Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Beyoncé Knowles was always presented as the star of Destiny's Child -- which probably shouldn't be a big surprise since her father managed the group. So it was a natural step for her to step into the diva spotlight with a solo album in 2003, particularly since it followed on the heels of her co-starring role in Mike Myers' 2002 comedy hit, Austin Powers in Goldmember. Still, a singer takes a risk when going solo, as there's no guarantee that her/his star will still shine as bright when there's nobody to reflect upon. Plus, Survivor often sounded labored, as Knowles struggled to sound real. The Knowles clan -- Beyoncé and her father Mathew, that is (regrettably, Harry Knowles of "Ain't It Cool" is no relation) -- were apparently aware of these two pitfalls since they pull off a nifty trick of making her debut album, Dangerously in Love, appeal to a broad audience while making it sound relatively easy. Sometimes that ease can translate into carelessness (at least with regard to the final stretch of the album), with a prolonged sequence of ballads that get stuck in their own treacle, capped off by the unbearably mawkish closer, "Gift from Virgo," where she wishes her unborn child and her husband to be like her daddy. (Mind you, she's not pregnant or married, she's just planning ahead, although she gets tripped up in her wishes since there's "no one else like my daddy.") Although these are a little formless -- and perhaps would have been more digestible if spread throughout the record -- they are impeccably produced and showcase Knowles' new relaxed and smooth delivery, which is a most welcome development after the overworked Survivor. Knowles doesn't save this voice just for the ballads -- she sounds assured and sexy on the dance numbers, particularly when she has a male counterpart, as on the deliriously catchy "Crazy in Love" with her man Jay-Z or on "Baby Boy" with 2003's dancehall superstar, Sean Paul. These are the moments when Dangerously in Love not only works, but sounds like Knowles has fulfilled her potential and risen to the top of the pack of contemporary R&B divas. It's just too bad that momentum is not sustained throughout the rest of the record. About halfway through, around the astrological ode "Signs" with Missy Elliott, it starts crawling through its ballads and, while listenable, it's not as exciting as the first part of the record. Still, the first half is good enough to make Dangerously in Love one of the best mainstream urban R&B records released in 2003, and makes a strong case that Knowles might be better off fulfilling this destiny instead of reuniting with Destiny.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Luz Vasquez, Mixing Engineer - Pat Thrall, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé, Producer - Shawn Carter, Composer - Shawn Carter, Lyricist - Rich Harrison, Composer - Rich Harrison, Producer - Rich Harrison, Lyricist - Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, Performer - Patrick Woodward, Mixing Engineer - Eugene Record, Composer - Eugene Record, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Giorgio Moroder, Composer - Giorgio Moroder, Lyricist - Donna Summer, Composer - Donna Summer, Lyricist - Robert Waller, Composer - Robert Waller, Lyricist - Beyoncé, Performer - Angela Beyince, Composer - Angela Beyince, Lyricist - Pete Bellotte, Composer - Pete Bellotte, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Scott Storch, Composer - Scott Storch, Lyricist
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Luz Vasquez, Mixing Engineer - Pat Thrall, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Greg Price, Mixing Engineer - Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul, Performer - Sean Paul Henriques, Composer - Sean Paul Henriques, Lyricist - Ini Kamoze, Composer - Ini Kamoze, Lyricist - Robert Waller, Composer - Robert Waller, Lyricist - Beyoncé, Producer - Shawn Carter, Composer - Shawn Carter, Lyricist - Carlos Bedoya, Recording Engineer - Scott Storch, Producer - Scott Storch, Composer - Scott Storch, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Luz Vasquez, Mixing Engineer - Vincent Alexander, Recording Engineer - Chris Carmouche, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Guru, Recording Engineer - Bryce Wilson, Producer - Bryce Wilson, Composer - Bryce Wilson, Lyricist - Beyoncé, Producer - Shawn Carter, Composer - Shawn Carter, Lyricist - Beyoncé featuring Big Boi and Sleepy Brown, Performer - Makeda Davis, Composer - Makeda Davis, Lyricist - Antwan Patton, Composer - Antwan Patton, Lyricist - Patrick Woodward, Mixing Engineer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Luz Vasquez, Mixing Engineer - Leo Graham, Composer - Leo Graham, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - George Clinton, Jr., Composer - George Clinton, Jr., Lyricist - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Gary Cooper, Composer - Gary Cooper, Lyricist - Paul Richmond, Composer - Paul Richmond, Lyricist - Shuggie Otis, Composer - Shuggie Otis, Lyricist - Beyoncé, Performer - Beyoncé, Producer - William Colins, Composer - William Colins, Lyricist - Rich Harrison, Producer - Rich Harrison, Composer - Rich Harrison, Lyricist - Angela Beyince, Composer - Angela Beyince, Lyricist - Patrick Woodward, Mixing Engineer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Luz Vasquez, Mixing Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Greg Price, Mixing Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Beyoncé, Producer - Robert Waller, Composer - Robert Waller, Lyricist - Carlos Bedoya, Recording Engineer - Patrick Woodward, Mixing Engineer - Scott Storch, Producer - Scott Storch, Composer - Scott Storch, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Jason Dale, Mixing Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Beyoncé, Producer - Shawn Carter, Composer - Shawn Carter, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer - Bernard Edwards, Jr., Composer - Bernard Edwards, Jr., Lyricist - Focus, Producer - Focus, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Carlos Bedoya, Vocal - Carlos Bedoya, Recording Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Demacio "Demo" Castellon, Mixing Engineer - Scott Kieklak, Mixing Engineer - Nisan Stewart, Composer - Nisan Stewart, Co-Producer - Nisan Stewart, Lyricist - Craig Brockman, Co-Producer - Craig Brockman, Composer - Craig Brockman, Lyricist - Missy Elliott, Producer - Missy Elliott, Composer - Missy Elliott, Lyricist - Beyoncé featuring Missy Elliott, Performer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Dan Bucchi, Mixing Engineer - Andreao Heard, Composer - Andreao Heard, Producer - Andreao Heard, Lyricist - Sherrod Barnes, Producer - Sherrod Barnes, Composer - Sherrod Barnes, Lyricist - Don Harris, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Beyoncé, Producer - Matt Snedecor, Mixing Engineer - Angela Beyince, Composer - Angela Beyince, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Luz Vasquez, Mixing Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Guru, Recording Engineer - D-Roy, Producer - Eldra DeBarge, Composer - Eldra DeBarge, Lyricist - Randy DeBarge, Composer - Randy DeBarge, Lyricist - Mr. B, Producer - Beyoncé, Producer - Shawn Carter, Composer - Shawn Carter, Lyricist - Delroy Andrews, Composer - Delroy Andrews, Lyricist - Etterlene Jordan, Composer - Etterlene Jordan, Lyricist - Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, Performer - Patrick Woodward, Mixing Engineer - Brian Bridgeman, Composer - Brian Bridgeman, Lyricist - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Ray Bardani, Mixing Engineer - Ray Bardani, Engineer - Luther Vandross, Performer - Luther Vandross, Vocal Arranger - Bashiri Johnson, Percussion - Beyoncé Knowles, Performer - Candace Thomas, Background Vocal - Byron Miller, Bass - Nat Adderley Jr., Producer - Nat Adderley Jr., Piano - Nat Adderley Jr., Arranger - Sanford W. Allen, Orchestrator - Reggie Lucas, Composer - Reggie Lucas, Lyricist - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - James Mtume, Composer - James Mtume, Lyricist - Ivan Hampden, Drums - Paul J. Falcone, Recording Engineer - Stan Wallace, Recording Engineer - Tawatha Agee, Background Vocal - Brenda White-King, Background Vocal - Al Brown, Arranger - Phil Hamilton, Guitar - Skip Anderson, Programmer - Skip Anderson, Arranger
(P) 2003 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dan Workman, Guitar - Errol McCalla, Composer - Errol McCalla, Lyricist - Beyoncé, Performer - Errol "Poppi" McCalla, Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Dexter Simmons, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Beyoncé, Performer - Beyoncé, Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Carlos Bedoya, Recording Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Don Harris, Recording Engineer - Matt Snedecor, Mixing Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Beyoncé, Producer - Brendan Kuntz, Mixing Engineer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer - Shuggie Otis, Composer - Shuggie Otis, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Brian Garten, Recording Engineer - Eddy Schreyer, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Serban Ghenea, Mixing Engineer - Williams & Hugo, Producer - Pat Viala, Mixing Engineer - Cedric Courtois, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - C. Hugo, Composer - C. Hugo, Lyricist - P. Williams, Composer - P. Williams, Lyricist
(P) 2002 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Michael McCoy, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Mark Batson, Drums - Mark Batson, Keyboards - Mark Batson, Composer - Mark Batson, Lyricist - Mark Batson, Bass - Mark Batson, Recording Engineer - Mark Batson, Producer - Jon Belec, 2nd Engineer - Dan Bucchi, Mixing Engineer - Marlene Rice, Violin - Beyoncé, Producer - Beyoncé, Performer - Matt Snedecor, Mixing Engineer - Tony Maserati, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Album review
Beyoncé Knowles was always presented as the star of Destiny's Child -- which probably shouldn't be a big surprise since her father managed the group. So it was a natural step for her to step into the diva spotlight with a solo album in 2003, particularly since it followed on the heels of her co-starring role in Mike Myers' 2002 comedy hit, Austin Powers in Goldmember. Still, a singer takes a risk when going solo, as there's no guarantee that her/his star will still shine as bright when there's nobody to reflect upon. Plus, Survivor often sounded labored, as Knowles struggled to sound real. The Knowles clan -- Beyoncé and her father Mathew, that is (regrettably, Harry Knowles of "Ain't It Cool" is no relation) -- were apparently aware of these two pitfalls since they pull off a nifty trick of making her debut album, Dangerously in Love, appeal to a broad audience while making it sound relatively easy. Sometimes that ease can translate into carelessness (at least with regard to the final stretch of the album), with a prolonged sequence of ballads that get stuck in their own treacle, capped off by the unbearably mawkish closer, "Gift from Virgo," where she wishes her unborn child and her husband to be like her daddy. (Mind you, she's not pregnant or married, she's just planning ahead, although she gets tripped up in her wishes since there's "no one else like my daddy.") Although these are a little formless -- and perhaps would have been more digestible if spread throughout the record -- they are impeccably produced and showcase Knowles' new relaxed and smooth delivery, which is a most welcome development after the overworked Survivor. Knowles doesn't save this voice just for the ballads -- she sounds assured and sexy on the dance numbers, particularly when she has a male counterpart, as on the deliriously catchy "Crazy in Love" with her man Jay-Z or on "Baby Boy" with 2003's dancehall superstar, Sean Paul. These are the moments when Dangerously in Love not only works, but sounds like Knowles has fulfilled her potential and risen to the top of the pack of contemporary R&B divas. It's just too bad that momentum is not sustained throughout the rest of the record. About halfway through, around the astrological ode "Signs" with Missy Elliott, it starts crawling through its ballads and, while listenable, it's not as exciting as the first part of the record. Still, the first half is good enough to make Dangerously in Love one of the best mainstream urban R&B records released in 2003, and makes a strong case that Knowles might be better off fulfilling this destiny instead of reuniting with Destiny.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 01:08:42
- Main artists: Beyoncé
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Columbia
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
(P) 2003 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.