Don’t Touch My Hair

“Don’t Touch My Hair” is the ninth track from singer and songwriter Solange Knowles and her third studio album: “A Seat at the Table”. The track features English singer and songwriter Sampha. The track was written by Knowles, Sampha, Brydon Cook, Dave Andrew Sitek and Patrick Wimberly, who also are all crtedited for th3e production of the song.

“Don’t Touch My Hair” is a powerful track where Solange sets limits and boundries in her life, as well as asking white people to not touch her hair – a form of racial microagression that a lot of black women experience – as well as outlining the pain and history behind their hair. . In a personal essay posted on Solange’s site before the release of the track, Solange broke down the hostility she experiences when she is in predominantly white spaces: “You and your friends have been called the N word, been approached as prostitutes, and have had your hair touched in a predominantly white bar just around the corner from the same venue. You know that people of colors’ ‘spaces’ are attacked every single day, but many will not be able to see it that way.” The “A Seat at the Table” album as a whole is powerful, discussing important topics such as racism, segretation and empowerment as a black women.

The music video for “Don’t Touch My Hair” was released on the 3rd October 2016. Directed by Solange and director Alan Ferguson. The video shows Solange wearing various hairstyles, such as beaded braids, brushed out curls, an afro and a crown of looped braids. She is shown dancing in various locations, like a dome, a platform surrounded by columns and a pool, accompanied by dancers dressed in fur coats or white clothing. As of June 2020, the video has 26.6 million views with 363 thousand likes.

Release Date: 30th September 2016

Songwriter/s: Knowles, Bryndon Cook, Sampha Sisay, Dave Andrew Sitek & Patrick Wimberly

Producer/s: Solange Knowles, Sampha, Sitek, Wimberly & Cook

Label/s: Saint & Columbia

Music Video Release Date: 2nd October 2016

Music Video Director/s: Alan Ferguson & Solange Knowles

Chart Rankings: “Don’t Touch My Hair” charted at #91 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #38 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The lyrics to “Don’t Touch My Hair” can be accessed here: LINK