Solange – XOYO, London 17/01/13

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Photograph by Burak Cingi. See full Photo Gallery here.

If our Ones To Watch 2013 feature is anything to go by, this will be Solange’s year. Her Dev Hynes EP True isn’t perfect but it was like a breath of fresh air, not only because it took Solange away from the mainstream R&B model she’d been trying to fit herself into for years but because it was packed with damn irresistible hooks.

As the funky bass line of ‘Some Things Never Fucking Work’ rips through the crowd, she emerges, dressed in a vibrant pink and blue patterned playsuit and it is finally plain for all to see that Solange is her own woman. From the back of the packed room we spy Chairlift’s Patrick Wimberly on drums which, as the set goes on, actually begins to make a lot of sense as Solange’s voice brings the soul that Caroline Polachek’s 80s inspired outfit were missing. As Hynes picks up the guitar for ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ Solange is beaming “I’m so happy to be here with you all” she says before the bass really kicked in. We can’t remember the last time a bass solo was greeted with such cheers.

She brings out an old friend in ‘Tony’ but it is the new material that really shines. ‘Lovers In The Parking Lot’ is an expected highlight, their tight hooks and pop grooves embued with just the right about of flair, and just the right amount of the 90s. Elements of R&B weave in amongst old school motown vibes as Solange pulls the slickest MJ moves. Her voice is crisp and soulful, her eyes glance over the crowd with a piercing intensity before she introduces Oli from the xx. He brings a darkness to the saccharine lyrics as they turn to face one another, shimmying back and forth with rolling shoulders.

“I wanna see y’all dance” she says as returns for the encore and the song a lot of people have been waiting for. Coming complete with funky guitar licks, buoyant snapping drum beats, smooth romantic vocals and jubilant samples, ‘Losing You’ is built around the simple, forlorn, repeated refrain “Tell me the truth, boy, am I losing you for good?” Not that the song is by any means simple, it’s glitchy, trip-hop beats are textured layer upon dance-inspiring layer. It’s completely moorish which is why, as Solange glances over her shoulder to give one last cheeky grin, the crowd demands one more song. They know just what we know, that pop’s little sister is finally stepping out on her own, and my god, R&B has never looked so good.