Captivating Multi-Hyphenate Sól Brings Warmth, Joy, and Soul to Chicago’s R&B Scene
Feature and photo by: Kat Williams
Chicago’s up-and-coming multi-hyphenate artist Sól embodies the joy and warmth she hopes you’ll hear in her music.
Sól found time to release her latest single “Talk to Me” in between starring in and composing music for an upcoming children’s show, narrating an audiobook, and performing in The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen at The Young People’s Theatre of Chicago.
Singing, acting, and hula hooping on stage weren’t always in Sól’s plan for her future. She always knew she wanted to be an artist of some kind. At the Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), she concentrated on visual work, and even applied to colleges with plans to pursue visual arts. But ChiArts gave Sól an opportunity to discover more creative outlets, and learn more about herself in the process. “I feel like everything really sparked for me, for real, when I was in high school…because that’s when I started being around other artists.”
“I was so inspired by the musicians there. I ended up starting to make music…and I was like, oh, I really like this too!” It was easy for Sól to fall in love with making music because she had fallen in love with listening to music as a child. Mom’s CDs were Sól’s “thing” growing up – artists like Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, João Gilberto, Nas, Roy Ayers, and Minnie Riperton were just a few of the voices she was raised on. Her musical influence today remains grounded in the icons of her mom’s CD collection, with new inspiration coming from Kali Uchis, Tyler, the Creator, Raven Lanae, Janelle Monae, and more.
Sól’s mom is still involved in her creative pursuits. The pair collaborate on logistics and music videos. “I’m just thinking of ‘let’s make it and put it out!’ and she’s organized, like she’ll get me together in the best way…She knows me more than anyone else.” Having the freedom to grow into her craft, knowing she has full support from her mom, has been freeing for Sól.
She’s able to create the music she wants to listen to, growing her sound from a heavily digital “space trap” feel in high school to the “organic, instrumental R&B soul” zone that she’s enjoying now.
With “Talk to Me,” Sól is excited to elevate the simple concept of conversation into a gentle, joyful groove. “Especially now, in the times that we’re in, sometimes it can feel harder to access that connection with people…being able to vibe with someone and talk for forever.” She layers floating vocals over grounded instrumentals and glittering aux percussion. Towards the end of the song, Sól tucks a whistle note into the mix (she doesn’t mean to show off; it just really fits the vibe).
She discovered her whistle register in choir with After School Matters, a Chicago organization that inspires teens to discover their passions and develop skills for life beyond high school. Their mission has worked for Sól. “I didn’t know anything about soprano, alto, the technical terms. I was just like messing around one day, and I started singing, and they were like, ‘Oh, do that again!’”
From visual art to music to acting, messing around and exploring has stayed at the center of Sól’s creative process. “I see my art as an interdisciplinary thing. I want to keep exploring different sounds and different sides of me through my art, and I hope that people listening can also somehow feel encouraged to do the same.”
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About Sól
Sól is a multidisciplinary powerhousesinger, songwriter, producer, actor, and visual artist-whose creativity spans across mediums. She began acting at age 6 in the award-winning short Children of Color and later studied visual arts at ChiArts, where she also taught herself music production and her song-making journey began. Her previous single, “Lover Girl” (200k on YouTube was featured on Spotify’s “Fresh Finds” and “Fresh Finds R&B”.
It was also played on 107.5 WGI station (Chicago). Her single “Jealous” has a sync placement in thriller film, “The Unseen,” and was also featured on Lyrical Lemonade and Live Nation’s “Ones to Watch.” Her “Constellations” music video won numerous awards including “Original Song” and “On Camera Talent” (Accolade Global Film Competition). Sól was also a featured singer on NBC Sport’s Emmy award winning TV running campaign, “It’s On” and is currently scoring the lead actor in an animation series for children scheduled to be released in 2026.
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solmusiic/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@createdbysol
