Solange Knowles feels ''far older'' than 27.

The singer thinks marrying Daniel Smith - the father of her nine-year-old son Julez - when she was just 17 and separating less than four years later gave her an ''insane amount'' of perspective and says her experiences have made her wiser.

She said: ''In a lot of ways, emotionally and mentally, I feel far older than 27. Just going through a marriage and a divorce - which I essentially did by 21 - will give you an insane amount of perspective on life.''

Despite their split, Solange still gets on well with her ex-husband.

She told America's Harper's Bazaar magazine: ''We co-parent really well. I'm able to say, 'I need to finish this album, can you step up and take care of the boy?' ''

The 'Losing You' singer released her first album when she was 16 years old, and despite her older sister Beyonce being a successful member of Destiny's Child, she insists her family were never keen on her following in her sibling's footsteps.

She said: ''My parents constantly tried to talk me out of being an artist. They had gone through the whole journey with my sister and just wanted me to have a normal teenage life.''

And Solange - who is in a relationship with video director Alan Ferguson - admits she doesn't want her son to be a performer.

She said: ''It's certainly not what I have in mind for him, I'm constantly trying to push him to work at the U.N., or be a diplomat. I try to convince him by explaining that he wouldn't have to wait in lines at the airport, and that he can park anywhere.''