4
The Set-Up:
The Queen B is back and more mature than ever! Getting ready to turn 30, it’s easy to hear how far she’s come since her Destiny’s Child days (even her “Single Ladies” days too!) Beyoncé continues to push her own boundaries, coming back harder and stronger after every album, and 4 is certainly no exception to that! It’s a slower-paced, more vulnerable gamble this time around, but have faith in Honey B!
The Play-by-Play:
She’s opened her previous albums with “Crazy in Love”, “Déjà Vu”, and “If I Were a Boy” (all very unique and bass pumping). But Beyoncé changes things up, opening this album with a beautiful ballad “1+1” (obviously dedicated to her husband Jay-Z), filled with so much love and pure honesty. She really lets her emotions work to her advantage. Following the opening number is “I Care”, a powerful, attitude-filled anthem reminiscent of “Halo”. Again, it’s another emotional cut and certainly can be felt from a mile away just from her voice alone. Continuing this slow-paced trend is “I Miss You”, with the music and mood coming off as something that might come from Drake or even Alicia Keys’ Element of Freedom album. Regardless, she wastes no time going from that deep whisper in the beginning and picking up to her booming powerful range. Next up is her second single “Best Thing I Never Had”, something that sounds like a very mature version of “Irreplaceable”. It’s good to hear superstar singer/songwriter/producer Babyface taking charge with the production (I’m always a fan of what he comes up with). Beyoncé shines again showing another emotional side, moving on from the pain and heartbreak she’s endured before apparently. You’d think that with a name like “Party”, it would be one of the more upbeat songs the album has to offer. But it doesn’t even matter here! Beyoncé (with the help of Kanye West and André 3000) takes it back to old school 90’s Hip/Hop and R&B. The obvious sample is from Boyz II Men, but it brings back this same kind of vibe that came with Blackstreet, Brandy, Monica, and even early productions from Babyface. “Rather Die Young” takes the music back a little bit further to 70’s R&B and Soul, sounding very inspired by the songwriting of Stevie Wonder and the voice of Gladys Knight. “Start Over” brings back the fire with a mid-tempo power ballad, crying for a second chance with a love going wrong. Then comes my favorite track off the album “Love on Top”, an overall modern take of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day”. The opening “ba ba ba da” hook sounds inspired by Earth, Wind, & Fire’s “Brazilian Rhyme (Interlude)” from their All ‘n All album. It’s such an uplifting, sunshine-filled track that just puts a smile on everyone’s face and a little skip in their step! “Countdown” brings back the Beyoncé a lot of fans are used to hearing, bringing back the thumping bass-line and power step beat like in “Get Me Bodied” and “Crazy in Love”. So stop complaining all you haters out there! Old-school, thug Beyoncé is still inside of her! “End of Time” is a marching band anthem, declaring even more love and dedication to her significant other. After that power-house block of tracks, things take a little breather in the Diane Warren/Ryan Tedder ballad “I Was Here”. Just when we thought we’d heard all kinds of emotions and moods from Beyoncé on this album, she comes right out the gate with the dynamite first single “Run the World (Girls)” (the underappreciated dynamite single I might add!) You already know my thoughts about this song. Just listen to her stick it to the man and shove her strong femininity in your face! And for all the Target addicts who got their Deluxe Edition, first up is another Earth, Wind, & Fire inspiration in the sweet “Lay Up Under Me”. Following right behind is the 80’s throwback “Schoolin’ Life” that’ll make you bust a move on the dance floor in your Adidas gear and all. Closing out the entire album officially is the bump-and-grind ballad “Dance For You”, a good mix between Ciara’s “Promise” and Beyoncé’s own “Speechless”.
The Point:
In this year dominated by Adele’s brilliant 21 album, Beyoncé follows the trend of doing her own thing and not falling prey to yet another Euro-Dance/Pop song on the radio. She’s vulnerable at her best, powerful with both loud and quiet dynamics, and proves that she holds it all on her own! Beyoncé is still a force to be reckoned with, proving that she has not even come close to losing her musical touch and powerhouse performance skills. TO ALL Y’ALL 4 HATERS CLAIMIN’ THAT IT’S BORING AND A WASTE: (yes that was me trying to sound ghetto) shut the hell up please! This album is still groundbreaking for her (and especially for anything else out there right now to listen to). If you still claim you're a true Beyoncé fan after calling this album a dud, then you need to get yo’ damn priorities straight please!
The Essentials:
I still can’t help but smile when I hear “Love on Top”!
But you can’t deny the Sasha Fierceness in the lead single “Run the World (Girls)”!
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