Who would have expected this? A chock-full collection of hit after hit, that somehow sound even better together, from a woman who has built her career on singles and music videos. Beyonce has never been what I've considered great at the art of album, but 4 is an incredibly happy exception.
"1+1" reintroduces Beyonce to us as a sexy balladess with clear control on her vocal range. Before we dance, we are asked to remember that she is not only a beautiful, engaging performer, but a vocal contender as well. "I Care" and "Miss You" are best paired together, both using 80's instrumentation to recall a classic pop-r&b fusion, and both wrestling with relationships either on their way out or regretfully finished. Come to think of it, "Best Thing I Never Had" is a part of the series too - but adds some real Beyonce attitude. Sure it's a pithy chorus, but Beyonce's never been hailed as a lyricist anyway, and it's a great song to sing at the top of your lungs in the car. Try it sometime.
By now, we've remembered what Beyonce is capable of, but we're not sure if she's still really got the power to start the party. By the time I listened to 4 in it's entirety I had already seen the video for the last track, "Run the World (Girls)", and was at best disappointed. Was that going to be the strongest dance song on the album? Certainly not. And this is where the party begins, appropriately with "Party", which brings along with it Andre 3000 and Kanye, and a sample of La-Di-Da-Di. It's a massive summer party track, but was unfortunately released a little too late to get the attention it deserves.
There's always one song I don't love, and on 4 it's "Rather Die Young", which feels inauthentic and silly, referencing a bad boy who is worth all the trouble. Beyonce is getting too old for that, and I find "Start Over" to be far more believable as she searches to reignite a spark with a long-term partner.
"Love on Top" is a throwback to past divas such as Whitney of the 80's and even Diana of the 60's, as she once again shows what she can do, this time in 6 key changes. It was the perfect song to let the world know of her anticipated Knowles-Carter child in this pop-historic VMAs performance. You should probably watch it here if you haven't yet:
The party refuses to stop as Beyonce uses a counting down sample from Boyz II Men (good move B) to "Countdown" which is one of the most eclectic songs that doesn't sound scattered ever made in the r&b world. The video is nearly perfect as it mirrors this collage of a song, with great dance moves and even greater outfits. If you haven't seen it, you should probably watch it here:
THEN, "End of Time" comes on, with its massive horn shots and epic marching beat. This for me is the highlight of the album. By now I am sold on B, and all that is left to do is shake whatever your mother gave you, regardless of how it compares to what Beyonce received from her mother.
"I Was Here" slows everything down again with the track that will likely be played at Beyonce's funeral. Written by legendary love song writer Diane Warren, it might be a little melodramatic for my taste, but every diva needs to plan ahead for a memorial or life-time achievement award.
The album ends with "Run the World", which actually has an incredible beat and similar energy levels to "End of Time", but falls flat when compared to other girl-power/feminist anthems like Destiny's Child's earlier "Independent Women". The video has some amazing dancing, but it mostly frustrates me by what it could've been. Still, considering this post has been video heavy, I might as well conclude one last performance that almost convinced me of this song:
When I think of 2011, I will undoubtedly think of Beyonce's 4. What will you think of?
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