At least one tactic or event preceding the release of Beyoncé's 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% 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 album's ten songs were whipped up in two weeks, and you have yourself a career-killing train wreck. B'day isn't even close to that. While Beyoncé does sound like she's 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/It's time to get it, 'cause once again he's out doing wrong" (the blaring/marching "Freakum Dress"); "Don't 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 could've been pulled from one of the first three Kelis albums. And even with an entirely bonkers line like "I can do for you what Marvin 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 it's extremely unlikely that anyone in her camp could've predicted that the expectations and reactions would be less rational than any of Beyoncé's decisions and actions. There is nothing desperate or weak about this album.
My life has been pretty hectic lately. Recently I noticed that my taste in music may have suffered a little for all the running around. I joined mog.com partly as an affirmation, to motivate me to think and write about good music...and probably listen to it too. I was hoping that being on mog would inspire me to put down the Justin Timberlake CD long enough to write a blog about "The Black S...
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Not sure if this is on the B'day Deluxe Edition, bonus track edition or what? Only flaw I can hear in this remix is that it keeps in Jay-Z's ad libs from the original version - maybe this is a bootleg remix?
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Good Job , first video i like start of the back for b-day GO BE
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Hilarious and terrible - I'm not sure what's worse: - The mediocrity that is Beyonce- How impressionable this poor kid isWe clearly need Hova to save us all...Props to Perezzle for posting this first (?)
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Beyonce re-released her uber successfull album B'day in early April, and now under a month later the albums distribution has been halted. B'day along with a DVD anthology featuring a video of the song "Still In Love" are subjects of a legal battle between Beyonce/Sony Records and singer Des'ree, who claims Beyonce didn't have proper clearance to use the song "Kissing You"."It was one of my all-...
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Beyonce will be going on a World Tour in 2007 in support of her new album "B'Day". The Following Concerts are on Pre-Sale NOW for Beyonce Fan Club members. Purchase your tour packages, great seats, and an opportunity to meet Beyonce by joining Beyonce's Official Fan Club. Get more info now at www.beyonce.com5/4/2007 - Hamar, Norway - Vikingskibet5/5/2007 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Forum5/29/2007 ...
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My life has been pretty hectic lately. Recently I noticed that my taste in music may have suffered a little for all the running around. I joined mog.com partly as an affirmation, to motivate me to think and write about good music...and probably listen to it too. I was hoping that being on mog would inspire me to put down the Justin Timberlake CD long enough to write a blog about "The Black S...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Deja Vu |
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| 2 Get Me Bodied |
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| 3 Suga Mama |
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| 4 Upgrade U |
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| 5 Ring the Alarm |
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| 6 Kitty Kat |
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| 7 Freakum Dress |
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| 8 Green Light |
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| 9 Irreplaceable |
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| 10 Resentment |
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 "B'day")
