Whoever said youth was just for the young?.. not Beyoncé!Her fourth solo album, 4, made its rounds on the internet to somewhat less than stellar reactions. Sasha Fierce has pulled off her weave and opted for a head wrap. In other words, Beyoncé has gone hipster, kinda.
If you thought this would be anything like her previous album, you thought wrong! There aren't any upbeat dance tracks (not even "Party" featuring Andre 3000 and Kanye West) except for girl anthem "Run the World (Girls)"! But, there is "Countdown," a cousin of "Get Me Bodied" and includes a reference to The Fugees!
There are some serious love tracks on the record like "1+1," "Start Over," and "I Care." These three songs are some of the best work she's ever done as far as her album ballads are concerned. All three strike chords within me that haven't been struck before, and that's a serious feat! Her second single, "The Best I Never Had," sounds a lot like her past songs ("Irreplaceable," Deja Vu") but with a classier sound.
The best track on the album in my opinion has to be "End of Time." Set to the cadence of trumpets and drums Beyoncé sings about loving her man until the end of time. It's a standout track for me, and I've been listening to it since it leaked weeks ago. The most interesting track is arguably power ballad, "I Was Here," where Beyoncé explores the idea of fame-- in all its facets.
Although it's not the club anthem or diva sanctified album most people were expecting, 4 is a rock solid album reminiscent of 90s R&B and has this classic girl-rock vibe. It doesn't sound like anything in the pop world today, and I have to commend her for that!
Pre-order 4 on iTunes here!
No comments:
Post a Comment