As a result of this change in direction I'm sure she'll lose a few die hard booty shaking fans who were eager for another Run The World (Girls). As good as that song was after some time to grow, it wasn't anything we hadn't heard from Beyoncé before. There are only three songs on Beyoncé that remotely sound like a classic 'Beyoncé' moment. There are plenty of flirtatious lyrics and chat about her "phatty" (arse to you and me), only this time round these moments sound more authentic, honest and erotic. This is Beyoncé at her most sexy, most convincing and also at her most vocally impressive.
Gone is the over singing from her past and in are the haunting melodies and harmonies on the likes of Haunted (half Ghost half Haunted). A song like this is illustrative of the change in direction and really is a signifier of the quality of this album. Co-written and co-produced by mystery music guy Boots, the thumping synths and echoey backing vocals make it an album highlight as Beyoncé demands to be slapped and bitten by her lover. The Ghost introduction is completely different territory for Beyoncé as she chatters over production similar to VV Brown's latest concept album Samson & Delilah. It sees her talk about her distrust for record labels and how she "probably won't make no money of this... oh well". It's a fitting lead into a song that will probably throw many fans off balance with its Madonna-esque sex talk and roaring finale. Similarly, Drake collaboration Mine shines through as one of the album's most perfect moments. The song opens with Beyoncé singing about her doubts, "I'm not feeling like myself since the baby/ are we gonna even make it/ cos if we are we're taking this a little too far..." before Drake comes in with hip-hop clicks and throbbing synths to change the direction of the song.
Beyoncé features a strong theme of marriage, relationships and the doubts that infest them. Jealous is a beautiful R&B ballad with a heart beat synth and an infectious chorus akin to her past work. The mid section is incredible, with a shakey electro wave and powerful vocals as she sings "I love making you jealous but don't judge me/ I know that I'm being hateful but that ain't nothing/ I'm just jealous/ I'm just human". Imperfection of thought and being feature again on No Angel. It's the only grower on the album, but once you repeat a couple of times you begin to appreciate its charm and the rough falsetto on the versuses is beautifully balanced by her deep tones in the middle eight.
Beyoncé hasn't totally ditched the biting sass of past songs like Video Phone & Diva. This time round we get the brilliant ***Flawless, a song we thought we heard back in March, but we didn't really. It's girl power hip-hop at its most convincing and inspiring, featuring a speech by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Beyoncé closes the track with an infectious rap chant, "I woke up like this/ I woke up like this/ We flawless". Timbaland & Timberlake production Partition repeats this flow, with introduction Yoncé a sass brimming hip-hop number slipping with ease into the filthy main track about getting shagged in your limo.
Things get even naughtier with Drunk In Love (Feat Jay Z), an explicit ode to love and sex, a trend continued with Rocket, a song co-written by a number of amazing people including the lady herself, Miguel and Justin Timberlake. The result is an R&B slow jam packed with sexual metaphors and sultry production smoother than melted chocolate (think Body Party by Ciara). At over six minutes long, you'd expect both of the above tracks to get tired, but the truth is you just wish there was one more minute, one more chorus repeat.
There are more flecks of old school Beyoncé, but they still maintain the new sound and feel. Sia penned Pretty Hurts is a triumph of a song, with its stadium worthy production and epic chorus, it's a song about the pitfalls of the vanity and shallowness that our generation is so swamped in. Sia and Beyoncé writing a song together is heart stopping enough without the final result being so mesmerising. The ridiculously solid XO is an album highlight and one of the most stunning songs of 2013. It's so radio friendly it begs to be a single and thankfully is scheduled to be. It's stadium R&B pop at its finest. Waves of electronic production carry you through from start to finish as Beyoncé sings passionately on the chorus, "In the darkest night hour/ I search through the crowds/ Your face is all that I see/ I'm giving you everything/ Baby love me lights out".
There are so many well respected names on the credits of this album and Pharrell Williams is one of them. Lead single Blow is disco infused R&B, with squeaky falsettos and naughty lyrics about liking it wet and not wasting a drip; "Can you eat my skittles/ it's the sweetest in the middle/ pink is the flavour/ solve the riddle" she cooes. It's the cheekiest moment in Beyoncé's career and the accompanying video is marvellously entertaining pop art making the whole experience worth having over and over. Williams flexes his thumbs again on Frank Ocean collaboration Superpower. This song embodies musical perfection, the two artists' vocals blending perfectly above a nonintrusive arrangement.
The album closes with two more Boots credits. Heaven is the first, a song about letting go of a lost love. It's a piano led ballad with incredible vocals from Beyoncé and gorgeous lyricism co-penned by this mysterious album contributor. He ties things up with Blue which features Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy giving some child chatter at the end of the song. You'd expect a song about a child to be a bit of a cringe fest, but surprisingly this is a really pleasant ballad about motherhood and if you forget what it's written about you can relate to it in different ways.
Beyoncé is the album Beyoncé needed to release. After the misfires on her past albums, particularly on the overpacked I Am... Sasha Fierce which was more quantity than quality, this is a 14 track diamond. Not every track is radio friendly, in fact the majority work best as part of an album playthrough. That's not to say the songs aren't individually strong. Their intricacies, running times and dark tones make them her least commercial to date and as a result you have a body of work, as opposed to lots of very easy, straightforward number ones. It will gain her plenty of new fans, but it will isolate and turn away some of her die hards. You won't find another 'Crazy In Love' here, but what you will find is the birth of a proper artist.
5 / 5
Gone is the over singing from her past and in are the haunting melodies and harmonies on the likes of Haunted (half Ghost half Haunted). A song like this is illustrative of the change in direction and really is a signifier of the quality of this album. Co-written and co-produced by mystery music guy Boots, the thumping synths and echoey backing vocals make it an album highlight as Beyoncé demands to be slapped and bitten by her lover. The Ghost introduction is completely different territory for Beyoncé as she chatters over production similar to VV Brown's latest concept album Samson & Delilah. It sees her talk about her distrust for record labels and how she "probably won't make no money of this... oh well". It's a fitting lead into a song that will probably throw many fans off balance with its Madonna-esque sex talk and roaring finale. Similarly, Drake collaboration Mine shines through as one of the album's most perfect moments. The song opens with Beyoncé singing about her doubts, "I'm not feeling like myself since the baby/ are we gonna even make it/ cos if we are we're taking this a little too far..." before Drake comes in with hip-hop clicks and throbbing synths to change the direction of the song.
Beyoncé features a strong theme of marriage, relationships and the doubts that infest them. Jealous is a beautiful R&B ballad with a heart beat synth and an infectious chorus akin to her past work. The mid section is incredible, with a shakey electro wave and powerful vocals as she sings "I love making you jealous but don't judge me/ I know that I'm being hateful but that ain't nothing/ I'm just jealous/ I'm just human". Imperfection of thought and being feature again on No Angel. It's the only grower on the album, but once you repeat a couple of times you begin to appreciate its charm and the rough falsetto on the versuses is beautifully balanced by her deep tones in the middle eight.
Beyoncé hasn't totally ditched the biting sass of past songs like Video Phone & Diva. This time round we get the brilliant ***Flawless, a song we thought we heard back in March, but we didn't really. It's girl power hip-hop at its most convincing and inspiring, featuring a speech by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Beyoncé closes the track with an infectious rap chant, "I woke up like this/ I woke up like this/ We flawless". Timbaland & Timberlake production Partition repeats this flow, with introduction Yoncé a sass brimming hip-hop number slipping with ease into the filthy main track about getting shagged in your limo.
Things get even naughtier with Drunk In Love (Feat Jay Z), an explicit ode to love and sex, a trend continued with Rocket, a song co-written by a number of amazing people including the lady herself, Miguel and Justin Timberlake. The result is an R&B slow jam packed with sexual metaphors and sultry production smoother than melted chocolate (think Body Party by Ciara). At over six minutes long, you'd expect both of the above tracks to get tired, but the truth is you just wish there was one more minute, one more chorus repeat.
There are more flecks of old school Beyoncé, but they still maintain the new sound and feel. Sia penned Pretty Hurts is a triumph of a song, with its stadium worthy production and epic chorus, it's a song about the pitfalls of the vanity and shallowness that our generation is so swamped in. Sia and Beyoncé writing a song together is heart stopping enough without the final result being so mesmerising. The ridiculously solid XO is an album highlight and one of the most stunning songs of 2013. It's so radio friendly it begs to be a single and thankfully is scheduled to be. It's stadium R&B pop at its finest. Waves of electronic production carry you through from start to finish as Beyoncé sings passionately on the chorus, "In the darkest night hour/ I search through the crowds/ Your face is all that I see/ I'm giving you everything/ Baby love me lights out".There are so many well respected names on the credits of this album and Pharrell Williams is one of them. Lead single Blow is disco infused R&B, with squeaky falsettos and naughty lyrics about liking it wet and not wasting a drip; "Can you eat my skittles/ it's the sweetest in the middle/ pink is the flavour/ solve the riddle" she cooes. It's the cheekiest moment in Beyoncé's career and the accompanying video is marvellously entertaining pop art making the whole experience worth having over and over. Williams flexes his thumbs again on Frank Ocean collaboration Superpower. This song embodies musical perfection, the two artists' vocals blending perfectly above a nonintrusive arrangement.
The album closes with two more Boots credits. Heaven is the first, a song about letting go of a lost love. It's a piano led ballad with incredible vocals from Beyoncé and gorgeous lyricism co-penned by this mysterious album contributor. He ties things up with Blue which features Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy giving some child chatter at the end of the song. You'd expect a song about a child to be a bit of a cringe fest, but surprisingly this is a really pleasant ballad about motherhood and if you forget what it's written about you can relate to it in different ways.
Beyoncé is the album Beyoncé needed to release. After the misfires on her past albums, particularly on the overpacked I Am... Sasha Fierce which was more quantity than quality, this is a 14 track diamond. Not every track is radio friendly, in fact the majority work best as part of an album playthrough. That's not to say the songs aren't individually strong. Their intricacies, running times and dark tones make them her least commercial to date and as a result you have a body of work, as opposed to lots of very easy, straightforward number ones. It will gain her plenty of new fans, but it will isolate and turn away some of her die hards. You won't find another 'Crazy In Love' here, but what you will find is the birth of a proper artist.
5 / 5
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