Solange Knowles spent much of 2017 touring in support of her acclaimed third studio album A Seat at the Table. But, as the year comes to a close the singer has opened up to fans about her ongoing battle with an autonomic disorder.
Solo recently had to cancel a New Year’s Eve performance at the inaugural AfroPunk festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. This week, she took to social media to open up about the medical issue that she has been “quietly treating, and working through” for the past five months. “[It’s] been a journey that hasn’t been easy on me,” she wrote. “Sometimes I feel cool, and other times not so cool at all. It’s a complicated diagnoses, and I’m still learning so much myself, but right now, my doctors are not clearing me for such an extended lengthy flight, and doing a rigorous show right after.”
The “Cranes in the Sky” singer said she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to share about her diagnosis and she did not reveal the type of Autonomic Disorder she has been treating. There are different types of autonomic disorders and they can all have several effects.
“Your autonomic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that controls involuntary actions, such as the beating of your heart and the widening or narrowing of your blood vessels,” according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. “When something goes wrong in this system, it can cause serious problems, including blood pressure problems, heart problems, trouble with breathing and swallowing.”
Knowles went on to thank AfroPunk, other festivals who’ve kept her health troubles confidential, and the people of South Africa, a “place that has tremendous meaning to me.” She added: “I can’t put into words how saddened and sorry I am that I am unable to perform for you guys this NYE, there is simply no other place I wanted to be than there with my family to bring in 2018 with you…….but I give you my ABSOLUTE WORD I will come back with AfroPunk and deliver this performance…..as it is so extremely important to me to connect with the people who have so closely inspired me in so many ways.”
“This past year has been one of the most fulfilling of my life,” she said. “Performing this record and experiencing the energy exchange with you guys has been astounding, and I’m so excited about continuing to do the work I feel so absolutely humbled and appreciative to be doing next year. It gives me life.”
