After years of writing sunny R&B and trying out alt-pop roles—girl-group interpolator on the two-part “I Decided”; indie extrapolator on “Losing You”; special guest to the likes of Janelle Monáe and Chromeo—Solange has found the one that fits her best: herself. Knowles' 2016 album, A Seat at the Table, is an avant-soul meditation on black female identity with devastatingly poignant highlights: “Weary” wraps weighty reflection in a lilting, sparse melody, while “Mad” seethes through a fake smile. The existential alt-R&B vulnerability of “Don't Touch My Hair” ranks among her best work.