I purchased the Beyonce album on iTunes last night and got a chance to listen to the entire album from start to finish this morning. I just want to note that as I’m going to be as objective as possible in this review, these opinions are solely mine and no one else’s.
Let me start by saying- if you were expecting Beyonce to come out with a heavy hitting dance your booty on the floor, blockbuster album, you’re going to be highly disappointed. To be quite honest there aren’t any serious club bangers on there. It’s more of a reflective album, one that you listen to when you just wanna chill out or if you just wanna daydream all day. Also, another thing I got from listening to the album is that it is “relationship loaded”. Every song except “Run the World (Girls)” is about a love found, a love lost, caring too much, not caring enough, wanting to be the one, giving your heart away, being there for someone, etc. If that’s not where your mind, your heart or even your life is at when listening to this you’re probably gonna think it sucks within the first 10 seconds. Also, I do agree with WashPost when they say that it sounds like Beyonce is trying to shatter every glass and contact lens within range…LOL.
Now for me when I listened to the songs out of order last night I did a collective “ehhh I just wasted $9.47 on completing this album on iTunes.” But when I listened to it this morning in track order, free of distractions and alert- I took to the album differently. I did get a summertime, driving in my car with the boo, with my hair flying in the wind feeling sometimes and then a sullen, distant and removed feeling the other half of the time. And I will admit I literally started SCREAMING in the middle of “Best Thing I Never Had”…not because of anything bad, but simply because that joint was getting to me on a personal level.
I give it 3.5 out 5 Mochabees. Is it her best album? Hell no. Out of the four she’s put out, it’s my LEAST favorite. I don’t even think there’s a single on there that will top “Single Ladies”. But I do think she has some decent songs on there so here are my favorites (in no particular order):
1+1—Sounds better live or without background music…
Best Thing I Never Had—this is a banger
Party (feat Andre’ 3000)—this is a chill banger, remix this joint ASAP
Love on Top—cool joint
Countdown –playful joint
End of Time –this right here, is my dance joint, I’m digging the serious Afro-Caribbean-Latin influences especially in the first few seconds of the song. Sounds even better live. Definitely choreography material.
I don’t really care too much for :
Run the World (Girls)—Who runs the world? Not girls. -_______-
I Care—I don’t care…
I Miss You –I miss “dangerously in love” but we can’t always get what we want lol
Rather Die Young –OD, I’d rather break up with you than turn into a stage 5 clinger
Start Over ---eh didn’t care for this
I Was Here –It was like carving a name on a school desk…random.
