BEYONCÉ

not really enjoyiong this

Not a big pop fan

This was just shit. I think I expected more and was let down, but I disliked it all.

It’s crap

Eh. It's good. I just don't think I'm a Beyonce folk. The few albums I've listened to always leave me feeling like 3 or 4 of the songs were somehow Genuine? Beyonce and the rest are just trying to influence and shape the cutting edge of what is cool.

No thank you

6/10

Smokin' hot. 5 stars.

How did this get on the list...? It's okay I guess, seems overproduced and somehow all over the place at the same time.

I wanted to like this, but it actually reminded me of My Bloody Valentine in that every track is soo epic and overproduced that it becomes kind of numbing and loses its impact. I listened to all one hour and 33 minutes of this though, so that's a thing.

Great album, not my favorite genre but to notch songs for at least half. Well revisit a few of these songs. Great singles and solid features. Remixes are dancey This is an easy 4 for me

This album is dumb.

The booming bass in this was a little off-putting

Far too self referential and wallowing in her own genius for my likes. But an amazing voice and musicality.

I've never listened to Beyonce before unless it was on the radio and I was pleasantly surprised. Not all of it appealed to me, but there some songs that I liked quite a bit.

Good album , kept thinking of new girl when I was listening to drunk in love

Used to always listen, not so much these days.

Feels like the whole album is one or a couple of songs. A few songs (mostly popular ones) are ok to listen but listening to the whole album was not too easy. 2.5/5 -S didnt like it -A

nostalgias a bitch

I don’t mind singing along to Beyoncé on the radio. I did listen to ‘Renaissance’ and I could understand the critical acclaim surrounding it, given that it utilised forms of house music in order to pay homage to Black and queer musicians. ‘Lemonade’, while I have never heard it, seems to have good lyricism, judging from what critics say. Yet, I cannot understand how the rest of her albums generate so much acclaim, appearing on end-of-decade lists! The same goes for Taylor Swift. They make basic pop music, not really pushing anything or being too original, but because both are superstars they also receive acclaim. Thus, I listened to this album, but it didn’t change my opinion. It’s basic white girl 2010s pop. Enough said. (I must say that Beyoncé and Taylor Swift deserve recognition for becoming so famous. Good for them. However, that doesn’t mean all their music is fantastic). This is genuinely one of the albums I regretted listening to. For that reason, it gets 2 stars (not one because it’s not THAT bad. I’m sure if I was attracted to women I would enjoy it way more).

7.5

enjoyed it

It’s not you, it’s me.

I may of liked it you woulda put less songs on it. Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Disc sorpresa en més d'un sentit. No només va ser editat sense advertència prèvia; també en el seu so mostra una artista més madura, disc que actua com a punt d'inflexió de la Beyoncé més comercial dels seus primers discos a l'autora d'un r&b molt més complexe, negre i profund dels treballs posteriors. 'Drunk in Love', 'Pretty Hurts', 'Partition'... són només algunes de les mostres més punyents, i se situen entre els seus millors assoliments en solitari

Elska þetta ekki. Ekkert slæm plata, en ég næ bara ekki að tengja við hana.

Too many male manipulators on this site that can’t even acknowledge a legitimately good album by an incredibly talented artist.

One of my favorite Beyoncé records, she do be horny the whole album tho

Ouch, I really can't stand this music, which is a pity given how nice Beyonce's voice is. And yes, I'm fully aware of being firmly on the minority side here.

Beautiful voice, catchy tunes, haven’t listened to much Beyoncé before but I must admit I kind of dig it. The biggest dissonance is just reconciling that these love songs are about Jay-Z. I guess he should be congratulated for giving ugly dudes confidence that it could happen for them.

Pretty good. I don't get the hype. Some good songs but nothing really sticks out to me as great.

Undeniably catchy and killer crisp production. Not sure where the album ended since the platinum edition was all Spotify had for me. I was gonna complain about how every song is just unending sexual euphemisms but that would make me seem like “old man yells at cloud.”

It's fine. Didn't hate it, but I don't see myself ever coming back to it. It's a strong 2, but I just didn't like it enough for a low three. The length doesn't really help either. My favourite song was Partition.

Inconfundible estilo personal con una gran voz y excelentes arreglos. Pop bailable y alegre. No es mi estilo, pero se puede escuchar en cualquier momento

did not like

Queen Bee sounds fine but too many of the songs are fillerish. When she hits she absolutely KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK. For me though it’s an inconsistent listen. There’s a lesson in there that Beyoncé learned in later releases with far better flow and function.

Wtf

Got to admit when I saw Beyoncé come up I thought "Dear God no!!" But, I'm doing this to experience different music. So I put it on and went for a walk. To my surprise, it wasn't objectionable. However that is about the only positive thing I can say. For me it wasn't anything really. It was a sound that exists is probably the best I can say. When I got home I put the TV on and forgot I had an earpiece in. That's how little it inspired me.

Well that was a surprise! I’m clearly not her target market when she’s singing to her audience, and this is definitely not a genre of music I know. But, I actually enjoyed it a bit! She can sing, and unlike a lot of her peers, she rarely over sings which is a pet peeve of mine. A low 3 rating

Supposedly a groundbreaking album, sounds a bit run of the mill. A particular lowlight of the album is shown by her ignorance of the Working world from her privileged high pedestal with 'working 9 to 5 just to stay alive' just about acceptable for Dolly in the 70's but in the 21st century? Out of touch and overrated rubbish. I read that she had a team of writers and producers living with her for a month - I pity their greed and sychophantic attitude for prostrating/prostituting themselves for this person. Apple's review describes 'Beyonce's willingness to explore music's edges', well if she had done a collaboration with Gibby Haynes I'd believe she had. Yes it's a bit different to full on pop music of her past albums (I guess? Only heard a couple of tracks) but really nothing special. For her ideas 1, for her arrogance? Minus 1000,000.

I liked the first few songs and the last few songs

Beyoncé is obviously one of the biggest artists right now, maybe ever. i never completely understood why she was SO big though and this didn’t really clear anything up. obviously not bad at all but it really wasn’t anything special. i think i might have even liked the remixes at the end better than the original songs

I don't get Beyoncé. She can sing. We've known that since her mother selected her for advancement over her sister and the other Child of Destiny. Nevertheless, she falls into some sort of Kardashian level of fame where all I hear is how great Beyoncé is and it doesn't resonate for me. So should her epynonimous album be considered a must listen? To me, no.

- This is truthfully the first time I've listened to an album by Beyonce - Some very sexual lyrics - High quality pop music but I don't vibe with Beyonce as much as some people

- Blow is a banger - Really good pop album

utter perfection.

Great lively record

Realmente acha que para curtir com essa moça, algum hit em singles é o que vale.

As someone who grew up hearing many of her singles on the radio, this was my first time listening to a Beyoncé album in full and I was pleasantly surprised The production on this is amazing Very ahead of it’s time The way Beyoncé morphs her voice to express emotion on here is really great Will definitely be listening to this again in the future Favourite tracks: Haunted, Blow, Partition, Rocket, Mine, Blue

not the biggest fan of this one. not really the target audience for this album, and that's ok. none of the songs really resonated with me all that much and i found it hard to connect with. part of the problem i had was the production, which wasn't bad, but is a lot more clean and shinier than i prefer. overall, i thought it was alright, but really not for me.

So my understanding is that she has a team of 13 song writers helping her with this crap. What a joke. What a waste of time.

okay yeah, beyonce is her own category

Not very into it, very little of interest in the arrangements and so many songs just dragged long past the point they should.

2.5. Parts were fun. Tracks are too long and I know too much about Jay-Z now.

This was really fun! I can’t believe I hated this!

Why does beyonce make me feel like a hot bitch

I’ve listened to surprisingly little Beyoncé and I’m not sure why, though this one was pretty great. Fun, varied, incredible production, great vocals. Giving four but borderline 5 star album

Personal and yet so novel in sound. Culturally iconic

This list is selling out

Not my thing. Beyoncé is clearly talented but I found the songs monotonous with the thumping beat in what seemed like the time signature. Also did not see the point of the explicit lyrics on some songs. A good example is Partition. Leave nothing to the imagine or to interpretation. People have been singing about sex forever. It’s more interesting when veiled in euphemisms than coming right out and saying it. A waste of 90+ minutes

Pretty Hurts is a lackluster tracks because of the hook, but I am digging the sonic landscape queen B is putting out. Haunted and Drunk In Love are killer, though I think Jay-Zs verse in it is weak. Blow rocks, No Angel is an impressive vocal line but I'm not taken with the song. Partition is fine but Jealous is so good. Rocket is so good! She is so masterful in her control of rythmic dissonance. Heaven is minamilist lyrics wrought to devasting effectiveness. what a killer record.

There really are not a lot of songs on here that would be classified as hit potential. Good and thoughtful songs? Yes, there are enough of those, like 'Haunted,' 'Partition' and 'XO.' Not just musically, but lyrically does Beyonce tell us a few thing from her mind and heart. It's not all the prettiest, but it seems at least honest. BEYONCE is a pop album with substance and never becomes superficial and Mrs. Knowles knows how to use her vocal acrobatics this time not unnervingly with those long stretches, but rather with a lot of emotion and control. The minimalist productions work very well with the vocals. And the album made a lot bigger impact on me when I listened to it though headphones. There's a lot of sonic experiences happening in the background. It's too bad that the guest appearances are of a very different quality. Where Jay-Z and Beyonce together make "Drunk In Love" maybe the best song on the album, Drake does the opposite on "Mine." It's such a lacklustre performance and song it even makes the songs around it less fun, that's how bad it is. Also 'Blue' (with Blue Ivy) and Rocket are just up to the standard that a lot of the rest of the album brings. All in all just a really good pop album with a few deep depths that bring the album down. Remove them and you would have an almost perfect diamond.

2.5. I only really like Beyoncé’s popular stuff, the rest of it just isn’t that great to me so a whole album just ends up being bland.

Couple good songs. Outstanding production. Committee written.

This is a perfect explanation of why she's known as Queen B. Infectious, soulful, and unflinching in its examination of feminine sexuality.

Overrated and boring.

Beyoncé fans don’t play bruh. This wiki page is FAT. Loving this so far. XO is the first track that’s meh to me. Not bad just seemed a little flat especially compared to the rest of the album. God damn the remixes and bonus tracks are heat, I feel like it’s rare for the deluxe tracks to ever be good. The kanye feature 😍😭 First time I wish I could give half stars. Easy 4.5 A couple misfires but besides that it was really great. Imma give beyonce her flowers cause I get it now

HL: "Drunk in Love", "Mine", "Superpower", "Blow", "Ring Off" (bonus track) Less enthusiastic about: "Partition", "XO" hindsight 20/20, I appreciate this whole era a lot more than I did back then. Not to disown all the Bastille, Imagine Dragons, Lorde & Lana Del Rey I was hearing at the time, but there were some clear blind spots in what I chose to listen to. m.A.A.d. city, Yeezus, Channel Orange and now this, all releasing around my senior year of high school only for me to basically tune it out, then decide 10 years later that they're actually very good "Drunk in Love" is the one thing I knew about this album before today, which still holds up. Though I can't handle this level of maximalism every day, with the smorgasbord of guest producers, singers & songwriters threatening to overload the project, it's also a great snapshot of 2013 for that reason. Disturbingly, one of my favourite songs heavily features Drake, and Pharrell's slick nu-disco (wHiCh wAs tHe StYlE aT tHe TiMe) rarely sounded better than it does in "Blow". While some tracks sound very of their time (“Pretty Hurts”), others feature a mildly experimental sound that aged pretty well (“No Angel”, “Haunted”) July 18, 2023

it's fine. good porn lyrics!

It is important that everyone knows that this album was a monumental release. Beyonce, one of the biggest pop stars in the world, had dropped this with no promotion, no leaks, no marketing whatsoever. Album sales were built entirely on the back of Beyonce's own fame, and it's success only cemented her as, undoubtedly, the GOAT. On the album's content, this is an incredibly sensual album. Beyonce leans into the ambience to give it a hazy feeling, no doubt trying to channel the feeling of love and desire. It also occasionally uses sound clips from milestone moments in Beyonce's life, serving as a sort of reflection on her life. This appropriately closes with a dedication to her firstborn Blue Ivy, who is the youngest person to ever chart the billboard charts. I think the consistency in quality makes it worth a listen, but to me there were never any specific peaks that I could pick out. The whole album rides a line of being just "really good" without every being fully great.

Fuckin' finally. Except I'm not listening to the platinum edition, nope, no. Sorry. Not unless I love the normal edition. Oof. Pretty Hurts. 'It's the soul that needs surgery.' That's not working for me. This feels like a late album song - side two, buried a bit, the one the artist insisted go on the album and that everybody else in the room said "Okay, yeah. Sure, I mean, you never know, right?" This is a tough place too start. Haunted takes a minute - but 'My haunted lungs'? I'm on board with that. But overall? This is not the shit. Lots of talent on display but very few moments of it are coming together. Lemonade. Bring me lemonade.

Beyonce is a global phenomenon; something both entirely understandable and yet, to me, utterly incomprehensible. All the elements contributing to her success are there to see - and yet those are the exact same elements that leave me cold. The music is competent and catchy - and as safe, unambitious, and 'on rails' as can be imagined. Beyonce herself is an incredible singer, yet the technical ecstasy of the execution leaves me unmoved. This sounds like the creation of a precision-engineered pop cyborg, with minimal human intervention. I gave Scissor Sisters one star because the music was like taking a pumice stone to my cochlear, but looking back I was being unfair. At least their Elton John-cum-disco era Bee Gees approach contained some interesting ideas. This is smooth-brain music.

Heard "Irreplaceable" over the weekend. I may be a simple man, but I'll take that again over anything on this record. I have no doubt this is a mature outing and does some deconstructing of pop/soul/hip-hop/etc. It's probably even much more rewarding upon multiple listens. But I'm not really looking for that out of this type of music and this good of a voice. Bring me the songs that make me want to sing along with you. Not sure that was accomplished much here, nor do I really think it was even the intent.

On so I'm for sure not in the majority with this one but damn I don't get Beyonce. She has a nice voice but nothing else has any kind of appeal for me. It's just too popcorn nothingness. The music's good she's good but as a whole it's so unmemorable. I skipped the bonus material but the og album had nothing I could recall and I finished 2 minutes ago. It's not bad but I won't hit up the queen bee unless she has another one on here. Bye Felicia 2*

Not really my thing but pretty good still.

A really decent pop album...just not something I would ever put back on myself.

Molto interessante, molto esplicito, ma "fatto bene". Non da 5, ma molto indeciso... 4 1/2

Very polished.

PREFS : Pretty Hurts, Haunted, XO, Blue MOINS PREF : ***Flawless

Shockingly poor, I'm sure she has a great voice but this doesn't show it, the song with Jay Z is terrible, it almost feels like if AI generated r&b. Many more talented artists who fit a similar genre should be included before this trash.

A mixed bag. I really enjoyed some songs (much more than expected) but didn't like others equally. Low expectations, slightly surpassed.

Just not a fan

I almost want to give it a 1 just based on how overhyped she is and how annoying her fan base is. The weirdest thing is that I've listened to modern radio my entire life (not always by personal choice) and ai didn't recognize one of these songs. I'm familiar with Crazy in Love up to Break My Soul. Why are these songs all a blank space? Oh well. It doesn't matter as I don't like any of these anyway. You know what? I am going to give this a 1 anyway. I swear she isn't THAT bad, just overhyped and I'd bet a substantial sum that she has better albums than this. This was just a bore.

Identifying Beyoncé : It’s Beyoncé

I pretty miserable experience. I've never liked Beyonce, and I still don't. I find her voice annoying, and her singing to be insufferable. She's also a bad person! I've had the misfortune of being friends with (and married to!) lots of Beyonce fans, so it's not an issue of lack of exposure. I tried to give this a chance (and I did listen to every single track on this 90+ minute masturbatory odyssey) and it's just not for me.

I’m just not her target market. I try to approach and understand why people love it and I just doesn’t do it for me.

te amo beyonce 8.5/10

It is exactly what you'd expect it to be.

I read that this is a visual album so I tried watching the music videos but got bored to death. They're well done but a snooze in the long run. So I listened to the album instead. It's not much better. I hated the Drake and Frank Ocean track. The best track on the album is ***Flawless. The rest is boring over-produced pop.

3.5/5. Not really for me, but it was good. I don't really have much else to say.

I like the whole thing Beyonce has going. She has a spectacular voice and some of her songs are impactful and/or catchy or otherwise fantastic. This album, though beautifully made and varied and personal, just doesn't quite reach me. I admire it more than I actually like it, if you know what I mean. I certainly *want* to love it, but here we are.

Intro Track Pretty Hurts, Fantastic intro everything about this song is outstanding one of the best intros to an album I've heard, imo hasn't aged the best its not milk bad but maybe like canned fruit (0.8) Haunted - Fantastic song, talks about the process of making music which has become boring (0.7) Drunk In Love - heard clips but never full song, great song about getting drunk and fking lmao, Production is so good and mixing is perfect (favorite jay-z verse ever, its so fun) (1) Blow - my mom would not allow me to listen to this song, eh its whatever, not a fan of the sexual parts it makes me unconfutable as lame as that is, not a fan of the production as well sounds like a Disney sitcom intro OH WAIT BEAT SWITCH alright second half slaps first half is a snooze fest but second part going crazy still not a fan of sexual noises im sorry i know im lame (0.4) No Angelz - Boring YAWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN (0) Partiton - Iconic ass intro, YONCE ON HIS MOUTH LIKE LIQOR BANGER RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (1) Jealous - bro...... holy shit (1) i listened to it again Rocket - ooooo i like intro, bro jay z got it like that wtf isn't he like ugly asf damn i hate ugly successful people still a banger (0.8) its just a bit to long, felt like if they cut out a min and half this could have been perfect Mine FT Drake - WAIT THIS IS HEAT, first drake intro was straight gas, oh yea these hoes harmonizing now, drakes solo with that effect is so good. Drake is so ass now its great to hear when he was in his bag, GASSSSS NIGGA RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (1) asap rocky influence crazy ima have to bring the score down only asap can do it as good as he does drake verse is great tho. (0.9) XO - damn this shit got me in tears dawg holy fuc, seems like it would be a finale but it isn't this shit is gas tho (1) i needa get a girlfriend to post this song on my insta story ong Flawless - I pledge allegiance to the flag of Beyonce states of America and to the republic of which it stands one nation under Beyonce indivisible, with Beyonce served to all. ALLEN FOR THREE BANG (1) Superpower - Frank Ocean (AKA the pretty boy ong he pretty) alright slower song good change of pace, i was expecting a bit more frank sad its a cool song not close to the past couple songs but still alright (0.6) Heaven - damn bro just fucking damn (1) Blue - GOD STOP IT PLEASE I JUST WANNA BE HAPPY (1) i wanna be held to this song man. (i consider this to be the album deluxe songs are cool tho) final thoughts extremely talented artist I feel like this is the album Beyonce became the Beyonce we know today the households name Beyonce, this album holds very well in 2023 with each song fitting together so well. It also starts of pretty well but ends perfectly blue will forever be the greatest album closer imo. going into this review I knew a couple of these songs but going back and listening them in order and learning about how the rollout and drop was its crazy that this lived up and stands as one of Beyonces best albums and possibly one the best albums in the 2010's FINAL SCORE 10.2/14

eh?

I hadn't listened to this once in a few years, so this was nice to revisit. "Pretty Hurts" and "XO" still remain my favorites from this album, although "Drunk in Love" is melodically so so catchy. I don't know if I necessarily enjoy this album more than her earlier works, but it's solid considering I don't listen to this type of rnb-tinged pop too often.

It's easy to see the world as Beyoncé's; It's easy to ignore it. In 2013, I wasn't paying attention to this album's release, and that colors the comparison to last year's Renaissance. The self-titled is an album of "mosts": There's space, mostly, solo vocals, mostly, and the lyrics orbit a single theme, mostly. That makes the project interesting, but it's not particularly comprehensive. In the list context, it's too easy to equate with later Beyoncé releases or its peers.

Sounds very expensive and overly produced, and very very explicit (for a Bey record). Plenty of good songs, but nothing really interesting going on. I didn't love it, but can understand why it is on the list.

It's Beyonce. I got nothing more to say. She is not my favorite artist, but I respect her style. P.S. Kanye's remix is the best song on the album though.

I dunno, it just sort of goes on. Meanders thither the yonder, rambles a bit, then the production picks up before it abates for a bit more blather. I dunno. Not me really to bae honest

I enjoyed the album but wasn’t huge on it.

1st time listening to much Beyonce I'm not mad about it. I'd give it 3.5 stars but not 4!

It was just kinda there. The dial didn't move much one way or the other. Some of the songs sounded somewhat familiar but I couldn't name any of them now. No desire to listen to this album again. Better than a 2 not really a 3. I suppose I will round up.

Great voice, many good songs, somewhat uneven album

When we are tasked with the question of when the paradigm shifted in popular and musical culture, I think it is safe to say that when this album unexpectedly assimilated itself into the fabric of... well, everything. I remember when it came out and being as surprised as everyone else. No one saw it coming. Beyoncé had literally changed the game. I'll be completely honest here: this is my first time listening to this album and I can understand why it was and is an utter gamechanger. Literally everything is on here, right there for the eventual "memeification" ("surfboard", "I woke up like this", etc.). But the most important thing here is the music and, man, do Queen Bey and her collaborators deliver. From wall-to-wall bangers to effective detours to the downtempo, BEYONCÉ was the moment where Beyoncé became the auteur, the gold standard, the be-all end-all of pop music. Nearly ten years on, this is the monolith to hang all hats on. Salute. Favorites: Pretty Hurts, Haunted, Drunk in Love, Blow, Partition, Rocket, Mine, XO, ***Flawless, Superpower, 7/11, Drunk in Love Remix, Ring Off, Blow Remix, Standing in the Sun Remix.

This album is terrible. The opening track 'Pretty Hurts' doesn't prepare you for what's to come, because that's actually not bad - but from there it just descends into boring nothingness. It only picks up slightly towards the end with the last few tracks, where they start to resemble actual songs. I know this sounds pretentious, but at least with other albums I don't like I can at least see why others might like them, or even appreciate how they're made. I don't get any of that with this. The beats are basic and stripped back, the content is completely shallow and nothing, and it's irritating to listen to. Bewildering.

I remember when this dropped in college! My a cappella group lost their shit. We watched the video album back to back and rolled back our favorites until 4 in the morning. Listening now is interesting, lots of the synths and drums sound dated, and it feels a little more melodramatic with the interludes and honestly just because Beyoncé’s voice is so polished and good. Also “What goes up ghost around” lol. The lyrics in general are doing it less for me. My biggest takeaway is that the whole album is so much more theatrical than I remember. Makes a lot of sense, but I’m a little less able to buy in with some of the lyrics and the melodrama. I think it was such a moment, and I need to remember that it was a surprise drop, and a lot of this stuff was super original at the time. Makes sense that it would come across differently 10 years later. Even my former favorite “Superpower” isn’t doing too much for me anymore. But it’s a nostalgic listen for me, and much of the production and Beyoncé’s undeniable voice still shines through.

I'm supposed to say this is overrated, no I think it's great! I think it's about 5000% cheesier than I remember it being when I was 20, haha. The drums do not hold up at all. They feel very very silly. The production and the general through-composed, interlude-heavy tracks, especially in the front half, are really like catnip for me. It's some aspect of what shaped me musically. Honestly people say this is pretentious but I like when pop artists are this ambitious and are trying something real. The lyrics are super weak in sections, haha. But this is really really good in sections, and it's not all formula. 4/5 I appreciate the ambition

Look, I see why it's liked. The music production is good not great. But man do I just not care for her for some reason.

I enjoy most of this album but not all of the songs.

Good, but didn't wow me.

Good pop album. Beyoncé definitely knows pop, but it's just my thing. 3.5 stars.

Never been much of a Beyonce fan. Didn't hate it. But was a bit surprised by the amount of cursing. Guess all the worship from little girls made me assume.

Sexy and powerful album, solid 2010’s pop album.

please generate me some metal albums

Look, I understand how popular she is and how she’s the new ‘queen of pop.’ That being said I’ve just never been able to connect with her songs at all. A very boring ‘meh’ album to me.

Listened Before? N Pretty good. I loved the backstory of how the album was recorded with all writers and producers living with her and Jay-Z. Great stuff. The albums sexual themes are in your face which was unexpected as well. Solid work. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Drunk In Love

Great at every turn. I was expecting this an album to feel a bit dated (it is already ten years old). But it doesn’t at all. “Rocket” is now far and away my favorite Beyoncé song.

yeah this is one of my favorite beyonce albums for a reason. just hit after hit, and some really great producers doing some of their best work. also, it alone is the reason why albums release on fridays now instead of tuesdays, which is a fun fact.

Marvellous

Impeccable production. Just a bit too long.

this album is particularly gash. its a mish mash of shitty current rap styles with beyonces trademark warbling over the top with bags of #sass because #slay #queen. fucking awful from a loathsome dick head.

A resplendent, beautiful minge, that you would be proud to eat your dinner off. Although I would eat every last crumb that would drop out of her vag and treasure it forever, her music doesn't really send my tastebuds into ecstasy. A rather bland and bitter relish smacks against my lips and leaves a nasty taste in my throat. Her beef lips, rubbery and ferocious as they may be, cannot mask the foul stench of her mediocre beats and limp lyrics that pour out of this unappetising banquet. A feast to forget, but a fanny full of flavour.

Considering she's the biggest recording artist in the world, nobody I've asked has ever been to name 5 Beyonce songs. I've asked a lot of people. I'll try to do it myself now... Crazy in Love (from like two thousand and fucking three) Erm...The put a ring on it one Erm...Halo? I can only think of Destiny's Child songs now..... Nope

I read that this album was Beyonce exercising total creative control, which usually means you can expect a weird and wonderful collection. Unfortunately, there's not much about this album that's very unique. I don't mind all of the collaborators, but there's not much here musically that I haven't heard many times before. I'm giving three stars only because the end of the album has a few good tracks, almost hidden from the rest of the poppier songs. The standout track for me is Superpower where she seems to finally start taking some risks.

I had high hopes for this one. But holy shit it blows, how is Beyoncé famous? It's not sexy, it's repulsive. Not in a christian ascetic kinda way, just straight nauseating to listen to. Yooooo my ignorance has been unveiled. XO is not a John Mayer song holy shit hahahahh.

It is what it is- no better or worse than other mass-produced products in history. Very well produced though - slick and professional but maybe at times it's overdone as jumps and starts with no discerable pattern is seems to me. It grates after a while, not much Rhythm and no blues at all.

⭐️Partition

I didn't need to hear this.... not for me. Not horrible, but not for me. Most tolerable songs: Heaven, Blue 2.5

Started to listen to this album but when I got to Drunk in Love I left and went on a Jay-Z binge. I’ll eventually get back to this one day. From the first few songs it was good.

5 stars for the song "Flawless" alone. 4 for "Heaven." Rest of the album, meh.

Don't care

Has its moments but it’s just too long

Pretty boombastic sound, great for stadium-filling epics. I wouldn't class myself as a huge fan of either artiste or genre, but there's no denying Beyoncé's talent or appeal. Good stuff

It’s fine? I only listed to some, cause I know some.

4/10 really not for me I guess it’s good? I think Beyoncé is kind of a total piece of shit and these songs are laughably cringey, both in lyrics and production

Solid

Just more evidence that she's one of the greatest of all time.

Oh, the drama.

Can't say I ever listened to a Beyoncé album in earnest so this will be a good exercise. I have always respected her as an artist but it's not my genre at all but I can recognize the merit. Pretty Hurts is kind of what I expected but I was not expected a track like Haunted which has a lot of interesting drum and synths that are borderline experimental, not to mention Beyoncé's cadence in flowing between rap and singing. From Wikipedia I see there was an artist named Boots who was a bit more on the electronic side and had some of those random experimental tracks that she gravitated towards. If I heard this track in isolation I would not guess Beyoncé at all. Drunk in Love, I've heard this before. Actually kinda like it in some ways, has some interesting vocal choices. Kinda don't need the Jay-Z addition though. Blows instrumentals are fun. The rest of the songs started to wash over me. I'd say it's a pretty darn good pop album, but that's why in general it's not to my tastes.

I can’t do what she does with her voice. But I still don’t think it sounds…good.

That's a no from me. She has a good voice, but damn is it overproduced and soulless. Couldn't get myself to finish it all the way through.

Like the sound but could have had some more upbeat songs

One of my favourite albums ever.

better than i thought but some of these songs are crazy annoying

I deeply respect Beyonce but I never actively choose her music to listen to. Doesnt quite click with me, but then again I am very much NOT the target audience and thats ok. Her newest album is the only exception.

Obviously good, though, like almost all top tier money acts of today, over produced. Contributing to its primary weakness, monotony of tone (not so much in the lyrics and vocal performance, but in the backing music).

Wonderful

Damn. Thoroughly original, memorable and enjoyable. What struck me most was how creatively each song was structured, even if the record was little too long. A great record.

This album is not my thing. I think this album is on the list due to the way the album was marketed through visual arts. I don't think it is a "must-hear" for fans of music.

Pop by committee...

Some good songs but too long and few good songs in between

I remember when this came out and the world lost its collective mind. Gotta give this album credit for its impact, but nobody can deserve as much hype as Beyoncé receives. There’s a decent amount of filler here in between the hits. Maybe I’d feel different if I watched the videos along with it. I don’t know, just didn’t do it for me. My faves were the ones everyone knows.

Beats and lyrics to listen to

Ok. A whole album of Beyonce is a first for me. The full rapturous entertaining package. So much more than an amazing voice, and evocative of power, desire, luxury, pleasure, empowerment, and yes, this music is all about her. She fill the shoes. We are never in any doubt of Beyoncé Knowles obvious talents and full assets. Its music from a whole fantasy land into which to project. An empowered and dignified deity is here on her terms to entertain, command our adoration, the central focus is her enchantment supported by a suprisingly slow and very carnal beats and rhythm. It's like she is slowly strutting through the room at all times, as she does on stage, controlling the beat, holding us dripping with the rapture of a luxurious, heavenly nightclub-come-boudoir, steamy with the pheromones as she holds us all in anticipation for a jouissance on her own creation. She is control at all times. Quality stuff.

Just too much, too many layers in the production, too much production and too many effects and collaborators, top much synthetic sound and way, way too much celebrity baggage. Yes, there are plenty of moments, but a real deficiency of soul to one's own ears, the whole thing being just massively artificial. These celebrity records seems to make a huge assumption that non-fans will actually care, or be interested in whatever they do, which leads to indulgence and tone-deafness. Here, there's just no sub-surface substance to engage one who isn't dazzled (and is in fact completely bored by) the surface glitz and glimmer. One vastly prefers Solange, though it may be a temperamental preference. One can't remember if this record invented the cliche of including little kids' voices or merely extended it. Either way, it's lame.

My expectations were low and I’m still disappointed

I didn't like it

Decent

Good album but forgettable and generic.

Pretty good. Although I didn’t feel like there was any song that really jumped out at me as THE track from the record. But, I’m probably not the target audience anyway. 3.5/5

“not my bag baby” - Austin Powers. 2/5

reminds me of being 14 :)

Some great songs on here (Partition, **Flawless) and lots of playful, sexy, woman-centered and reflective themes. As incredible as Beyoncé's voice is though, so many of these songs fell flat for me. I'll stick to enjoying her hits as they come up on the radio or in playlists.

Oh goodness I hope I like this. I feel like Pretty Hurts is trying to making a grand statement and I'm missing it. Okay, HAUNTED I get. Powerful. Geeze. I don't know if I've ever listened to a more danceable album. I expected vapid pop. The time changes! The key changes! The production value! wow. Haunted, Flawless, XO, Jealous, Blow, what a a great album!

A game changer

A redefinition of R&B for the next millennium. Maximalist, layered, complex, emotional.

Heres the thing - This is technically a great album. The beats, vocals, themes, music, theyre all outstanding. BUT its so heavily produced and led by committee that its impossible to give it a good score. How can I say its a great album if it was written by 500 people and then each track was fed through a focus group before release? Its not an album that you can really get into, but its got tracks that you can really visualize the toyota commercial for. Its OK, I guess - But I cant rate this any higher than a 3. 3/5

Not a fan of any music that forces me to picture a nude Jay-Z

I can appreciate why people like it but it isn't for me, chief

this might be the best beyonce album, but that doesnt mean its good. well, because it isnt. i dont like how she sings or raps or makes commercial and vapid statements about empowerment. fuck this bloates corpse of an album and the 1000 engineers who produced it (if the beats good, its bc someone else did the work). fuck billionaires. and fuck bey n jays hilariously empty billionaire philanthropy product placement tripe.

While I appreciate the Beyonce is the best thing in the world ever ever, I just think all of her music sounds the same.

Yeah this album slaps.

Frank Ocean + Ye feature, automatic 4 atleast. tho ngl some of the earlier songs in the album were not it.

BEYONCE????

Okay, I'll admit, maybe I'm just uncultured and don't know what I'm talking about, but this was awful. It isn't exactly "modern" pop (over a decade old!), but it sure feels like exactly why people say they don't like modern music. The ideas behind the album are in good faith, and the messages are okay, but the songs all sound pretty same-y, both in sound and in lyrics, and an over reliance on a heavy bass sound rather than any actual instruments really drags the songs down. This album also goes on far too long, with as I said, half the songs feeling like alternate versions of previous songs. Most of the featuring artists felt useless and in the background, usually in an annoying capacity (such as Drake's feature). The last song was sweet and probably my favorite on the album, but it didn't really recover the album at all. Just like Kanye West's "Yeezus", this may have changed pop music, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.

The moment when Beyoncé Knowles became BEYONCÉ and firmly secured her place in the musical pantheon. Unafraid to express her sexuality, fully confident in her talents as a singer and ambitions to be an accomplished woman, she offers a beautifully realized sonic odyssey.

Having never listened to any Beyoncé I can confidently say I don't need to again

I don't go into these things trying to hate the music to begin with. I mean, what's the fun in that? I will admit I was a bit trepidatious, and I was expecting this album to be more like the Beyonce of 2010 and previous, but it's definitely not in a few ways: 1) the material is more... adult, 2) she is definitely trying to vary her musical style with the material There were only one or two times I could hear autotune and I think that was used for the song as an effect more than anything else. I do not believe that it was used throughout the entire album (thank God). Many of the songs really did showcase her vocal ability, which is really on display on a number of the tracks here: "Pretty Hurts," "Partition" (that was... an interesting one) "Rocket" "Blue" and "Superpower" Even the songs that didn't grab me still had great production, I think the only ones I didn't really care for was "No Angel" and "Haunted." But I can see the maturity in the work, in comparison to where she had come from and that is pretty impressive. I saw some reviews where people were bothered by the "songwriting by committee." If a number of people had to help out to make the song what it is and that makes it a good song, then so be it. I'd rather have that than one person who makes a song that's awful. And really, a lot of people need that collaboration. Am I going to come back to this? Probably not, but I liked it for what it was. Middling 3 for me, I guess.

This is a good album but too uneven. If everything was like Pretty Hurts, I'd be all over it - that song is Beyonce fierce, passionate with a great lyrical message. Partition is also fierce, in a "I run this" and "yes ma'am whatever you say" way. She just commands respect on it. Haunted is different, but still cool - sultry. Then there's all the songs where she's trying to be explicit and/or sexy. Drunk in Love doesn't work for me - they lyrics are honest but she actually doesn't say a lot (just repeats stuff). Unlike Partition, it feels like she's submitting to a man because Jay-Z seems to have more lines in his 1 minute feature (it's like a 14 year old talking about how much she loves her 22 year old boyfriend). Blow, however, is what that song should've been. Damn - sexy as hell and funktastic. Jealous is also powerful - great lyrics, anyone in a relationship can relate (and the backup singers really make the sound). Heaven and Blue have very different themes than most of the album but they're touching. A few too many bland or forgettable songs (No Angel, Rocket, Mine, Superpower). But yet just when you're ready to write her off, she brings it back with songs like XO and Flawless. They're just big tunes that grab you. So all in all, much respect for what she did here. But what rubs me the wrong way is, is there no shame in having 50 different people be part of an album? Where is the pride in having something be yours? As Michael Jackson was seeking his opus he eventually got rid of Quincy Jones. This is supposedly Beyonce's opus and while she had a lot to do with the lyrics, she gave up so much artistic creation to collaborators. It just feels a bit like cheating.

This listen came after I listened to Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 album, She’s So Unusual from the list. One thing I can say is that pop music has changed a lot in 30 years and I didn’t expect to like this album as much as I did. Beyonce definitely came into her own with this release. Her voice is amazing. Tracks like “Haunted”, “Blow”, “Partition” and “Rocket” made a strong impression with "Haunted" being my favorite on the album (great video too) . There were moments on the album that didn’t click with me though. I don’t know what Jay-Z was thinking on “Drunk in Love,” but his appearance on the track took away more than it added to the song and “Flawless” kind of just annoyed me. Overall though I though it was a great album and I look forward to checking out Lemonade and Renaissance as well.

I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would. The lyrics of much of the first half were the main issue I had with the album - I'm all for female sexual empowerment, but from Drunk in Love to Rocket I just wanted to tell Bey and Jay to get a room (Jay-Z: "Your breasteses is my breakfast." Sigh). That said, the music and production are excellent and she has an amazing voice. Don't know if I'd go out of my way to listen to it again, but I wouldn't mind listening more, so I'll call it a 4. Tracks that caught my ear: Haunted (very cool track - also a good spot to acknowledge the visually stunning videos she made for every song on the album), Partition (more sexy-time lyrics, but I like the music), Mine (really like the drum track), XO (anthemic), Flawless, and Heaven (what a great line "Heaven couldn't wait for you. So go on, go on home." I saw some people say it's about a miscarriage, which hits hard, but she says it's about her mother's friend. If it is about a miscarriage, damn that hits you in the feels). Nice ending with Blue - it made me want to go hug my kids, even though they're not so little anymore.

kind of a slay ig

I don't understand the hype around Beyoncé. It's not my type of music and I never listened to it properly. I now understand why... Overall, I did not enjoy it, but I give an extra star, because not all songs were really bad.

Unexpectedly varied. I like the bravado in the lyrics, the dark electro-trap beats, and the restrained vocals compared to her hits from the mid-2000’s.

I think there was one song where I thought "OOh, I kinda like this" besides that it's kinda meh for me

Strong album in its own way, but wouldn't listen to it a lot.

Not a fan. Can't feel any heart in the music and lacks cohesion. Feels like 90 minutes of trying to sound badass

It's good, but not mostly. Either way I don't want to hear it. It sounds like radio.

I really like Beyonce and have listened to her songs before. I can appreciate her as a musician and I know she's incredibly talented but to be honest her music isn't really my thing. that being said, this album is perfectly sequenced and masterfully produced. I really enjoyed the listening experience and appreciate it as a piece of art in and of itself. definitely have a newfound appreciation for Beyonce now !!

I can't do the mainstream pop.

Songs for empowerment and selective mass appeal

Heard it before: Just the once but that was the non platinum edition Enjoy it?: Yes, it’s something I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to or even describe as my regular taste but you cannot deny pure talent and immaculate production which Beyoncé never misses on, didn’t care for nearly any of the remixes on here but the bulk is fantastic. amazing samples and slowing down of tempo and pace to make such an easy listening pop classic Favourite song : Track 16 - Flawless (Remix with Nicki Minaj) (Honourable mentions to Partition, 7/11 and Haunted)

Awful. It's really not my thing, but I was expecting much better.

I've never got the Beyoncé hype. The hype makes me give this rating. Agree with the other reviews about product not person.

Just not for me

No, thank you.

I like Beyonce, this isn't my favorite.

Who run the world? Girls (girls) Who run the world? Girls (girls) Who run the world? Girls (girls) Who run the world? Girls (girls) Who run the world? Girls (girls) Who run this mutha? Girls Who run this mutha? Girls Who run this mutha? Girls Who run this mutha? Girls Who run the world? Girls (girls) Who run the world? Girls (girls) Who run the world? Girls (girls) Who run the world? Girls (girls) is still better songwriting than most of what's on this album

versatility queen, lots of bangers

Neloše

Hey miss carter

Quite possibly Beyoncé's best record. There's a great mix of styles here and she really shines as a songwriter and vocalist in pretty much any genre she wants. Also the production is killer There are a couple of songs I'm less keen on (particularly Blow and Mine) and it it a bit over-long in that sense. However otherwise it just has banger after banger - the four singles and No Angel are all top-tier Bey tracks- so it's hard to let that affect the overall enjoyment of the album

should have won album of the year at the 2015 grammys, it's insane I still have to pick my fave song because it changes each time like she's so sick for this excellence

2 cd's vol met Beyonce, dat werd me een beetje teveel.

Zal best goed zijn, maar kan er toch weinig mee.

Ik hoor wel dat het goed is, maar het is me te gelikt allemaal. En die adlibs, pfff...

Ik hoor zeker wel dat de beste dame enorm getallenteerd is, maar het is gewoon niet mijn ding. Heb nog een heel aardig stuk van dit album geluisterd, en zonder tegenzin verder. Maar nergens werd het voor mij echt interessant.

Ik vond dit best leuk om te luisteren. Positief verrast!

Not usually my style and I don't really know much of her work other than the big hits. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Not sure if it's just the platinum edition but it went on a bit. Not sure I'd listen again.

Raunchy!! Cool soundscapes for catchy pop tunes but songs were quite long n repetitive and I started to lose interest by the end of the album - the drake feature was very dull. Other than that is was enjoyable

I guess I didn't expect this to be so... boring. Everything felt over-produced, and based on how much critics liked this, I expected something groundbreaking, but ground never broke. I've never been one to listen to Beyonce, and I can see that was the right decision.

Is good

I mean what can I say, it’s Beyoncé.

Way too long. The only measure for rating each song is how catchy it is because their is not much else to say. Obviously it’s very influential. Mine was the best song and superpower was second. 2.5/10

Not my fave album of hers. A few bangers. Overall kind of desperate and whiney lyrically.

This is a pretty damn epic album, which does explain some of the worship given to Her Majesty. There were a couple of times my arms almost went up in the air in praise. We all knew she could sing, but here was a real VOICE. Anyone who can sing an ugly word like "ass" the way Beyoncé does in the opening line of "Rocket" is truly a virtuoso (virtuosa?). I almost felt overly voyeuristic in the more erotic numbers because they were so personal and intimate. But I suppose that goes for all of the emotions expressed in this album as well. "Pretty Hurts" is quite a message coming from someone who we all just sort of assumed reigned over the world with effortless beauty. The video is pretty gut-punching. And speaking of videos, I note that this album was meant to be accompanied by all the videos (I never saw an "Audio Only" warning on an album), but I was only able to sample a few today. It was time well spent.

I don’t listen to Beyoncé much…really just when a tunes pops on the radio or something. I found some songs quite pretty and some quite sexy. Her voice is so smooth and can really draw you in.

Smooth, sexy, powerful, and empowering. I feel like kicking the patriarchy's ass today. More so.

WOW! There’s a reason she’s Queen Bey. Incredible album that tells incredible stories. Absolutely amazing!

For a pop album, I thought this one was painfully boring. I have nothing against Beyoncé but holy sh*t that was a chore to get through that one.

"1001 albums to hear before you die". This list will literally kill me.

Better than what I thought but still very boring Pop album..

In the spectrum of hip-hop, this album is on the side that I like the least. How can we offer an honest work that comes from the heart and soul when there are 3 producers and 7 authors per song? It really sounds like pre-formatted music for commercial radio. Maybe it's not... but either way, it's really not for me.

beyonce is one of those artists that i have always wanted to explore, and i'm thrilled to get the opportunity here. the album is autobiographical at times, which is fitting for a self-titled album. including those audio clips of her childhood/past was a brilliant choice. not to mention, "***flawless" includes such an important message--the spoken word verse!! i love owning and celebrating sexuality via "partition." it's so empowering. "pretty hurts," as the album opener, discusses happiness and beauty standards. beyonce works hard to cover some important topics here. for someone who can sing as she does, it's a shame there's so many produced sounds. i wish her voice was allowed to stand more on its own. regardless, her voice is beautiful here. but i suppose with the produced sounds, the album is full of a lot of fun. as a side note, it's fascinating to see how many of these songs have a cultural impact!

This album is an interesting inclusion. While I do recognize Beyonce's immense impact on pop and R&B music as she exited Destiny's Child, this album, to me, marked a turning point where she became less of a singer and more of an experience and a production. Everything about this album was a production: the album dropped secretly and unexpectedly and toted a long list of credits and came complete with visuals. This album's work, while not bad, seems incredibly manufactured and mostly uninspired. In this case, I do think the production overshadowed the artistry. The lyrics seem disparate and disconnected from the songs. I could probably get behind this more easily if it were marketed as some kind of dark, moody, ambient electronic/R&B collaborative concept among the producers. But the need to throw Beyonce's name on this and literally market the music around her made this feel, again, overproduced. It mostly sounds like Beyonce showed up to do some vocals on songs that were never really for her to begin with. Aside from a couple of notable songs, I don't feel like she adds much to this music. If you want a more inspired experience showing Beyonce emerging from a girl group and thriving as a solid, unique solo performer with an outstanding voice, look further back in her catalog. That said, this album is the hallmark of the modern Beyonce experience, and what she has built her empire around. And beyond Beyonce, this work is a decent example of conceptual electronic R&B. Maybe that is what makes this album a notable inclusion in the project. But considering this is ultimately marketed as a Beyonce album, I would be remiss not to mention that Beyonce is not what shines on this album; it is okay for what it is, but it stifles her talent.

A huge talent that I just don’t get into. Lotsa sexy lyrics in this one.

R'n'B dat een beetje tegen de popmuziek aanleunt, dat zou toch populair moeten zijn. Voor mij persoonlijk is dit niet de leukste popmuziek. Verder geen slecht album en de muziek is goed te luisteren. Het boeit mij echter wat minder, misschien omdat ik iets meer met up-tempo muziek heb. ***

I actually don't mind Beyonce but I didn't feed these songs particularly catchy, not her best

I mean it’s alright! Flawless remix w Nicki, Drunk in Love w Ye, and Superpower were my favorites from the album. Other than that I felt the album wasn’t mixed well on a few songs with the bass overpowering Queen B’s vocals

I was let down tbh. I was expecting some sort of pop hits or something I could vibe to, but most of it was kinda lame hip-hop/r&b talking about sex or something. According to the wikipedia she did receive some backlash for the sexual content. Meh overall.

I checked out halfway through. It’s not bad music, but it’s not my style at all.

How to go about rating and reviewing an album like this? In the end, I'm going to stick with rating by how much I enjoyed - and think I may in future enjoy - listening to it. But not before acknowledging how massively influential it was, with many crediting it as one of the albums (if not the album) that saved the ALBUM as a viable product - not to mention the whole "visual album" thing. And how significant its themes, and of course how massively talented a singer Beyonce is. As for enjoyment? If my favourite albums and those that simply delight me (or deeply move me) get 5 stars, and albums I really like but have some weak spots get 4 stars (including Revolver for example), and albums I mostly don't like but have some bright spots/redeeming features get two stars, then this falls into the broad middle ground...in round numbers, 3 stars.

I liked Rocket. i liked Flawless. Take or leave the rest. She’s a talent, but this stuff does nothing for me.

Nathan Rabin once said (https://www.avclub.com/volume-7-july-2001-1798220509) : The theme of most of Beyoncé Knowles’ hits, as both a solo artist and the lead singer of Destiny’s Child (otherwise known as “Beyoncé and two random women in the background”), can be reduced to “I’m awesome. Fuck you.” It's hard to argue too much. Beyonce, she is awesome. I think Lemonade is her masterpiece album, but I can see how this album was an important step leading up to it. Collaged from bits of her own history and a patchwork of collaborators, it has her distinct vision all through it. There is a change in this album as the thematic material becomes a bit more personal and the vision more sophisticated than just crushingly great pop music. This more sophisticated approach really reached a peak on Lemonade, which is an amazing masterpiece record. I think this S/T record has some really great singles, but the album tracks are where some of the really interesting meat is.

That's good pop.

I enjoyed this album but it felt like it came to an end before it really got started. Maybe I need to give it another listen one day

When Beyoncé became Queen B. So many hits on this album and definitely one of her top 2

It's a huge evolution that we see on this album against the Destiny's Child album heard recently. And, I appreciate the changes. It's clear that Beyonce grew as an artist between the two albums. That said, songs like 'Rocket' still sound like they are in church, and I really dislike that vocal style. Overall, not for me, but maybe the next one??

I don't think it's fair to refer to Beyoncé as Janet Jackson 2.0. First of all, the sequel is rarely better than the original and secondly Beyoncé is way more talented than Ms. Jackson (if you're nasty). As a straight noob in his 60's who's only known the singer as Foxxy Cleopatra, my Beyoncé experience was nothing short of surprising. This girl has got some pipes and the beats, song ... errr music(?) backing her up is intelligent, creative and full of life.

The range of collaborators Beyoncé worked with on “Beyoncé” (and on “Lemonade” after this) is quite impressive. I thought the Destiny’s Child album on the list was hurt by an excessive amount of songwriters, but I think it works to a more positive effect on “Beyoncé.” Less overpowering themes, maybe? But it was so interesting to see that Beyoncé worked with (among others) Sia, Drake, Frank Ocean, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Timbaland, Boots (a guy I’d never heard of but the tracks he produced stood out on the album), and Caroline Polachek (I previously had no idea she was in Chairlift or anything about her career before her recent solo work). Sometimes Beyoncé’s vocals completely fit the track, no matter the style, like the rap “Ghost” and traditional R&B on “Rocket.” Other times great tracks with the potential to diversify her music are squandered when the vocals don’t match up, like on “No Angel.” But whether it clicks or not, Beyoncé’s collaborators and producers often have their styles clearly evident, like with Drake on “Mine,” Tedder on “XO,” and Timbaland on “Partition.” I think all of those actually generally work though. The misses on “Beyoncé” are few, which makes for a pretty enjoyable album even though it's generally not my style. Then I listened to “Lemonade” too, and I liked it as well. Maybe even more? Maybe Beyoncé is my style?

Not quite my thing, but I can’t deny that this a very well performed and produced album.

Music as product. We're all just consumers and stuff like this is the latest toothpaste being marketed to us.

I know that this particular style of mainstream pop/soul/hip-hop/rap has been extremely popular since the beginning of the century, but I just can't ... I'm sorry, no. Nothing that remotely speaks to me here. 1.5/5

Epic. This was Beyoncé becoming a queen. This was the transformation.

kinda good sometimes

This is the album that really turned Beyoncé into the mega star she is today and it’s easy to see why. Almost everyone song was a major hit and they’re all good. Plus features from the biggest artists of the decade, especially if you swap some of the originals for the Deluxe remixes

In time this may achieve classic status, but I am not there yet. Part of this may be my age and lack of appreciation for Beyoncé's work (I sometimes have to resort to Urban Dictionary), or perhaps the "critics" were overly effusive with their praise. A pet peeve. There are over 40 writers, producers and collaborators on the release. That may be the new normal, but for me it results in a loss of another star as I don't know who should get the credit.

This is ok but I honestly don't see why she is such a big deal.

A very good if not “classic” Beyoncé album in the sense that Lemonade is. For me this was one of the first albums we heard that was purely fun and no actual work to listen to which sometimes in life you just need. Rocket, Flawless, Partition are all great. Not the best performance by Jay z, drake, or Frank Ocean but their guest spots are all enjoyable. She really is a great singer.

I love Beyoncé

Beyoncé por excelencia, encaja bastante bien el nombre del álbum. Se encuentran clásicos como "Drunk in Love", "Blow", "7/11". "Rocket" me gustó bastante, el remix de "Blow" gusta también. Tendría que ponerle un poco más de atención en otra escuchada, pero por más que me guste (porque todo me gusta), no es lo mío, no me veo escuchando esto casualmente, no me provoca mucha reacción.

Liked it more than I expected.

Had only heard a song or two once by chance before. Pretty good, I liked the snippets of her from when she was a kid.

very good obvi

This isn’t great - bit overlong and incoherent in tone - but it does feature some absolutely brilliant singles and it’s unquestionable that Beyoncé is a dominant figure in the music of recent years. Not sure why* the “but she doesn’t even play her own instruments” brigade are so up in arms about this one. (*I do know why)

On est dans un gros univers pop ici, alors oui il y a plus d’artifices autour de l’artiste que simplement la musique. C’était pareil avec Madonna ou Michael Jackson. C’est dans les codes de la pop, comme le hip-hop a ses codes. Plusieurs tentent de rabaisser son impact dans la production des chansons parce qu’elle a une immense équipe. Je ne vois pas en quoi s’entourer de gens compétents pour livrer un produit à la hauteur des attentes est un problème. C’est justement une superbe qualité. Ce n’est pas habituellement mon genre de musique, mais j’ai un immense respect pour cette femme forte et ce qu’elle fait. J’ai apprécié mon écoute. Pièces préférées: Partition, ***Flawless, Blue

Decent voice attached to soulless mainstream modern pop.

Amazing, as expected

1/6/22, BOP

Not great

no no no

https://www.labnol.org/internet/music-taste-linked-to-intelligence/7489/

première fois que je l’écoute en entier et pas deçue

I probably need more time with Beyonce to get what she's really about but there's not doubt she's talented. Fave: ***Flawless

R&B. Electrónica. Largo. Demasiado

Beyonce is an amazing singer but I can't really say I enjoyed listening to this album. It's clear from the credits a lot of work went into the production. There are some genres of music that just don't resonate with me and I'm probably not the target market anyway. To me it's feels a bit like music for Barbie and Ken. A bit plastic, ya know? Doesn't necessarily mean it's bad music, it's just not my "cup of tea".

I tried and I tried just couldn't get there.

Seriously? I gave it a listen to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I hadn't, it's awful.

Nice enough.

Overhyped, overproduced, self-indulgent pretentious tosh!

This is a decent pop album. A couple of the songs are pretty enjoyable. Beyoncé makes some songs relatable to her fans and others about her wealth. A majority of this album is about love and sex which gets tiresome after a bit. Overall it’s okay. 6.2/10

This is the 3rd R&B album from 2010s I've been assigned this month, but this is by far my favorite. The background behind the album is pretty remarkable. No leaks, no hype. An album drops out of nowhere with a music video released for each of the 12 tracks, turning this album into a visual experience. Only one of the most famous musicians alive in our modern age could pull something like that off. Taylor Swift would pull similar stunts years later. She moves away from her traditional side into experimentation, taking on a wide variety of influences over the decades into both her music and accompanying videos. Meanwhile, her lyrics cover themes related to accepting her identity and finding her ambitions, whether related to being happy, breaking from the music industry norm, or seductively pleasing her lover. The production is perfect. I found little to no hiccups. They take all sorts of risks, and I'm constantly surprised with each song. Of course, Beyonce's a remarkable singer. I don't really care about these things much, but she has superbly admirable control of what her voice is capable of. Songs like "Rocket" demonstrate how fluid she can change characteristics of her voice in a continuous stream. "Pretty Hurts" sets up the themes we explore in the rest of the album, taking an introspective dive on Beyonce escaping from public perception and exploring her identity and creativity. It's a hit and great way to entice both new and old fans. "Haunted" adopts the dark electric synths of Lorde. "Drunk in Love" reminds me of her early work with Sean Paul mixed with a modern hip hop beat. I really enjoyed the chorus and Jay Z's contribution. Who knew he was obsessed with cake and anime? "Blow" appears inspired by the fun 90s R&B acts of TLC, Mariah Carey, Janet's Velvet Rope with a sound reminiscent of 80s post-disco (e.g. Pointer Sisters). "No Angel" is chillwave and reminds me of FKA Twigs with the high register and pauses. "Partition" sounds crunk, especially in the middle, but apparently I'm the only person who thinks so. It feels heavy and dark, her raps are impressive, and I enjoy the intersection of the high-register chorus. It's one of the more complex songs, composed of several phases that don't sound like they're from the same song. "Jealous" is one of the least interesting tracks, sounding like standard R&B pop, but the production is spot on. "Rocket" is neo-soul, another standout. Impressive vocals, changing tempo, range, and style continuously. It's compared to Prince and D'Angelo, and yes I can agree with that in the song's ambitions of power performance. I'd also say it has the style of D'Angelo and the funk and energy of Prince. "Mine" is one of the weakest tracks. I was afraid Drake was gonna screw it up, but with the exception of a few annoying effects, it was pretty solid. Forgettable though. "XO" is another hit and a fan favorite, one of the cheerier tracks. It has a ton of hooks, but personally, I think it's boring. "***Flawless" is trap and contrasts strongly with the previous "XO." Haha this is the type of music people hate with a passion. In the middle we get force fed a tedX about feminism LOL. It's solid and coherent, and I absolutely love the second half. I'm really impressed the way the lines roll off her tongue. "Superpower" is my first time hearing Frank Ocean's voice, and damn he sounds exactly like Prince. If you told me this was Prince... well, I'd say "didn't he die?" but he actually died in 2016. Ocean's face is derpy as hell though. Beyonce's voice gives off Mariah Carey vibes. I like the open atmospheric samples in the background. This song begins our melancholic closing to the album. "Heaven" is slow tempo R&B, one of the more boring tracks, but definitely the most sensational about a lost loved one. Glad this one is near the end but not the last one. "Blue" is a personal favorite of mine I don't see talked about. I love the bittersweet ending of the album. I'm obsessed with her vocals, especially in the "chorus" part. The samples remind me of those Youtube lofi tracks. The mood reminds me a lot of Taylor Swift's Clean on 1989. Favorites: Pretty Hurts, Haunted, Drunk in Love, Rocket, Baby

I don’t really know what to say about this album. I didn’t really have many feelings about it. The middle part of the album felt like all the songs have been about sex, which is fine, but it’s definitely not for me. I’m more interested in the beats and backing music, but even then, I’m finding myself bored. The emphasis has been placed on the words and the vocals; while the vocals are really pretty and her voice is great, the words don’t resonate with me at all. Favorite track: Blue

This is a weird one for me. Beyonce's music is undeniably popular for nothing short of her amazing voice, powerful lyrics, and her magnetic personality, but this album doesn't speak to me. It's good and all, but I feel like I will never be coming back to this. It should be of note that I really don't like songs about love or sex. They really have to do something creative for me to like it, but this doesn't really do that. Partition almost does that, but falls flat. I think this album suffers from the Kanye-effect, where an artist kind of stagnates and puts out a bunch of mid songs with production that just seems a bit off, but people still go wild for them (see MBDTF for more). So I have a lot of conflicting opinions about this album. I get its popularity, but I just really do not vibe with it. Something is off about it. Also the extreme sexual detail makes me deeply uncomfortable (this applies to other artists as well, but there's something here that puts me off more so). This album has spectacular vocal performances, and mostly-great production, but it's just not for me. Highlights: 2, and 14.

How do you rate an album where you thought most of it was trash? I wish she would sing more! Three really good tracks but the rest of it doesn't do it for me. * Drunk in Love * Rocket * Heaven

Cest bon mais avec tout le hype autour de beyonce et le budget probablement avec les 30 ecrivains et combien de procteur differents? C’est a se demander si ce n’est pas seulement un produit commercial bien developpe pour plaire plus qu’un projet musical personnel. 3.75

RnB/Pop hat mich musikalisch noch nie wirklich überzeugt. Gute Produktion, aber der Gesang ist zu dominant. Vom Songwriting ist das alles sehr ähnlich. Bisschen Geplärre, bisschen Rap, heftige Beats, ab und zu mal was Softes. Nix für mich, kann aber verstehen, wenns jemandem gefällt. Ist ja anscheinend auch sehr auf den aktuellen Hörergeschmack im Mainstream angepasst. Bekommt dennoch eine 2 von mir.

Pop mastery. I love the production, but I’m not over-awed by the release story of this album, nor am I going to rate the music differently because of it.

honestly it was a little underwhelming. i was familiar with many of the songs but they were just a little disappointing. i like the vibe of the song but some of them just dragged on and seemed like she threw some lyrics together and decided to sing that for the next two minutes. however she has a very listenable and pretty voice and i do like some of the snippets.

I'm not a big pop fan so I'd love for this to surprise me a bit. It....sort of does? I'll go negative first: the trap beats I'll just never like; 808s, those fake hihats...it's a preference and i prefer to never hear them. This would sound SO COOL with - well, with real percussion (holy crap - listen to "Drunk In Love" and imagine it with a powerhouse drummer playing to it - it would be fantastic). So there's something I'm not gonna get past so...what else? There are some good and occasionally unexpected melodic turns on this; more so than e.g. Taylor Swift (who I've found a painfully simple songwriter). The album *sounds* like a few million dollars went into it, that's for sure. I'm not yet sure that's a great thing for me. So many producers in modern pop music tend to bring things back around to what is popular and smooths out any rough or adventurous ideas. Again - whether this is good or bad is as always up to the listener. There's no denying Beyoncé has a really nice voice - a lot of the production puts her voice rightupfrontandcenter which is definitely competing with other modern pop. It's a little distracting - I'd love to hear some vocal tracks a little less-perfect; put a little space on the vocals. If it sounds like I'm criticizing the mix/production more than the songs, I guess I am. That's a huge percentage of what modern pop music is and at times it frustrates me a little extra...like now. Because these songs are so much better than many of Beyoncé's contemporaries, I'd love to hear them a little more organic ("Blow" is funky as hell; could get a little Stevie Wonder treatment from this). Not my fave but I can definitely appreciate a lot of the skill and creativity that went into this. 6/10 3 stars.

Why is Beyoncé so horny?

I expected this to be better. Bored out of my mind. Every song feels exactly the same, except for Flawless, which I actually enjoyed. Just bland overall. Lemonade is leaps and bounds better than this. Easy 1 star

Queen B, vild vokal, pop/rnb, fed produktion, features

Yesh it's pretty good 👍

Первая часть альбома - очень крутая. Совершенно не мой жанр, но альбому удалось приковать в начале мое внимание. А вот на второй половине либо я устал, либо альбом не смог удержать.

Some good songs but can’t see myself listening to it again

2/10 Best song - XO

vapid drivel, some of the worst music in a long time

Pop comercial. Ni fu ni fa.

Rithm & Blues comercial. Escuchable.

2013. Flawless, Drunk in Love

I've never listened to Beyonce. I've heard a few songs from her via popular culture. Supposedly she is the queen of pop and is this super star. I don't hear any of that here. It's just fine bland rnb/pop. Nothing special and nothing that really pushes it beyond anything. It's just middle of the road average. 2.5/5

Really? Beyonce? Christ, ok. aaaand it was just as shit as expected. Just r&b that sounds like it was made in a factory. Because it was. Naturally there are about 10000000 outside writers per song. Why does the music press pretend this shit is a personal statement about anything? Like oh yeah this really came from her heart.... and the hearts of about 500 dudes. 1/5 get the fuck outta here.

Meh. Not for me.

This album is incredibly pretentious without the chops to back it up. I just think about how she acted like she invented the idea of a surprise drop... the same year that Bowie and MBV did it.

This isn't my usual type of thing at all, but gotta admit it's slick as hell. Beyoncé is undeniably talented, and I'd probably get more out of it if I gave it more listens than the 2 so far. Fave track - "***Flawless" - the intro was kinda irritating but the rest of the track was captivating. Great stuff!

Óbærilega leiðinleg plata

Uggghhhhh. I can't with this crap. There's no merit here. Beyoncé seems like more of a product to me than a person. When a massive team of people does all the work and you just show up to sing, I mean, where’s the artistry in that? It just feels so manufactured and artless.

Boring. Just didn't do anything for me. Good background music. Good, but way over rated.

Disco bastante raro o al menos no lo que esperaba. A ratos sampleos extraños, a ratos muy pop. Honestamente me sorprendió aunque tampoco me hizo querer saber más de la artista ni que me guste más el género. Sólidas tres estrellas.

Beyoncé tiene un rango musical y artísitico amplísimo que debo aceptar. Todo lo que viene en este disco está sumamente bien hecho en todos los niveles de producción: calidad de la voz, arreglos, instrumentaciones, todo. Eso no significa que me encante. Hay rolas demasiado R&B-escas que no me encantan, hay otras en las que hace un "grito de mujer afroamericana enojada" (en Flawless) que no me gusta ni tantito, pero hay otras que son pop del mejor hecho: XO, Blow y Rocket (anuma, hablando de cohetes, esta prende la mecha). En fin, no es el disco que traería conmigo a todos lados, pero veo que es una muy buena obra. PD. No escuché más que las 14 del disco original. Tampoco estoy para echarme casi 3 horas de 40 rolas cuando contamos todos los extras.