Today’s “You Should Hear This” song is “Save the Hero” by Beyonce`. Now, before you roll your eyes, check the song out-it’s not your typical Beyonce` song by any means. It’s the best Beyonce` song hardly anyone has heard. The lyrical content is great, the harmonies are great. Just check it out.
0 Comments
Today’s “Stuck in My Head” song is “Why Don’t You Love Me?” by Beyonce`. I love this song. It’s got an old-school feel to it, and I love what she does with the song vocally. The video is awesome too; my favorite part is when she dusts off her 16 Grammys. lol Amazing show. I’ve always viewed the VMA’s as a more exiting, more hip and more casual Grammy’s, and I look forward to it every year. They’ve had some years that weren’t all that exiting, but this year didn’t fit into that category. This year’s show fit into the “classic VMA” box: exciting, entertaining, memorable, and of course with at least one “OMG! Did that really happen? ” moment. There were several “OMG” moments. Let’s start with the amazing opening: the tribute to Michael Jackson. MTV’s homage to the “King of Pop” was expected at this year’s show and was eagerly anticipated. If anyone NEEDED to do a tribute, it should have been MTV; considering he’s the 1st African-American artist to have his music video on the station and part of the reason why MTV is what it is now. Plus, MTV needed to make up for the lack of tribute programs aired in the days after his death (Yes, there was SOME tribute programming, but many of them were simple, underdeveloped and lackluster).
Giving an emotive and heartfelt speech, Madonna made several thought provoking points that captured the human and intimate essence of Michael that we often either forgot about and/or failed to see (see the post below for her speech in its entirety). When they panned to the audience to show their reactions to the speech, many of the recording artists present were either fixated on Madonna, had their eyes closed, or their heads bowed. Entrenched in every word and moment, it seemed as if the audience was in prayer or reflection. If you’re Michael fan, you were right with them. She ended her speech with the phrase “long live the king”. I was really hoping someone would run with that and start a chant. Madonna’s speech was followed by a dance team performance of his hit songs. Each dancer was dressed in a replica of a signature M.J. costume. The only thing that would have enhanced the performance more was to have someone who was obviously influenced by M.J. (like Justin Timberlake, Usher or Ne-Yo) be a part of the sequence. The icing on the cake was JANET JACKSON (yes, J.J.) performing “Scream” (the only recorded M.J. and J.J. duet) as the music video played in the background. The choreography was synced perfectly with video. I don’t know about ya’ll, but I was jumpin’ around and screaming to the top of my lungs when Janet came out. It was the ultimate performance and the ultimate tribute, and it seemed like the crowd loved it. It only got sad when it registered that Janet was on the stage by herself without her brother, and we would never see them perform together again. The rest of the live performances were awesome, including Taylor Swift, Muse, Lady Gaga, The Queen Bee (Beyonce`), Green Day, Pink, Kid Cudi , Jay-Z with Alicia Keys and a special tribute to the late DJ AM. Taylor’s performance was interesting -it was shot following her through a New York subway and into the street in front of Radio City Music Hall. Several fans won a chance to ride with Taylor on the subway and dance with her in the street for the performance. That’s another thing I love about the VMA’s- they always involve the fans, and give them the best seats (right by the stage). Lady Gaga made me want to check out her album- I didn’t know she could actually sing. It’s hard to get passed her craziness long enough to notice that she can sing. She doesn’t realize that she’s distracting from her own talent. I find it interesting that Lady Gaga is considered to be “cool and different” for her eccentricities, but Michael was called “Wacko Jacko” and weird. Intriguing…......anyhow, on to Beyonce’s performance….Bee Bee, (as I affectionately call her ) NEVER fails to perform well (and believe me, I have seen enough performances to say that with confidence). The only reason why “never” would turn into “almost never” with her VMA appearance is because there were about 3 notes at the beginning that didn’t quite hit right. And she almost tried TOO hard to put the sexy on with one too many body rolls. Sometimes, I think she forgets that she’s Beyonce` and things like “sexy” just come natural to her, requiring no work. Her introduction was cool and creative; she made a tribal-esque remix of the bridge to “Single Ladies”. Looking like a small “Sasha Fierce” army, several dancers eventually joined her on stage to perform the infamous choreography. Like Beyonce`, Pink is usually impressive live and was even more impressive as she performed “Sober” while being flung around in a trapeze act (believe it. It happened). If you thought THAT would be distracting or keep her from performing well, it didn’t. She sung in full voice and didn’t miss a beat. Now Keri Hilson really has no excuse for her poor live performances (See my June 29th Keri post). The coolest New Yorkers in music, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, gave an excellent performance of “Empire State of Mind” from Jay-z’s latest album, “The Blueprint 3”. I LOVE THAT SONG! One whiff of that song and you’re gonna wanna pack your bags, put on your Manolo’s, and book lunch with Samantha, Carrie and Bloomberg. I’m leaving tomorrow. LOL It was a perfect ending to the VMA’S- the best of New York music, in New York, singing about the aura of New York. It was classic. The only glitch in Jay’s performance, if you can call it one, was the random and sudden appearance of rapper and fellow New Yorker Lil’ Mama. Because she’s from New York, I initially suspected that she was supposed to be up there, but there was still a hint of “this wasn’t planned.” And it wasn’t. On NBC’S “Today” with Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb, Alicia Keys was quoted as saying “We can appreciate her being overwhelmed and inspired, but we would have appreciated it if she would have done it from her seat." There was another random and obnoxious interruption earlier in the show by Kanye West. Now an infamous and much talked about moment, Kanye interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video, denoting that Swift’s fellow nominee, Beyonce`, should have won. “Taylor, I’m happy for you and I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyonce` had one of the best videos of all time” (referring to “Single Ladies”). After his snide remark, West handed the mic back to Swift, shrugged his shoulders and left the stage as he was booed by the audience. The audience showed their support for Swift by chanting her name. Host Russell Brand, who was less obnoxious this year (thank goodness) mentioned that in the spirit of Michael Jackson, we should “love everybody” and that all the nominees were great artists. West has a history of and a reputation for making fuss over award wins and losses, but over his OWN wins and losses. Kanye was being his typical self: rude, immature, arrogant and special edition. One of the things that irritate me the most about Kanye’s act was that he put Beyonce` in the middle of his bull. It’s one issue to act a monkey over your OWN awards, but someone else’s awards too? He called himself “defending” her, and yet he was putting her in the position to have to put out a P.R. fire. He stole Taylor’s moment AND Beyonce`s, as she had to use her moment winning Video of The Year (which better honors it as the pop-culture impacting video it was than Best Female Video, btw) to make up for his mess. RRR!!!! Like Lady Gaga, Kanye doesn’t realize he’s overshadowing his own talent with his chicanery. I’m surprised that he hasn’t matured, considering all that he’s been through with the death of his mother and his dramatic breakup (that he made a whole album about). It’s ridiculous. On the note of who won and who lost, it appears that this year’s theme was “everybody’s a winner here.” The “heavyweights” of the past year (and therefore the expected winners-Beyonce` and Lady Gaga) won. The “authentic, genre impacting and legitimate” artists (Eminem, T. I. and Green Day) won. Old MTV favorites (Britney Spears) and the unexpected, yet fresh and new (Taylor Swift) won. It was everybody’s party and everybody’s night. No one was left out it seems, which makes for a good award show. While Britney is still on my breath, I find it interesting that when Brit Brit was most deserving of a VMA (pre-“Blackout”), she never got one. She’s been nominated 26 times total, only winning 4 times. 3 out of her 4 wins were attained last year; her 4th at this year’s show. When she won last year, I felt like that were just giving them away to her as thanks for seeming like she got her crap together and putting out “Circus”. I thought it was a spit in the face because MTV didn’t appreciate Britney and give her just dues until they thought they were going to lose her. Say what you will about her talent and whatever else, but she MADE MTV in the late 90’s and in the early 2000’s. MTV Asia and MTV Europe gave her props from jump, but no, not in America. Why is it that Europe treats our artists (including minority ones) better than we do? If you can’t make it America, start selling your junk in Europe and you’ll be rolling in doe, but that’s besides the point. I digress. The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards were filled with lots “OMG!”, “sis-boom-pow!” and great performances, making it memorable one. Brava MTV. Ok, let me briefly talk about Bee Bee and then we’ll move on to why Keri Hilson puts a bad taste in my mouth. I was in NC the weekend the BET Awards aired, and I was listening to this radio show that was taking caller comments about the show. Among the more silly comments being made (comments like the M.J. tribute wasn’t good enough- HELLO! THEY HAD 3 DAYS PPL!), were comments that Beyonce’s performance was lame and they thought she would do something like “Single Ladies” or “Diva”. I Immediately rolled my eyes. Obviously, those comments came from people who just want to see Beyonce` shake her butt and lack substance. These are the same people who Beyonce` created that trash “Sasha Fierce” disc 2 for. They failed to notice how BEAUTIFULLY AND SKILLFULLY she sang the song or the fact that she sung in freakin’ ITALIAN. Again, people who don’t care about real talent, artistry or true performance; just a lot of booty shaking. Require your mediocre artists that you adore so much to do that. Don’t require caviar to be collard greens.
Anyhow…..about Keri Hilson. I wasn’t going to write a post about this, but after her less than stellar BET Awards performance, I had to say something…… Keri, you had the NERVE to give that weak, note-missing, breathy performance at the BET awards, while Beyonce (who you talked about) sung an Italian opera hitting ALL her notes?! Get the hell outta here! Girl, if you’re gonna talk ish you need to BACK IT UP!!! That performance should have been HEART STOPPING the way you’ve been going around braggin’ on yourself and running your mouth! You may be a great writer, producer or whatever the heck, but you are NEW as an artist sweetheart and you’ve gotta lot to learn. You should have been taking notes during Ave Maria! My friends tried to give her a slap on the wrist with her performance- “Well, she WAS dancing AND singing…” SO THE HELL WHAT?!? I watched Bee IN CONCERT 2 DAYS AGO do “Déjà vu,” “Crazy In Love” and “Get Me Bodied” back to back with full choreography and never missed a note!( and I watched Pink sing and do a trapeze act without missing a note! See my Sept 13TH VMA post). The argument was “well…Beyonce`s been doing this since she was 9 and she used to run in the park and sing to catch her breath….” Well Keri better get to singing on a dang treadmill and learn how to catch her breath or not sing and dance. There’s no excuse for a lame performance. If you’re not sick and your voice isn’t hoarse, I don’t want to hear it. And don’t say I would give some other artist an out, because I wouldn’t- I was reaming Kelly Rowland just yesterday about an off performance. People spend money on you- you better get up there and perform or get off the dang stage! You know, I REALLY hate it when recording artists publicly criticize other artists. It’s just plain unnecessary, tacky and unprofessional. It also makes you look arrogant and a straight hater. ALL recording artists are in the same shark tank and have to deal with the same B.S.; whether it’s from the recording labels, the media or the audience, so why do they make it worse by subjecting each other to the B.S. that they hate so much? It just doesn’t make sense. Why help the same disgusting media machine that rends YOU, rend someone else with hateful or negative comments? I don’t get it. Like and dislike who you want to in the industry, but don’t feed the mainstream media machine. What further irritates me about Keri’s lyrical smash of Beyonce`, is that she worked on one of Bee’s songs (“GreenLight”- the ONLY Bee song Keri worked on). As an up and coming producer and/or writer, your dream deal is to work with a major artist, because if your song becomes a hit single, it creates more publicity (and thus, more jobs) for YOU. Even if you have a few hit songs under your belt, one more wouldn’t hurt. That’s one more song you can add to your resume` that puts you even further on the map. One more song that you get credit, royalties and possibly a Grammy for, if luck strikes you. The infamous and much respected Diane Warren and David Foster became infamous because luck stuck them and they got to work with some major artists. Beyonce` (a major artist) gave Keri (and up and coming writer) a shot. She gave Keri an opportunity, a job, a paycheck and another song to put in her publishing portfolio. And yet, Keri ran her mouth? Really? I might be crazy, but I think that is disrespectful, ungrateful and a spit in the face. Dude, why are you burning your professional bridges? That’s just plain stupid. Show some humility. Did Beyonce` treat you like crap or something in the studio? If she did, I much rather would’ve liked to hear about that on the “Turnin Me Off” remix. At least you slamming her would’ve had some real motive behind it. If you have no idea what I’m talkin’ about (which I doubt), Keri made an underground remix to her single “Turning Me On” that wasn’t intended for release. On the song, she was allegedly making negative comments about singer Ciara and Beyonce`. From what I’ve seen of Keri’s interviews talking about the remix, she denied it being about Ciara, but NOT Beyonce`. Here are the lyrics that ALLEGEDLY are in reference to Beyonce`: “ I shot the sheriff, but wait til I shoot these bitches down, I ain't tryin to start some mess There's just somethin on my chest that I need to get off, Cause you turnin me off Your vision cloudy if you think that you're the best; you can dance, she can sing but she need to move it to the left, She need to go have some babies, She needs to sit down, she fake” (Sigh). What is your purpose?? “I ain’t tryna start some mess”??? Are you sure, Keri? If anything, she made Bee look even better, because not only did Beyonce` NOT put this ungrateful newbie in her place, she has yet to publicly criticize ANY OTHER recording artist or address any negative comments by industry people. Brava to Beyonce` for having poise, maturity and P.R. skills as usual. She’s accomplished a lot and could brag about it all, but she doesn’t. Love HER. Keri really grinded my gears. Mainly because I thought it was sooo disrespectful to slam someone that gave you an opportunity. Eww. Concert Review.
Greensboro Coliseum-Greensboro, NC Whether you’re sitting up close or in the nose bleed seats, seeing Beyonce` live onstage is an amazing, unforgettable, breathtaking, euphoric auditory and visual experience that will leave you in awe and wanting more. As one concert-goer said after the show, “It was like a religious experience. That woman can perform. She really puts on a great show.” This is the 4th Beyonce` tour I’ve attended, and each time is just like the first. Beyonce` proves that she is a consummate performer focused on being a master of her trade, as she performs with an unwavering passion and energy that cannot be properly captured in a television performance. The diva arrived from a behind a black curtain, walking through a thick cloud of smoke under a small spotlight. The crowd roared at the site of her silhouette. She then strikingly bulldozed through “Crazy in Love”, “Freakum Dress” (which her guitarists rocked hard as heck on), “Naughty Girl”, and “Get Me Bodied”, full on dancing and singing without ever losing a breath or sounding winded. After revving up the crowd, she effortlessly changed speed and slowed it down with “Me, Myself and I” and gave a wonderful mini-sermon about feminism and sisterhood (I love it when she does that). She then entered into her material from the 1st disc of her latest album, “I AM…Sasha Fierce”. The album’s concept is centered on revealing her more vulnerable and intimate side (Disc 1) and her introducing us musically to her alter-ego stage persona “Sasha Fierce” (disc 2). This concept was better illustrated on tour than it was on the album (see 11-18-08 album review). For the disc 1 material, she re-appeared on stage singing “Smash Into U”, wearing an angelic-looking white bodice and hooded cape. Behind her was a video of a serene ocean whirlpool; the 1st of many effective visuals. Following “Smash” was “Ave Maria”, “Broken-Hearted Girl”, and “If I Were a Boy.” Her rendition of “Maria” was deeply moving and spectacular, as she displayed her vocal versatility and range with seamless tone-modulation and opera-like vocal styling. This performance negated any doubts about the beauty and strength of her voice. As mentioned earlier, the albums’ concept was illustrated well during the concert. Beyonce` performed the disc 1 songs with a raw, naked, openness that could have brought you to tears. All of the sudden you felt so close to her. You could tell that the audience felt very connected to her as they sung “Broken” and “Boy” with the same passion as she did. During “Boy”, Beyonce` gave us an appetizer of what was to come (i.e. Sasha) as she broke into Alanis Morisette’s edgy “U Oughta Know” with intense angst and bitterness, wearing a warrior-esque leather costume and pompously grabbing her crotch (yes, that actually happened). With such behavior uncharacteristic of her, you knew Sasha was coming. Beyonce` left the stage, and a video began playing of a female robot walking through a blizzard to “Sweet Dreams.” The robot turned into a cheetah; then into Beyonce`. Or should I say Sasha Fierce? After a grandiose introduction by the band, Sasha went into the bouncy “Diva”, followed by “Ego” and “Hello”, wearing a costume with metal pieces. All of the Thierry Mugler-designed costumes were eye-catching. Her backup dancers were dressed as gold robots and moved in such a believable way, you had to look twice to make sure they were actually human. During this set, Beyonce` made a clear distinction between herself and her alter-ego. She was aggressive, sassy and arrogant, but it wasn’t a turn off, as the set was infused with feminism and power. Unlike on the album, Sasha was what she was supposed to be (again, see the 11-18-08 album review). Invincible and confident, she was a woman you could admire. After “Hello”, it was time for the band and background singers to do their thing. As if, Beyonce` hadn’t done enough to emphasize feminism, she commissioned an all female band. On their second tour with Bee, these musicians are immensely talented, impressive and fun. Each musician had their own amazing solo; a few doing some fun tricks. During the break, they played an eclectic set of songs; everything from Michael Jackson to Jimi Hendrix. The arrangements for Beyonce’s songs were unique and memorable (as they often are). The three glamorous, full-figured background singers (cutely called “The Mamas”) all had amazing voices and harmonized well together. Once the band break was finished, the lights went down, jungle music played, and a gong was pushed out onto the stage. Another video started to play; Beyonce` was dressed as roman goddess, flipping a gold coin with her face on one side, Sasha’s on the other. Sasha shows up and catches the coin. As the coin lands on Sasha’s face, Sasha laughs and walks away. The gong is hit, and Beyonce’ gradually rises out of the stage floor, appearing as if she is on chair. The gold blanket around her drops; she is not on a chair after all. She’s flying. Over the audience, Beyonce` floated in a holster across to a mini-stage in the middle of the arena. She twirled in circles three times before landing. Once on the stage, she performed several songs, including “Irreplaceable”, which she allowed the audience to sing to her half way through. It must be awesome as a songwriter to hear thousands of fans singing a song you labored over, to point where you don’t have to. Beyonce` also performed a Destiny’s Child medley that the crowd seemed to really enjoy. After the medley, she returned to the main stage and had another costume change. A video documenting the civil rights movement played, and it ended with the inaugural ball of President Obama. Naturally, this led into “At Last”, which was followed by “Listen.” Then, the moment everyone had been waiting for: “Single Ladies.” As a precursor, an enjoyable video montage of all of the infamous YouTube renditions played. Then Beyonce’ performed the song and rocked it like she’d never performed the song before. Most of the audience was brave enough to mimic the video dance moves; most impressive was the 14 year old in front of me. Most hilarious was the 46 year old man across from me. The show appeared to be over, but the hardcore fans noticed that “Halo” hadn’t been performed yet. Beyonce` took “Halo” as an opportunity for an encore and to interact with fans, as she walked the main floor, shaking hands. Once she got back to the stage she kept repeating the phrase, “I am”, ending the sentence with “I am…yours.” She then went on a rather poetic tangent about how her fans inspire her and how she strives to give a quality show no matter what. She attempted to leave the stage several times, each time coming back to say more to the audience, which didn’t seem pre-planned. As she said she strives to do, she put on a high-quality show. Heartfelt and fervent, Beyonce` bared her soul on the stage. She gave her all and you knew it. From the set design, to the band, to the performance, everything was done with care and work to leave you more than pleased. Beyonce` puts on the type of show that will turn semi-fans into hardcore ones, and skeptics into believers. Overall pros: 1. Exposing her core fan base to different genres by weaving songs like “U Oughta Know” and Sarah Mclachlan’s “Angel” (Ave Maria) into the set (Last tour she interpolated Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy”, Jill Scott’s “He Loves Me” and Prince’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend”). 2. Connecting with the fans by walking down on the main floor, throwing multiple accessories into the audience, allowing fans access to the corners of the stage/stairs, pointing out select fans and singing “Happy Birthday” to specific fans Overall cons: maybe one too many costume changes. Kelly Rowland, one of the founding members of the super-group Destiny’s Child with Beyonce` Knowles, is parting ways with her manager, Mathew Knowles. According to both parties, the separation was amicable and peaceful. Here are the official statements given by Knowles and Rowland:
Mathew Knowles: “After a very positive meeting between Kelly Rowland and myself, we have amicably agreed to end our professional relationship. My company, Music World, will continue to manage Destiny’s Child as a group. As an artist Kelly has incredible talent and I only wish her the best. We will always be family first and foremost and as a dad I can only have love for Kelly.” Kelly Rowland: Kelly also released a statement, saying, “Matthew Knowles has been a positive influence in my career. I have had great success under his guidance–both as a member of Destiny’s Child and with my solo projects. Although we have decided to part ways professionally, the Knowles family and the entire Music World Entertainment team will always be my family.” Many viewed Knowles’ management of Rowland as an ongoing conflict of interest, considering that Knowles is also Beyonce`s father. Rowland’s success as a solo artist is pale in comparison to Beyonce’s, and serves as evidence to those arguments. Her first solo album, “Simply Deep”, was certified Gold in the U.S. and attracted a Grammy win, but the success capped there and majority of the promotion for the album was done overseas. With such a good start, many believed that “Simply Deep” had the potential to go platinum and make Kelly stand out as a solo artist. When promotion all but stopped in the U.S. and started in the U.K., it fueled accusations that Knowles was being grossly negligent and passive managerially and did not push Columbia Records for better marketing. There was speculation that the negligence was purposeful. The rumor mill kept spinning as Rowland’s sophomore effort, Ms. Kelly, was critically acclaimed, but had little to no promotion in the U.S. and was not even certified gold (it was MUCH better than Simply Deep- it was honestly a great record). Again, majority of the promotion was done overseas (Kelly has proven to do quite well in Europe). Knowles also manages the career of the other Destiny’s Child alum, Michelle Williams, who also has had meager success as a solo artist. Williams has since started a career in Broadway theater, having leading roles in “Aida”, “The Color Purple” and “Chicago”. Knowles and Rowland have stressed in subsequent interviews that the split is indeed amicable and there was no tension or animosity involved in the decision. Fans have expressed excitement and relief on blogs and music sites about Rowland leaving Music World Management, hoping that she will now experience greater successes. Fans have also expressed a hope that the split was conflict-free, as Rowland was raised by Knowles and his wife, Tina, since Kelly was around age 10. As for my take on this? I AM glad that she has left Music World. However, I’m a little concerned, as she is both manager-less AND label-less (Kelly officially left Columbia Records in March 2009). Hopefully, she’ll get back on her feet fast and whoever she teams up with next will be a perfect fit. She can get a new manager and new label all day, but if they don’t foster success for Kelly, it won’t make much of a difference. I do NOT believe that Mathew Knowles is SOLELY responsible for Kelly’s career stumbles. We have to remember that there are many people involved in building an artist’s career and helping them succeed. The manager is just one part of the puzzle. Columbia Records has just as much responsibility as Mathew Knowles, and to a degree, more power and influence over her career. Mathew Knowles is an employee to Kelly Rowland (hence her being able to relinquish his role as her manager), but Kelly Rowland is (was) an employee of Columbia Records. Let’s keep this in mind. In all, best of luck to my girl. Album Review.
Favorites: Smash Into U, Disappear, Halo, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) Despised: Diva, Video Phone Overall: Loved “I AM” (disc 1) for its artistry and craft, hated “Sasha Fierce” (disc 2) for its lack thereof Beyonce’s third solo album, “I Am Sasha Fierce” is a 2-disc concept-driven project, with the focal point of presenting more reflective, personal material (disc 1) and introducing us to her “alter-ego” Sasha Fierce (disc2). No, Beyonce` hasn’t gone insane. She’s merely named her stage-persona, insisting that what we see on stage is not how she is at home. Overall, I looked forward to the release of this album because there was a lot of potential for greatness. The concept was intriguing and the 1st two singles, “If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it) were well-written, infectious, and represented everything I love about Beyonce`. Moreover, the album NEEDED to be amazing so Beyonce` could rebound from her strong, but not superb sophomore effort “B’day.” If the 1st two singles were any indicator, this album would be some of Beyonce’s best work. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. “I Am…Sasha Fierce” lived way UNDER its potential and did not deliver. The “I AM” disc was a solid start, but the “Sasha Fierce” disc was disastrous follow up, making the whole album questionable and borderline trash. “I AM” Beyonce` garnered points on “I Am” for artistically and vocally going places she had not gone before. To Beyonce’s credit, she plays with a different genre every album (this includes the Destiny’s Child material). This disc was no different as there were STRONG influences and elements of alternative rock, opera and adult contemporary, which was particularly fascinating (and there’s LIVE INSTRUMENTS PPL! YEA!!). By going so far out of the bounds of her foundational genres (R&B and Pop), Beyonce` proved that she is versatile and more eclectic than some might realize. Showing her vocal versatility, Beyonce` held back, using gentler tones to convey vulnerability; also a different stretch for the usually powerful singer. Lyrically, “I AM” is profoundly open, expressive, symbolic, naked and emotional. It is honestly some of Beyonce’s best writing. She lets us “in” in a way that she hasn’t before; unveiling her softer, deeply romantic and poetic side. We are used to seeing Beyonce` be private, domineering and almighty, so it is interesting to see that she has such a side. If you’re expecting to hear Beyonce` spill beans, you’ll be disappointed. Beyonce` does not divulge any obvious or specific details of her personal life, yet the lyrics seem so revealing; which I think is brilliant and a testament to skillful writing. Despite all of these wonderful aspects, the major con of “I AM” is that it’s monotone and, to a degree, “sleepy.” Many of the tracks are mellow and slow-to-mid tempo. Disc one could have benefited from more tempo variance. Song Notes: 2. “Halo” -Subject: Feeling the warmth of someone’s love One of two songs with the least vocal restraint. Every element of the song (music, vocal, lyrics) is powerful and romantic. I anticipate that Halo will be a single. 3. “Disappear”-Subject: letting a perfect love slip through your fingers and not realizing it until it’s too late. Disappear is haunting and perfectly illustrates remorse, weakening pain and desperation. She makes you feel sorry for her. 4. “Broken-Hearted Girl”-Subject: Vehemently begging the love of your life to stop mistreating you and breaking your heart. Lyrically this song is interesting because it plays out the conversation with herself and with her love interest, displaying the conflict and confusion of opposing emotions. Everything else about the song didn’t move me. I felt that it was weak production on Stargate’s part and that the song was a little mediocre for Beyonce`. With the way the overall production was on the song, it could have easily gone to a new, less established artist. “B-H G” has the most pop/R&B of all the disc 1 tracks. 5. “Ave Maria”-Beyonce` interpolates the original work with her own lyrics, singing about the comfort a supporting love provides. Ave Maria is stirring and can arouse weeping. Perhaps the most vulnerable song on the disc, Ave Maria is poignant, sensitive, and romantic. The feelings it evokes are almost indescribable. Beyonce` sings BEAUTIFULLY with a bleeding heart; also using precision and skill to alternate between the delicate and the powerful. It’s pure artwork. 6. “Smash Into U”-Smash grabs your attention and carries you away. You will stop what you’re doing and get lost in the beautifully orchestrated music and Beyonce’s compelling vocals. The lyrics aren’t half bad either It varies flawlessly in tempo, and is gradual with emotion. 7. “Satellites”- Out of all the songs, Satellites has the most symbolism. Beyonce is Space Ghost on this one, referring to herself and her man as…well, satellites. Very open to interpretation, the lyrics will have you pondering on its meaning. I love songs that make me marinate. The song is simple and beautiful, with simple music and highly restrained vocals. Less is more here. 8. “That’s Why You’re Beautiful”- another symbolic and metaphorical song about letting love blossom when you’re already off to a good start. I really liked this. Loved how Beyonce` sung it, love the simplistic music. “Sasha Fierce” I don’t even know where to begin. After “Single Ladies”, there’s a lot of unnecessary and forgettable happening. The material on “Sasha Fierce” is sooo beneath Beyonce`; she could have done it in her sleep. It’s lazy, lacks substance and doesn’t require any mental processing. It’s the type of ish that new artists cover: it’s gimmicky and has no real purpose other than to be commercial and sell records. There was no artistry on this disc. The lyrics are worthless and the music was either conformist or non-compelling. I could do without the whole thing. And as for our introduction to Sasha…if that’s how Sasha would be on the daily, she can stay on the stage. I anticipated a lot of attitude, but “good attitude”: a feisty, confident, and overly independent being- you know, like what we saw in the “Single Ladies” video? Instead, Sasha was ghetto, brassy, obnoxious, boisterous, skanky, and lacked class. If Beyonce` was trying to be COMPLETLEY different, she accomplished her goal. Beyonce` went against many of the things that make her a great artist. The material is like a shoe that doesn’t fit. Song Notes: 2. “Radio”- a song about loving Mr. Dj. I love songs about how much music can brighten your day. Radio is bouncy and danceable, and it’s fun to watch Beyonce` play with futuristic electro-pop. However, “forgettable” is apparently the theme for this disc, and “Radio” is fairly forgettable. It’s not particularly striking. Play it 3million times, and it will stick in your head, but mostly it’s a no. I wouldn’t be a surprised if this were a single though. 3. “Diva”- I ABSOLUTLEY HATE THIS SONG! It is so gimmicky and blatantly freakin’ conformist!! They did this on purpose. Does the song sound familiar? It’s the female version of Lil Wayne’s “A Milli.” They enlisted “Milli” producer Bangladesh to essentially recycle his track so Bee would have a single that would sell like hot cake. How is it that people will buy the same song twice? I will never understand that. Anyhow, the song follows the cookie cutter pattern of southern mainstream hip-hop: a fixation on money, a repetitive track with a beat you can jump around to, and whack lyrics. People will be too busy jumpin’ around to give a crap about the lyrics. I hate southern mainstream hip-hop….the lyrics to “Diva” lack cohesion, meaning and literally make no sense. There’s plenty of “what the heck is she talking about?” moments. Out of the 3:20secs, the best line is probably the following: “how you gonna be talkin’ s***, you act like I just got up in it, been the #1 diva in this game for a minute.” I’ve never seen Beyonce` be sooo conformist. Typically she’d take hip-hop, or any other genre, and give her own twist to it. There is no sign of HER on “Diva.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I wasn’t listening to a Bee song. Not to mention her definition of a “diva” is lame. A “female hustler”? Wouldn’t a female hustler just be a hustler? ….you would think that someone who is the essence of a diva (i.e. Bee) would know how to define the word. (Sigh). I’m really trying to have a meaningful thought about this song, but my brain is numbing so fast! … 4. “Sweet Dreams”-Bee Bee is really working the U.K. electro synth-pop on this one. The lyrics are alright; I kinda like the whimsical nature of the song. The down side: it’s, again, forgettable. You have to listen to it a couple of 1,000 times for it to grow on you and stay on your mind. 5. Video Phone- this song makes me CRINGE. My flesh crawls at the thought of it. Again, it’s filled with nonsense and has no substance. Again, it’s conformist-it’s got all the signs of a cheap, meaningless, disgusting, mainstream b.s. ringtone rap song. It’s a breath away from being a “hole-in-the wall” club banger. It’s also skanky, with lyrics like “you wanna see me naked, if you’re liking this position won’t you take it on your video phone.” Who the hell makes a song about a freakin’ video phone?!! Really? Yeah Beyonce`, a song about a phone is gonna be a classic. What’s next, writing a song about shoes? WTH? Oh, and the song is ghetto as heck. I’m so sick of Beyonce’s suburban behind tryna be so hood! Who are you tryna prove yourself to? No one is requiring you to be hood, why are you doing it?! It’s ok… you’re a Texas suburban princess…accept it! The hood thing doesn’t work on you! Let me hurry up, and finish this review- I’m getting a headache. 6. “Hello”- yet another “yesterday I tried to paint you” (bee bee fans where u at? lol) ode to Jay-z. She talks about how she loves…..ok, I’m going to make this quick- he had her at “hello”, because he’s mystical, magical, special and fly and ish- hows that? Boring song. Romantic, but boring. Next? 7. “Ego”- u know, I could have really loved “Ego.” The track is phenomenal- big ups to Elvis Wlliams and Harold Lilly- it’s a great blend of old school soul and hip hop, and the instrumentation is the truth- it’s got everything: drums, horns, piano and church organs. I love the irony of sexy lyrics on top of church organs- that’s just hilarious to me. I also love the way Beyonce` sings on the song-she all over the place with it-seductive and controlled low tones, strong and flowing gradual tones, and unexpected vulnerable high notes. I even love the concept-Beyonce’s bragging for the 1st time and still doesn’t come off obnoxiously arrogant. So what is my problem with “Ego”, you ask? Well, the concept was great, but it was a little undercooked and underdeveloped. The lyrics give you enough to know what the concept is, but they weren’t as strong as they could be. My other beef with “Ego” is that she says “I’m that bitch.” I have yet to meet anyone that likes her saying that. Calling yourself a bitch is just plain tasteless and ignorant. I have cultural/societal commentary on her lyrics in my “Seriously Beyonce, WTH?” section. 8. “Scared of Lonely”-with production and writing by Rodney Jerkins, Rico Love and Bee’s lil sis Solange (who is a very talented writer, btw), you would think that “Scared of Lonely” would be a genius smash. But it wasn’t. With so-so lyrics and underwhelming music, “Scared of Lonely” continued the theme of forgettable music on “Sasha Fierce.” The smartest thing about the marketing for the album is that the material on both discs appeals to ALL types of Beyonce` fans. There’s something for the fans who like “up-tempo Bee” and something for the fans that enjoy the more artistic and personal side of Bee. The material should also bring in some NEW fans, as Bee experimented with genres VERY NEW to her repertoire. For the next album, I think Bee should take the “I Am” material and go back to the drawing board with her 1st solo effort “Dangerously in Love.” In my opinion, Bee’s last 2 cd’s have yet to parallel the best characteristics of “Dangerously In Love.” After taking a brief survey from some Beyonce` listeners in a college cafeteria, I realized that several people feel the same. They mentioned that “Dangerously in Love” better showcased Beyonce’s vocal ability and that it’s an album that you would never get tired of, no matter how old it gets. They also said that the material made Beyonce` seem more accessible, with it sounding more her style than the other albums that featured more current, mainstream dance content. An interesting quote was “In history, they’re going to take “Dangerously in Love” more seriously than “B’day” and “I Am Sasha Fierce.” Beyonce`, it’s time to start over. After the “Sasha Fierce” disc disturbed my inner peace, I turned on “Dangerously in Love” to get my Beyonce` fix. (Check out the “Seriously, Beyonce` WTH?!” section for my take on the album as a fan) |
Entertainment
Rants and raves about all things entertainment industry. Includes my own movie, music and concert reviews. You can find topics under "Tags and Categories" below. Archives
August 2023
Tags/Categories
All
|