a lot, so I just feel happy, joy and tranquility when I hear Solange in this album, for now, quality has a low enough profile that people can enjoy with a lot more of intimacy.    … Expand
  29. All_ButTrU4
    Jan 28, 2021
    9
    This is such cinematic release. The brevity and ease with which it presents it's ideas is impressive and could only be done with her idiosyncratic soft soprano vocals. It feels like a love letter to Houston and to black music. To some the brief almost "Unfinished " quality might lose them but I think that's the charm. ASATT was her statement this is her voice. It sounds free,fun andThis is such cinematic release. The brevity and ease with which it presents it's ideas is impressive and could only be done with her idiosyncratic soft soprano vocals. It feels like a love letter to Houston and to black music. To some the brief almost "Unfinished " quality might lose them but I think that's the charm. ASATT was her statement this is her voice. It sounds free,fun and peaceful from the mantra of the opener or the humour of the "can i hold the mic(interlude)" ir the brilliant "binz" and charged "almeda". The visual pieces add more texture to the release itself and it's message. Favourite:binz,sound of rain,jerrod,almelda.… Expand
  30. ROBYWON
    Sep 14, 2022
    10
    Sophisticated and graceful, Solange gives us an accurate and introspective look at African American culture. From her museum performances, also implemented at the Venice Biennale, the artisa embraces all art forms, with full awareness. In the songs, the corporeality, the movements, the hairstyles and the clothes are perceptible, enveloping you in Knowles' world. Best track "Almeda"
  31. Drr23788
    Aug 27, 2019
    8
    Great Album! This is probably the most vibey album to come out in 2019. Love it!
  32. gabrielmatos
    Dec 15, 2019
    10
    Since “A Seat At The Table”, Solange changed a lot of ideas and concepts, what we can see in this afrofuturistic album. “When I Get Home” is a mix of a new Solange and a new vibe of an experimental R&B and Soul. Solange did an amazing album, with an incredible production and talentous special guests like Dev Hynes(Blood Orange); Tyler, The Creator and Steve Lacy.
  33. omeglecamgirl
    Jul 24, 2020
    9
    This album is beautiful solanges vocals are amazing, the production pulls at my heart strings, great calming album
  34. terrenceknows
    Jul 24, 2020
    9
    it can sounds boring sometimes but still brilliant..................................................
  35. Olivier1
    May 13, 2021
    9
    So, people are fascinated by Solange: she's siblings with a woman who is considered to be royalty and is largely unavoidable. Therefore, people want to know what she's like, what she does, what her thoughts are (I think people have finally accepted- to some extent- that she's different from Beyoncé and she doesn't want Beyoncé's status. However, that opens up a whole new question: why isSo, people are fascinated by Solange: she's siblings with a woman who is considered to be royalty and is largely unavoidable. Therefore, people want to know what she's like, what she does, what her thoughts are (I think people have finally accepted- to some extent- that she's different from Beyoncé and she doesn't want Beyoncé's status. However, that opens up a whole new question: why is she so different from her sister?

    So, when Beyoncé released Lemonade, people thought they'd finally understood Solange, especially after she released A Seat at the Table: both albums discussed racism and weren't extremely different from each other, so the was a sense of mutuality there, and people thought they'd finally found the gateway to Solange's music and thoughts.

    Now this album kinda laughs (hysterically) at the notion that Beyoncé's music was the gateway to Solange- which it's why errbody mad. So that answers that question. Now to my review: this album is great. It's smart in a way that music just isn't nowadays. I'll stay with the production: it's mad dope. The primary goal of this album was (obviously) to make it sound like one song with many different movements, and it succeeded greatly: the transitions are (most of the time) smooth.

    The lyrics? I'm not even sure I should call them lyrics, tbh. It's mostly just Solange repeating a few lines/ words, right? But saying that feels so reductive. And it doesn't do the innovative nature of the lyrics (or lines or whatever) any justice: no other artist has ever eschewed the value of lyrics from their music the way Solange has. Then the vocals and the features. The features are barely there, tbh. Which a lot of people have lamented but I find it to be pretty interesting. Why would you have all these talented, dope musicians and just have them in the background or whatever, right? I don't know, but I found it to be a mystifying aspect of the album: I listened to the entire album and then later thought, "Wait a minute, I didn't hear any Pharrell!" Which I don't mind: the album is dope AF, but I want to ask gert why she made this decision. Then the vocals are awesome, everyone knows this. What makes this album great is not the fact that it sets her apart from Beyoncé tbh. What makes this album great is that it sets her apart from other eclectic musicians like Sampha for instance, whom she's collaborated with frequently btw. This album makes her look different even from artists we think she's similar to, and that's crazy! On a side note: this album is the perfect successor to A Seat at the Table; stop talking ****    … Expand
  36. yangxzz
    Jul 19, 2022
    10
    Uma experiência incrível, um álbum pensado desde a primeira faixa até a última para ser uma obra completa e coesa e não um conglomerado de faixas aleatórias. O nível de produção artística que envolve desde sintetizadores até harmonias feitas com a voz da própria Solange é encantador e as interludes somadas as transições, como em Jerrod para Binz, são essenciais para fechar este trabalhoUma experiência incrível, um álbum pensado desde a primeira faixa até a última para ser uma obra completa e coesa e não um conglomerado de faixas aleatórias. O nível de produção artística que envolve desde sintetizadores até harmonias feitas com a voz da própria Solange é encantador e as interludes somadas as transições, como em Jerrod para Binz, são essenciais para fechar este trabalho impecável… Expand

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best Album of 2019
28
#28 Most Discussed Album of 2019
6
#6 Most Shared Album of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. musicOMH.com
    Nov 20, 2019
    90
    In a year where R&B and hip hop have proved the most innovative and original genres Solange has delivered a brilliantly crafted record that places her right at the top.
    Read full review
  2. The Wire
    May 7, 2019
    90
    Knowles’s instincts guide the cultural conversation in a way that feels healing, intentional and authentically collectiveminded. A well-constructed spell, cast with intention. [May 2019, p.63]
  3. Mojo
    May 1, 2019
    80
    All credit to Knowles, though, whose vision is so cohesive that the 19 short tracks feel like one long, utterly immersive piece. [Jun 2019, p.86]
See all critic reviews »