Solange talks about creating When I Get Home while being treated for an autonomic disorder

“I got to the place where there was no fear surrounding my body, and it belongs to me in a whole new way.”

March 05, 2019
Solange talks about creating <I>When I Get Home</i> while being treated for an autonomic disorder

Solange has said that When I Get Home was created during a period of time where "there was no fear surrounding my body" as she received treatment for an unnamed autonomic disorder.

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The news of Solange's disorder was first made public in late 2017 when she pulled a live show in order to receive treatment. Autonomic nerve disorders affect the autonomic nervous system, which controls a person's involuntary functions.

Speaking in a cover interview with i-D to promote When I Get Home, she was asked if the ailment caused any despondency while creating new music.

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“Going through a transition where things were happening to my body that were out of my control, I got to the place where there was no fear surrounding my body, and it belongs to me in a whole new way," Solange said. "It’s been a beautiful love affair that took me time. I’ve always been connected to my sexuality and sensuality, but so much of that was re-grounded during this time. The freedom I got to feel was amazing. I learned you can create those spaces; you don’t need anyone else to have your moment.”

Later in the same interview, Solange said she felt incredibly free recording When I Get Home: “I had a fucking blast creating this album! I really wanted to create a space for joy and expression. My last record [A Seat At The Table] was deeply personal, but it was no secret that I was working through a lot of shit. I was carrying a lot of weight and even though that’s something that doesn’t go away, I also feel like a lot of answers felt more inward this time and not outward. A Seat At The Table was composition, a thesis, and a healing experience, but I couldn’t ask the world to be involved in the answers I needed for this project. I just needed to live in it.”

Solange accompanied the release of her new album with a 33-minute "Texas film" co-directed by Terence Nance.

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Solange talks about creating When I Get Home while being treated for an autonomic disorder