On Beyonce Knowles' New Album, "I AM..." (clips inside)
*NOTE/UPDATE: Not surprinsingly, these youtubes clips are pretty ephemeral. Most of the links I originally posted have been taken down due to copyright laws. However, "Halo" seems to still be available. Take a listen by going to the following link: HALO
Take a listen:
Beyonce Listening Party
This morning I had the privilege of listening to Beyonce Knowles’ upcoming album I AM, which will be released to the general public on November 18, 2008. As many of you know, the album is a histrionic double-disc adventure, with one CD entitled I am Beyonce (primarily ballads) and a second entitled I am Sasha Fierce (primarily uptemo beats). Though there are many bumps along the way, the project’s musical brilliance is best realized in five singles: "Halo," "Single Ladies," "Video Phone," "Radio," and "Diva."
First of all, I am going to go out of a limb here and predict that “Halo” (which appears on I am Beyonce) will be the biggest commercial hit of Beyonce’s career thus far. The track maintains (and even exceeds) the layered production style of "Irreplacable" but goes much further rhythmically, lyrically and vocally, resulting in a lush, almost haunting pop-vocal ballad. If Beyonce is looking into her magic Crystal Ball right now, something tells me that she’s seeing Grammy Awards and Billboard #1’s for this deliciously melodramatic single.
Meanwhile, on tracks like “Radio” and “Video Phone” she ventures into (and some might say appropriates) territory already chartered by lesser-known artists like M.I.A. and Janelle Monae. These tracks are lavishly techno and unabashedly futuristic, and they provide a clear and unexpected departure from what we’ve recently grown accustomed to from B.
On the flip side, tracks such “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and “Diva” return to the cliché “you go girl,” self-empowerment themes that Beyonce has been mastering for over a decade now (beginning with Destiny Child’s 1996 “Bills, Bills, Bills”). Sure, on a thematic level these singles are essentially simply neoliberal forms of mock feminism (rather than anything that is genuinely radical or transgressive), but rhythmically they keep us dancing. Ultimately I'm not sure how I feel about that, but for now i'll digress.
All in the all this album will surely take some warming up and getting used to, but rest assured that I am Sasha Fierce will be a monster commercial hit for Ms. Knowles.First of all, I am going to go out of a limb here and predict that “Halo” (which appears on I am Beyonce) will be the biggest commercial hit of Beyonce’s career thus far. The track maintains (and even exceeds) the layered production style of "Irreplacable" but goes much further rhythmically, lyrically and vocally, resulting in a lush, almost haunting pop-vocal ballad. If Beyonce is looking into her magic Crystal Ball right now, something tells me that she’s seeing Grammy Awards and Billboard #1’s for this deliciously melodramatic single.
Meanwhile, on tracks like “Radio” and “Video Phone” she ventures into (and some might say appropriates) territory already chartered by lesser-known artists like M.I.A. and Janelle Monae. These tracks are lavishly techno and unabashedly futuristic, and they provide a clear and unexpected departure from what we’ve recently grown accustomed to from B.
On the flip side, tracks such “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and “Diva” return to the cliché “you go girl,” self-empowerment themes that Beyonce has been mastering for over a decade now (beginning with Destiny Child’s 1996 “Bills, Bills, Bills”). Sure, on a thematic level these singles are essentially simply neoliberal forms of mock feminism (rather than anything that is genuinely radical or transgressive), but rhythmically they keep us dancing. Ultimately I'm not sure how I feel about that, but for now i'll digress.
Take a listen:
Beyonce Listening Party
Well, you speak highly of this...I guess I'm going to have to pay attention to this project!
Posted by
Darius T. Williams |
11/05/2008
I would have to say that Sasha is not so fierce after all...........as much as i love beyonce, i mean i am a gay man, i would have to say that a break is in order....This album to me lack originality. The kind of originality that a woman of her age should not lack. "Single ladies" as much as i enjoy poppin my back out to it in the mirror is very reminiscent of Get me bodied, as well as "Diva" in which she straight robs Lil Waynes A milli, and gave it a mix taped female version. And i wondered why i liked them, maybe because it was that i heard them b4. So when i heard that I Am ....Sasha Fierce was a double cd, i thought , OK, a slow side and a dance side....however sasha seemed to be less fierce and more mid tempo, filled with songs that just dont pop. Myabe the more pop folk like "I am" side of the cd would fair better. However at first listen, although she seemed to take risk, in the sense that it strays very far from what we would expect from beyonce, i was left wishing she would have merged the beyonce we know a little in there as well....Plus each song almost sounds like one long sad sappy song...then to throw it in she adds "ave maria" in there....whoa...this cd. might just take more that 5 listens to , to really be liked...but as for now , i'll pass because im fierce!
Posted by
Isaam. |
11/05/2008
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Posted by
AMNY |
11/08/2008
oh i forgot my blog is http://hotice2008.blogspot.com/
Posted by
AMNY |
11/08/2008
I haven`t seen better dance moves than in Single Ladies in ages! Beyonce is a terrific dancer as well!
Posted by
underneath |
11/20/2008
Eh...Single Ladies is Get Me Bodied Part Deux. Beyonce masks musical laziness, careless singing with great packaging. I'm still waiting for her to expand on the promise of songs like Speechless, Hip Hop Star, Kitty Kat and Through With Love. She's better than this stuff.
Posted by
Anonymous |
11/21/2008
beyonce got her #1 & biggest hit single and just may get her grammy noms too, but not from halo. single ladies is THE album. don't think we'll be hearing much else from it.
personally, i didn't even make it through the whole cd. very uninspired and essentially a retread of b-day. but single ladies sure gets the party up!
Posted by
JNez |
2/25/2009