Rated Flashback - I Am... Sasha Fierce.

Two years ago, the mega-pop-force that is Beyonce Knowles, released her third studio album in the hopes of trumping the success of her previous efforts, Dangerously In Love and B’Day. The former a strong collection of songs, presenting the solo quality of this young woman’s talent, featuring massive hits such as the almost iconic ‘Crazy In Love’ and the beautiful ‘Me, Myself and I’. The latter stepped forward from her debut, filled with more hip-hop aggression and big stage numbers. ‘Deja Vu’, ‘Upgrade U’ and ‘Freakum Dress’ are packed with the sass and vocal potency that makes Beyonce the superstar she has now become. Now, years on from these collections, Beyonce has a point to prove and she does it well.

I Am... Sasha Fierce is a two part album. The first, I Am, serves like an expose of Beyonce’s internal emotional world. Lead belter, ‘If I Were a Boy’, is perhaps the best song of 2008. With vocals unmatched by anyone, and a brilliant music video, the song cemented itself as an essential Beyonce treat (as well as being her biggest UK seller to date). I Am is a ballad saturated segment. ‘Halo’, the most stunning song Beyonce’s ever performed, is a euphoric experience. The epic production value and introductory playful piano build up, make this track special. Apparently, it was written for Leona Lewis, but thank Britney it went to Beyonce, because this is probably the best produced track of the 00s. Written and produced by contemporary power ballad hit maker Ryan Tedder, ‘Halo’ was an unstoppable force when released. Other sumptuous morsels are ‘Disappear’, ‘Broken Hearted Girl’ and ‘Smash Into You’, which sounds tremendous live. The stripped down ‘Satellites’ is hypnotizing and the closer ‘That’s Why You’re Beautiful’ sounds completely untampered with. The main mission of this segment of the album is to show off Beyonce’s vocal talent. Her voice roars through every song here without faltering and she always seems in control of the song rather than being drowned out by over-production. Production is kept minimal, with a somewhat live quality to the sound of Beyonce’s voice throughout. There are weaker moments, in the form of ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Satellites’, which aren’t bad but just seem dwarfed by huge moments like ‘Halo’.

So, Beyonce is too famous to have everything mixed onto one album? If Sasha Fierce is anything to go by, then she definitely is. Opening with one of the most infectious songs of all time, ‘Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)’, the second half of this momentous career milestone, immediately sets the tone for this epic record. ‘Radio’ and ‘Diva’ follow, the former an electro-pop infused anthem about, well, listening to the radio, love and what not. The latter is the most aggressive we find Beyonce on this album. “A diva is a female version of a hustler”, she snarls at the beginning of the song, followed by wickedly sassy lines like, “When he pull up, wanna pop my hood up, he better have a six pack in the cooler...”. Perhaps the coolest song Beyonce’s ever written/performed, ‘Sweet Dreams’ revs straight into fifth gear with a growling riff that lingers throughout the song. It was produced by the lady herself along with Rico Love (producer for Alexandra Burke, Michelle Williams and Ciara), and if this is how Beyonce produces, she has no worries about the safety of her musical future. ‘Video Phone’ (later remixed with Lady Gaga) is one of the album's weakest moments. Although burgeoning with sex and sass, it feels a bit empty and a little underproduced for such an aggressively sexual song. It’s better without Gaga, but still doesn’t match the quality of ‘Diva’ or ‘Sweet Dreams’. Thankfully, the album doesn’t end here and Beyonce injects some more I Am style tracks to pull it back. ‘Hello’ is a stunning, mid-tempo ballad, probably about her superstar hubby. ‘Ego’ is original, quirky, cheeky and ridiculously catchy. It’s not perfect, but it’s a clever little song, bursting with innuendo. Closing the entire collection is ‘Scared of Lonely’, a surprise ending with its thin production and acoustic feel. It’s a well written and catchy, and once it gets going the production kicks in with some violins, a piano, and a basic but suitable beat to keep the tempo up.

I Am...Sasha Fierce is a pretty epic double album. It’s rather self indulgent at first, but when you’re as mega-famous as Beyonce it doesn’t really seem arrogant. Her voice soars throughout, seeming more powerful than ever before. There are no silly moments or fillers, like ‘Kitty Kat’ from B’Day, and there’s little to no vocal manipulation. Once the hugely satisfying ballad section is over and it gets ‘Fierce’, we’re shown just how damn foxy this woman can be. ‘Sweet Dreams’ has the sexiest production since Britney’s ‘Toxic’, and ‘Single Ladies’ is an undeniable classic of the 00s. It seems that Beyonce has evolved as a creative force, but can she go any further? We’ll just have to wait for the next feast to find out if she has any more levels to crank up to.