Beyoncé and Solange Knowles have a lot in common when it comes to music, but they each
took very different paths after their formative years, with Solange becoming a single mom
and a divorcée by age 21, and Beyoncé becoming… well, Beyoncé.
But despite their differences, they're each other's biggest fans.
Here's the truth about their unique relationship.
Figuring out the sister thing
Beyoncé had a unique relationship with her sister during their early years due to her
time-consuming job as one third of Destiny's Child.
Bandmate Kelly Rowland also lived with the Knowles in their family home, at the time.
Solange told the Evening Standard that she was 5 years old when Rowland moved in, saying,
"[Rowland's] mother was a nanny for another family, so Kelly lived with us when they first
moved from Atlanta.
She was like a second sister."
Solange also said that being 5 years younger than Bey helped facilitate a strong relationship,
saying,
"I'm sure if we were closer in age we wouldn't have gotten along so great.
But we've been super-close ever since I was about 13."
Looking out for each other
The sisters have a history of being very protective of each other.
In an interview with BET's 106 & Park, Solange shared her thoughts on the now-infamous video
of a fan slapping Beyoncé on the butt during a concert, saying,
"That's taking it too far.
He would've got slapped back."
Beyoncé is equally as vigilant when it comes to her sister.
In a radio interview with Hot 97, Solange recalled how privileged she was to grow up
with Beyoncé as her older sib.
Back when Destiny's Child's hit song "No, No, No" was blowing up the radio, Solange
was in high school, dealing with a bully.
When Solange alerted Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, the celebs confronted her classmate.
Solange recalled,
"They were coming to beat him up [...] but it was Destiny's Child coming to beat him
up."
Looking up to her big sis
In 2012, Solange told Rollacoaster magazine that her sister is her role model, crediting
Beyonce for helping guide her own music career.
She said,
"It was an insane learning process for me to have a big sister like that — to be able
to see the good, the bad and everything in between that comes with fame and success,
and to know what I was getting myself into."
But Solange would never want to trade places with Queen B, saying,
"I really enjoy my privacy and being able to walk my son to school every morning and
pick him up every afternoon."
A powerful moment
When Solange gave birth to her son, Julez, in 2004, Beyoncé was front and center in
the delivery room.
But it wasn't Bey's first instinct, as she told Cosmo,
"I didn't want to be in the delivery room, because I thought I would never want to [give
birth].
But I was moved by the experience."
Of course, Beyonce went on to give birth to Blue Ivy in 2012 and twins Sir and Rumi in
2017.
Solange told Vulture these days she sees her sister at least once a week and that they
also babysit for each other.
She said,
"Blue comes over, I babysit.
[Beyoncé] takes Julez sometimes for the weekend.
[Blue] and Julez are going to grow up more like sister and brother than cousins."
Now that Beyoncé is a mother of three, Solange will have her hands full when it comes to
babysitting duty!
Change of address
Since Jay-Z is from Brooklyn, it makes sense that Beyoncé would make a home in her hubby's
hometown.
According to rumors reported by Curbed NY, the couple was said to have splurged on a
Brooklyn Heights condo.
But prior to that alleged purchase, they were reportedly living in an unknown location on
the East Coast.
Beyonce told The New York Times,
"I've been trying to talk [Solange] into going to Brooklyn for six years.
It's so close to her personality.
She's such a fashionista — she'll get used to it."
Solange finally conceded, thanks to the encouragement from her big sister, but she admitted the
city took her some getting used to, especially the "intensity of the moms" in her Carroll
Gardens neighborhood.
She joked,
"Everyone does so much yoga and drinks so much tea."
As of 2015, Solange has ditched the yoga moms, and moved south to New Orleans.
Not mixing business
Collaborating on a song with Beyoncé would be a dream come true for most artists, but
not for Solange.
Although she's co-written for Beyoncé, on tracks including "Get Me Bodied" and "Upgrade
U," don't hold your breath on the sisters recording a song together.
Beyonce told the New York Times,
"My sister will not record with me.
She's her own woman."
Number one fans
Some siblings fight constantly — from the minute they're old enough to talk.
But according to Solange, she and Bey hardly ever disagree.
During a Q&A session with Interview magazine in 2017, in which Beyoncé interviewed Solange,
the "Halo" singer asked Solange how she did, as a big sis.
Solange replied,
"You did a kickass job.
You were the most patient, loving, wonderful sister ever.
In the 30 years that we've been together, I think we've only really, like, butted heads
[…] We can count [the times] on one hand."
But Beyonce made it known who admires Solange the most, saying,
"Clearly, I'm your biggest fan and I'm super proud of you."
Now that's what we call a "Flawless" sisterhood.
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