Beyoncé | ||
| Allmusic Biography : One of the most recognizable figures in contemporary music, Beyoncé rose to fame in the late 90s as the central member of pop-R&B; group Destinys Child, and the following decade embarked on a multi-platinum, record-breaking solo career with Dangerously in Love (2003), her first in an unbroken string of number one pop solo albums. Chart-topping singles such as "Crazy in Love" (2003), "Irreplaceable" (2006), and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008), combined with sold-out world tours and Grammy awards, all heightened her profile in the 2000s. Billboard named her female artist of the decade, while the RIAA acknowledged that, through 64 gold and platinum certifications, she was the decades top-selling artist. Once Beyoncé released her self-titled fifth solo album in 2013, it was evident that the powerhouse vocalist, songwriter, and dancer wasnt merely an entertainer but a progressive artist as well. The notion was affirmed throughout the remainder of the decade with Lemonade (2016) and Everything Is Love (2018), the latter of which was a collaboration with husband Jay-Z. Born in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles began performing at age seven, winning over 30 local competitions for her dancing and vocal abilities. She joined her cousin Kelly Rowland and classmates LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett in forming an adolescent vocal group. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncés father and Rowlands legal guardian, signed on to be the girls manager, eventually quitting his full-time job to focus on their efforts. This situation would ultimately lead to the creation of one of the most popular female R&B; groups of all time: Destinys Child. Destinys Child gained momentum throughout the 90s. They appeared on Star Search in 1992 (under the name Girls Tyme) and weathered several lineup changes before signing to Columbia in 1997. Four studio albums later, the group had officially become the best-selling female group of all time, with such smash hits as "Jumpin Jumpin," "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Say My Name," and "Survivor" bolstering the young womens momentum despite lawsuits from former members Roberson and Luckett. In 2001, Beyoncé, Rowland, and replacement member Michelle Williams allowed themselves a break from the group to pursue individual solo careers. Before landing several movie roles, Beyoncé became the first African-American female artist and second woman ever to win the annual ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year Award. An appearance in the MTV drama Carmen: A Hip Hopera quickly followed, but it was her role as Foxxy Cleopatra in 2002s Austin Powers in Goldmember that established her as a true Hollywood star. While "Work It Out," her inclusion on the movies soundtrack failed to chart in the U.S., it was a Top 10 hit in the U.K. Beyoncés full-length solo debut, 2003s Dangerously in Love, reached multi-platinum status. Featuring collaborations with Sean Paul, Missy Elliott, OutKasts Big Boi, and romantic interest Jay-Z, the album spawned a total of four Top Ten singles and garnered the singer five Grammys. Destinys Child reconvened the following year to release Destiny Fulfilled; upon completing the resulting tour, the group issued one final album, a greatest-hits compilation entitled #1s, and subsequently disbanded. Beyoncé turned her full attention to her burgeoning solo career. She released Bday in September 2006 and, three months later, turned in an award-winning performance for the movie musical Dreamgirls. The singer then embarked on the Beyoncé Experience concert tour and released a live DVD in November 2007. The following year proved to be another busy one as Beyoncé landed the role of Etta James in Cadillac Records, a musical biopic that explored the heyday of Chicagos Chess label. Shooting commenced in February 2008, with Beyoncé also serving as co-executive producer. One month before the films December release, the singer released her third studio album, I Am...Sasha Fierce. The double-disc effort emphasized her two distinct personalities, allowing Beyoncé to explore both mainstream sounds and traditional R&B.; Some live releases followed. Released in 2009, I Am...Yours, a CD/DVD set, documented an August 2009 performance at Wynn Las Vegas, while 2010s I Am...World Tour, available in separate audio and video formats, was recorded at Londons significantly larger O2 Arena (a few months after the Vegas program). She followed ten Grammy nominations with 2011s 4, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. One of her most energetic and empowering tracks, "Run the World (Girls)," was issued as the lead single, while "Love on Top" eventually won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B; Performance. Giving birth to Blue Ivy Carter in January 2012 didnt slow her down. Within a few months, she was performing in Atlantic City, and she later appeared at President Barack Obamas second inauguration. Joined by Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, she headlined the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show. Life Is But a Dream, a documentary, first aired on HBO in February 2013, and was followed by appearances on albums by Rowland, the-Dream, and Jay-Z. New material, such as "Bow Down" and "Standing on the Sun," trickled out without proper releases. Then, on December 13 -- with no preceding announcement -- Beyoncé released a self-titled album with accompanying videos. Her husband and daughter, along with Drake, Frank Ocean, and writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (via a sampled TED talk), made guest appearances. Knowles, assisted by the likes of Hit-Boy, Pharrell, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Miguel, co-wrote and co-produced the majority of the albums material. Like Beyoncés four previous solo albums, it went to number one, and quickly went platinum in the U.S. Three months after she completed the Mrs. Carter Show world tour, she and Jay-Z embarked on the On the Run Tour, which reached the U.S., Canada, and France from June through September 2014. The following February, she was nominated for six Grammy Awards and won three, including Best R&B; Song and Best R&B; Performance, both for "Drunk in Love." Although she didnt release any new material in 2015, she co-wrote and appeared on Naughty Boys Top Five U.K. pop hit "Runnin (Lose It All)," and contributed vocals to Coldplays "Hymn for the Weekend." In February 2016, a new single, "Formation," and its trenchant accompanying video, were released just before her Super Bowl 50 half-time performance. That April, another striking "visual album," Lemonade, premiered on HBO, and its audio was subsequently available for streaming and download. Some of the albums specific, forthright lyrics fueled speculation about the status of Beyoncé and Jay-Zs relationship. Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, James Blake, and the Weeknd appeared as featured artists, while Just Blaze, Mike Dean, and Diplo were among the co-producers. The Formation World Tour began days later, just before the album became her sixth consecutive number one studio album. After wrapping that half-year trek, Coachella announced that Beyoncé would be headlining the festivals 2017 installment. While that performance was eventually canceled due to the birth of her twins, she would make a triumphant return to the desert stage a year later. Backed by a pyramid constructed with bleachers and over two-hundred backing performers, Beyoncé became the first African-American female to headline the festival, closing both weekends of Coachella 2018 with historic performances that highlighted black culture and featured guest appearances by Jay-Z, Solange, and a reunited Destinys Child. Months later in June 2018, while Beyoncé and Jay-Zs co-headlining On the Run II tour was underway, the couple released Everything Is Love, a collaborative full-length credited to the Carters. Led by "Apeshit," a single featuring input from Pharrell Williams, Quavo, and Offset, the album narrowly missed the top spot on the Billboard 200. Wrapping at the end of the year, On the Run II was the third-highest grossing tour of 2018. True to form, Beyoncé issued the surprise live album Homecoming in April 2019. Paired with a concert documentary of the same name, the 40-song chronicle immortalized her 2018 Coachella performance and also included a newly released song, a cover of Mazes "Before I Let Go." | ||
 | Album: 1 of 16 Title: Dangerously in Love Released: 2003-03-10 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:13:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Crazy in Love (03:56) 2 Naughty Girl (03:28) 3 Baby Boy (04:04) 4 Hip Hop Star (03:42) 5 Be With You (04:20) 6 Me, Myself and I (05:01) 7 Yes (04:19) 8 Signs (04:58) 9 Speechless (06:00) 10 That’s How You Like It (03:39) 11 The Closer I Get to You (04:57) 12 Dangerously in Love 2 (04:53) 13 Gift From Virgo (02:45) 14 Bienvenue (04:26) 15 Beyoncé Interlude (00:16) 16 Work It Out (04:06) 17 ’03 Bonnie & Clyde (03:25) 18 Daddy (04:57) |
| Dangerously in Love : Allmusic album Review : Beyoncé Knowles was always presented as the star of Destinys Child -- which probably shouldnt be a big surprise since her father managed the group. So it was a natural step for her to step into the diva spotlight with a solo album in 2003, particularly since it followed on the heels of her co-starring role in Mike Myers 2002 comedy hit, Austin Powers in Goldmember. Still, a singer takes a risk when going solo, as theres no guarantee that her/his star will still shine as bright when theres nobody to reflect upon. Plus, Survivor often sounded labored, as Knowles struggled to sound real. The Knowles clan -- Beyoncé and her father Mathew, that is (regrettably, Harry Knowles of "Aint It Cool" is no relation) -- were apparently aware of these two pitfalls since they pull off a nifty trick of making her debut album, Dangerously in Love, appeal to a broad audience while making it sound relatively easy. Sometimes that ease can translate into carelessness (at least with regard to the final stretch of the album), with a prolonged sequence of ballads that get stuck in their own treacle, capped off by the unbearably mawkish closer, "Gift from Virgo," where she wishes her unborn child and her husband to be like her daddy. (Mind you, shes not pregnant or married, shes just planning ahead, although she gets tripped up in her wishes since theres "no one else like my daddy.") Although these are a little formless -- and perhaps would have been more digestible if spread throughout the record -- they are impeccably produced and showcase Knowles new relaxed and smooth delivery, which is a most welcome development after the overworked Survivor. Knowles doesnt save this voice just for the ballads -- she sounds assured and sexy on the dance numbers, particularly when she has a male counterpart, as on the deliriously catchy "Crazy in Love" with her man Jay-Z or on "Baby Boy" with 2003s dancehall superstar, Sean Paul. These are the moments when Dangerously in Love not only works, but sounds like Knowles has fulfilled her potential and risen to the top of the pack of contemporary R&B divas. Its just too bad that momentum is not sustained throughout the rest of the record. About halfway through, around the astrological ode "Signs" with Missy Elliott, it starts crawling through its ballads and, while listenable, its not as exciting as the first part of the record. Still, the first half is good enough to make Dangerously in Love one of the best mainstream urban R&B records released in 2003, and makes a strong case that Knowles might be better off fulfilling this destiny instead of reuniting with Destiny. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 16 Title: Speak My Mind Released: 2004 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:00:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Speak My Mind (intro) (00:09) 2 Check on It (03:31) 3 Keep Giving Your Love to Me (03:08) 4 Wishing on a Star (remix) (03:52) 5 Sexuality (04:08) 6 Work It Out (03:22) 7 Summertime (03:52) 8 Me, Myself and I (remix) (04:36) 9 Crazy Feelings (04:34) 10 I Cant Take No More (04:46) 11 What Is It Gonna Be (03:36) 12 Sexy Lil Thug (04:31) 13 Fever (04:31) 14 Im Leaving (02:59) 15 My First Time (04:18) 16 Wishing on a Star (04:08) 17 Outro (00:09) |
 | Album: 3 of 16 Title: Live at Wembley Released: 2004-04-26 Tracks: 6 Duration: 34:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Wishing on a Star (04:09) 2 Whats It Gonna Be (03:37) 3 My First Time (04:25) 4 Krazy in Luv (Maurices Nu Soul remix) (06:28) 5 Baby Boy (Juniors World Mixshow) (06:39) 6 Naughty Girl (Calderone Quayle club mix) (09:37) |
 | Album: 4 of 16 Title: Check on It Released: 2006-02-14 Tracks: 5 Duration: 28:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Check on It (03:30) 2 Check on It (Junior Vasquez club mix) (08:31) 3 Check on It (Maurices Nu soul mix) (05:59) 4 Check on It (King Klub mix) (06:48) 5 Check on It (Bama Boyz remix) (03:54) |
 | Album: 5 of 16 Title: B’Day Released: 2006-08-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 52:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Déjà Vu (04:00) 2 Get Me Bodied (03:25) 3 Suga Mama (03:25) 4 Upgrade U (04:32) 5 Ring the Alarm (03:23) 6 Kitty Kat (03:55) 7 Freakum Dress (03:20) 8 Green Light (03:29) 9 Irreplaceable (03:47) 10 Resentment (04:41) 11 Check on It / Encore for the Fans / Listen / Get Me Bodied (extended mix) (14:18) |
| B’Day : Allmusic album Review : At least one tactic or event preceding the release of Beyoncés second solo album inspired a bemused three-syllable exclamation from anyone who was paying attention. The lead single, the late-70s-funk-inspired "Deja Vu," had the audacity to not be as monstrous as "Crazy in Love" -- its stay at the top of the charts was relatively brief, so clearly there was evidence of some drop-off there. This was quickly followed by "Ring the Alarm," an angered, atonal, and out-of-character song with an accompanying video that invited all kinds of perplexed analysis, along with debate on whether Beyoncé was being autobiographical or, as the singer claimed, channeling her Dreamgirls character. All of this gave the haters plenty of ammo when anything less than 100 percent polite, ladylike, and expected was bound to do the trick. Add to this an album title that can be pronounced just like "bidet," along with the advertisement that the albums ten songs were whipped up in two weeks, and you have yourself a career-killing train wreck. Bday isnt even close to that. While Beyoncé does sound like shes in a bit of a hurry throughout the album, and there are no songs with the smooth elegance of "Me, Myself and I" or "Be with You," it is lean in a beneficial way, propelled by just as many highlights as the overlong Dangerously in Love. Two collaborations with Rich Harrison swagger and preen: "Been locked up in the house way too long/Its time to get it, cause once again hes out doing wrong" (the blaring/marching "Freakum Dress"); "Dont give me no lip, let mama do it all" (the spectacularly layered "Suga Mama"). The Neptunes assist on "Green Light," an ambitious, fleet-footed number that continually switches tempos and sounds, as well as "Kitty Kat," a deceptively sweet, rainbow-colored track -- where what sounds like purrs are more like claws-out dismissals -- that couldve been pulled from one of the first three Kelis albums. And even with an entirely bonkers line like "I can do for you what Martin did for the people," "Upgrade U" is the most potent track on the album, a low-slung Cameron Wallace production where Beyoncé wears and buys the pants while making her proposition sound more like empowerment than emasculation. If the circus surrounding this whole thing -- which could take up to ten pages to document -- was an elaborate ploy to transform Beyoncé into an underdog, there really is some kind of genius at play, but its extremely unlikely that anyone in her camp couldve predicted that the expectations and reactions would be less rational than any of Beyoncés decisions and actions. There is nothing desperate or weak about this album. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 16 Title: Green Light: Freemasons EP Released: 2007-07-27 Tracks: 4 Duration: 17:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Green Light (Freemasons remix) (03:21) 2 Beautiful Liar (Freemasons club remix) (07:33) 3 Déjà Vu (Freemasons radio mix) (03:17) 4 Ring the Alarm (Freemasons club mix radio edit) (03:28) |
 | Album: 7 of 16 Title: Irreemplazable Released: 2007-08-21 Tracks: 8 Duration: 31:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Amor gitano (03:47) 2 Listen (Oye) (03:41) 3 Irreplaceable (Irreemplazable) (03:47) 4 Beautiful Liar (Bello embustero) (03:20) 5 Beautiful Liar (remix) (03:00) 6 Beautiful Liar (Spanglish) (03:19) 7 Irreplaceable (Irreemplazable) (Norteña remix) (03:50) 8 Get Me Bodied (Timbaland remix) (06:16) |
 | Album: 8 of 16 Title: I Am… Sasha Fierce Released: 2008-11-17 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:01:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 If I Were a Boy (04:10) 2 Halo (04:22) 3 Disappear (04:29) 4 Broken‐Hearted Girl (04:39) 5 Ave Maria (03:42) 6 Smash Into You (04:32) 7 Satellites (03:08) 8 That’s Why You’re Beautiful (03:42) 1 Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (03:13) 2 Radio (03:39) 3 Diva (03:21) 4 Sweet Dreams (03:28) 5 Video Phone (03:35) 6 Hello (04:17) 7 Ego (03:56) 8 Scared of Lonely (03:44) |
| I Am… Sasha Fierce : Allmusic album Review : In non-Deluxe Edition form, Beyoncés third solo studio album is as concise as 2006s Bday, but it is divided into two discs as a way to emphasize the singers distinct personalities. Its a gimmick, of course -- a flimsy one. Revealed through interviews in 2005, Sasha was said to be Beyoncés "stage persona," an embodiment of the outgoing, aggressive, on-stage Beyoncé that doesnt necessarily represent the real Beyoncé. Sasha now has a last name (possibly picked up from Tyra Banks, who maybe took a cue from Klymaxx), and is granted half an album (the second disc) to express herself. These five songs, when compared to the majority of Bday, are actually less fun, less impulsive, and yes, less fierce. "Diva," a variation on Lil Waynes "A Milli," is the only track that could go toe to toe with the likes of Bdays "Freakum Dress" or "Ring the Alarm," at least in terms of audacity. At the other end is "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," a dire "Get Me Bodied" retread. Otherwise, the Sasha Fierce half is full of decent, if easily forgettable, upbeat pop. If placed within the context of an album without a packaging ploy, thered be little evidence that Beyoncé is making a radical progression or being any more bold than before. It would, if anything, be notable as the least R&B-oriented batch of songs she has made -- that is, if it wasnt for the I Am half, essentially a small set of adult contemporary ballads. Acoustic guitars, pianos, strings, contemplative soul searching, and grand sweeping gestures fill it out, with more roots in 70s soft rock than soul. Beyoncé feels each line to the fullest extent, which almost rescues the sets staidness. "If I Were a Boy," while sounding like the watery backdrop for a singing competition finale, turns out to be the albums standout, both for its lyrics and Beyoncés tormented performance. It could have been the song that broke an unfairly neglected adult-R&B singer like Heather Headley into the mainstream, and dont be surprised if a country artist nabs a CMA Award by covering it. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 16 Title: Above and Beyoncé: Dance Mixes Released: 2009-06-16 Tracks: 8 Duration: 49:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 If I Were a Boy (Maurice Joshua Mojo UK remix) (06:27) 2 Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio remix) (club version) (06:53) 3 Diva (Karmatronic club remix) (05:05) 4 Halo (Dave Audé club remix) (08:53) 5 Broken‐Hearted Girl (Catalyst remix) (04:45) 6 Ego (OK DAC remix) (06:27) 7 Sweet Dreams (Harlan Pepper & AG III remix) (06:42) 8 Ego (remix) (04:43) |
 | Album: 10 of 16 Title: I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas Released: 2009-11-23 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:30:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hello (03:48) 2 Halo (05:33) 3 Irreplaceable (05:37) 4 Sweet Dreams (medley) (09:26) 5 If I Were a Boy (05:34) 6 Scared of Lonely (04:07) 7 Thats Why Youre Beautiful (03:13) 8 Satellites (02:31) 9 Resentment (06:01) 10 Déjà Vu (Jazz medley) (02:04) 11 Déjà Vu (02:05) 1 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:37) 2 Destinys Child Medley (11:52) 3 Work It Out (03:27) 4 03 Bonnie & Clyde (01:36) 5 Crazy in Love (06:54) 6 Naughty Girl (02:42) 7 Get Me Bodied (02:57) 8 Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (05:40) 9 Finale (02:26) |
 | Album: 11 of 16 Title: I Am… World Tour Released: 2010-11-26 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:17:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Intro (I Am… World Tour) (01:12) 2 Crazy in Love (05:24) 3 Naughty Girl (02:34) 4 Freakum Dress (03:11) 5 Get Me Bodied (02:30) 6 Smash Into You (03:52) 7 Ave Maria (04:15) 8 Broken‐Hearted Girl (03:12) 9 If I Were a Boy / You Oughta Know (05:17) 10 Diva (03:00) 11 Radio (02:04) 12 Ego (remix) (01:55) 13 Hello (03:37) 14 Baby Boy (02:10) 15 You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No) (01:49) 16 Irreplaceable (05:04) 17 Check on It (02:09) 18 Bootylicious (00:51) 19 Upgrade U (02:16) 20 Say My Name (02:20) 21 At Last (03:00) 22 Listen (03:22) 23 Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (04:23) 24 Halo (06:32) 25 Outro (I Am… World Tour) (01:59) |
 | Album: 12 of 16 Title: 4 Released: 2011-06-24 Tracks: 14 Duration: 57:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Love on Top (04:27) 2 Party (04:05) 3 Schoolin Life (04:53) 4 Countdown (03:33) 5 I Miss You (02:59) 6 Dance for You (06:17) 7 I Care (03:59) 8 Rather Die Young (03:42) 9 1+1 (04:33) 10 End of Time (03:44) 11 Run the World (Girls) (03:56) 12 Best Thing I Never Had (04:13) 13 Start Over (03:19) 14 I Was Here (03:59) |
| 4 : Allmusic album Review : Beyoncé reportedly delivered over 70 songs to Columbia for her fourth solo studio album. The dozen that made the cut, combined with their sequencing, make it plain that straightforward crossover-dance singles and cohesion were not priorities. Taking it in at once is mystifying, even when little attention is paid to the lyrics. The opening “1+1,” a sparse and placid vocal showcase, fades in with a somber guitar line, throws up occasional and brief spikes in energy, and slowly recedes. It’s the kind of song one would expect to hear during an album’s second half, certainly not as the opener -- not with the (fittingly) slight sonics and heavy lines like “Just when I ball up my fist, I realize I’m laying right next to you, baby.” Three additional ballads follow. Each one features its own set of collaborators and contrasts both sonically and lyrically. “I Care” rolls in on pensive percussion and low-profile synthesizer drones, surging during a cathartic chorus. “I Miss You,” alluringly bleak and hushed, is a codependent confessional. The only one that’s rote, “Best Thing I Never Had” is a bombastic kiss-off saved by Beyoncé’s ability to plow through it. From there, the album restlessly bounces between tempos and moods: a desperate midtempo chest thumper, a couple cyborg marching-band dancefloor tracks, an ecstatic early-‘90s throwback, yet more ballads. What’s most surprising is that a song titled “Party,” co-produced by Kanye West with a guest verse from André 3000, quickly settles into a low-watt groove and remains there. Wildcard interludes and a Euro-pop party-anthem cash-in would be the only ways to make the album more scattered, but the strength of most of the material, propelled by Beyoncé’s characteristically acrobatic vocal skills, eases the trouble of sifting through the disjointed assortment. No one but one of the most talented and accomplished singers -- one with 16 Grammys, nothing left to prove, and every desired collaborator at her disposal -- could have made this album. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 16 Title: 4: The Remix Released: 2012-04-23 Tracks: 6 Duration: 36:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Run the World (Girls) (Dave Audé club remix) (08:32) 2 Countdown (Isa Machine remix) (03:30) 3 Best Thing I Never Had (Lars B remix) (07:10) 4 Love on Top (DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio remix) (08:06) 5 End of Time (Wawa extended) (05:35) 6 End of Time (JIMEK remix) (03:55) |
 | Album: 14 of 16 Title: BEYONCÉ Released: 2013-12-13 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:06:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pretty Hurts (04:17) 2 Haunted (06:09) 3 Drunk in Love (05:23) 4 Blow (05:09) 5 No Angel (03:48) 6 Partition (05:19) 7 Jealous (03:04) 8 Rocket (06:31) 9 Mine (06:18) 10 XO (03:35) 11 ***Flawless (04:10) 12 Superpower (04:36) 13 Heaven (03:50) 14 Blue (04:26) |
| BEYONCÉ : Allmusic album Review : The first 346 days of Beyoncés 2013 were eventful enough. She headlined the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, joined by Destinys Child partners Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The trio released "Nuclear," an excellent song disregarded for not being an anthem. A documentary, Life Is But a Dream, aired on HBO. There were appearances on albums by Rowland, the-Dream, and husband Jay-Z, as well as a Soundcloud upload "Bow Down/I Been On," passionately debated for its aggression and vulgarity, and the more "ladylike" "Standing on the Sun," a clothing retailer tie-in. And then, on December 13, while engaged in a world tour and when no one expected it, she released her fifth solo studio album with accompanying videos. Easily her best album since Bday, its among her most entertaining and sexually explicit work, yet its substantive in every respect. Beyoncé co-wrote and co-produced all of the songs with A-listers like Pharrell, Timbaland, James Fauntleroy, Hit-Boy, and the-Dream, as well as emerging Detroiters Detail and Key Wane and the previously unknown Boots. There are deep references to Beyoncés competitive showbiz upbringing and acknowledgments of her beloved Houston hometown. "Mine" and "Blue" involve vivid expressions regarding the turbulence and thrill of motherhood. Central track "***Flawless" opens with Ed McMahons introduction of her preteen group on Star Search, incorporates the combative "Bow Down" and a portion of celebrated Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies TED talk on feminism, as well as a booming, quotable-packed victory lap. It concludes with McMahons dismissal of her group, as if to say, "Yeah, but look at me now." Theres also a whole lot of romance, heartache, and, most prominently, monogamous sex -- in the kitchen, in a chauffeur-driven car, while drunk. Best of all is "Blow," playfully risqué boogie loaded with instantly memorable lines -- "Im-a let you be the boss of me," for instance -- and a slick tempo changeup. Soul throwback ballad "Rocket" is a close second, another amusing mix of metaphorical and explicit come-ons. It opens with an elegantly delivered "Let me sit this ass on you." When the album came out, the release itself dominated the chatter. In time, it should be seen as a career highlight from a superstar -- one of the hardest-working people in the business, a new mother, in total control, at her creative and commercial peak. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 16 Title: Lemonade Released: 2016-04-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pray You Catch Me (03:16) 2 Hold Up (03:41) 3 Don’t Hurt Yourself (03:54) 4 Sorry (03:53) 5 6 Inch (04:20) 6 Daddy Lessons (04:48) 7 Love Drought (03:57) 8 Sandcastles (03:03) 9 Forward (01:19) 10 Freedom (04:50) 11 All Night (05:22) 12 Formation (03:26) |
| Lemonade : Allmusic album Review : Beyoncés sixth album loomed once "Formation" and its video were issued ahead of the superstars Super Bowl 50 half-time performance. Two months and a couple weeks later, it appeared as a culturally seismic visual album. Loaded with layers of meaning and references, and experienced en masse through its televised premiere, Lemonade honored black sisterhood with the presence of Warsan Shire, Serena Williams, and the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner. Subsequently given audio-only release, its title comes from a popular proverb given extra personal relevance by Beyoncés grandmother-in-law, whose citation is heard here during a crucial moment in the sequence. Mrs. Knowles-Carter indeed turns her own lemons into Lemonade. She uses the platform to demand contrition from her adulterous partner, assert her excellence, reflect upon the bonds with the men in her life, and their relationships with other women, and wonders if her trust can be earned back. The cathartic and wounded moments here resonate in a manner matched by few, if any, of Beyoncés contemporaries. She sometimes eclipses herself in terms of raw emotion, as on the throttling Jack White encounter "Dont Hurt Yourself." At the low-volume end, theres more power in the few seconds she chokes back tears while singing "Come back" -- timed with the backing vocal in Isaac Hayes version of "Walk on By" -- than there is in most contemporary ballads. Romantic conflict is nothing new for her, but there is a degree of concentration and specificity, and an apparent disregard for appealing to commercial radio that makes Lemonade a distinct addition to her catalog. (Another distinguishing factor is the length of credits which, due to a vast assortment of collaborators and samples, exceeds that of the self-titled album.) Lemonade can also be heard as the dark flipside of Beyoncé. When "Dishes smashed on the counter" is bleakly observed, just before "Pictures snatched out the frame/Bitch, I scratched out your name and face" is delivered with seething wrath, its hard to not flash back to "Drunk in Love," in which the presumably same couple were revelrous in the same room. After the first three-quarters play out in compelling if somewhat erratic fashion, Lemonade closes with a torrid stretch. "Freedom" is a marching anthem of resilience and preservation, produced by Just Blaze with a glowing guest verse from Kendrick Lamar. The loved-up "All Night" is a tangle of emotions and hints at reconciliation, facilitated by the horns from OutKasts "SpottieOttieDopaliscious." And then, at last, theres the strutting "Formation," simultaneously a tack-on and an ideal finale, where Beyoncé delights in her blackness, femininity, and Southern origin with supreme wordplay. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 16 Title: HOMECOMING: THE LIVE ALBUM Released: 2019-04-17 Tracks: 40 Duration: 1:49:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Welcome (03:16) 2 Crazy in Love (02:47) 3 Freedom (01:54) 4 Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (02:09) 5 Formation (04:23) 6 So Much Damn Swag (interlude) (00:59) 7 Sorry (06:34) 8 Kitty Kat (00:42) 9 Bow Down (01:28) 10 I Been On (02:40) 11 Drunk in Love (04:14) 12 Diva (02:46) 13 Flawless / Feeling Myself (03:58) 14 Top Off (01:23) 15 7/11 (03:04) 16 Bug a Boo Roll Call (interlude) (01:57) 17 Party (03:48) 18 Don’t Hurt Yourself (04:17) 19 I Care (04:08) 20 Partition (02:18) 21 Yoncé (01:08) 22 Mi gente (02:56) 23 Baby Boy (01:32) 24 You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No) (01:11) 25 Hold Up (00:46) 26 Countdown (01:43) 27 Check on It (01:16) 28 Deja vu (04:49) 29 The Bzzzz Drumline (interlude) (03:10) 30 Run the World (Girls) (03:53) 31 Lose My Breath (01:30) 32 Say My Name (01:51) 33 Soldier (02:11) 34 Get Me Bodied (04:23) 35 Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (03:27) 36 Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (Blue’s version) (01:42) 37 Love on Top (03:47) 38 Shining (Thank You) (02:39) 39 Before I Let Go (04:00) 40 I Been On (02:25) |