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In non-Deluxe Edition form, Beyoncé's third solo studio album is as concise as 2006's B'day, but it is divided into two discs as a way to emphasize the singer's distinct personalities. It's a gimmick, of course -- a flimsy one. Revealed through interviews in 2005, Sasha was said to be Beyoncé's "stage persona," an embodiment of the outgoing, aggressive, on-stage Beyoncé that doesn't necessarily represent the real Beyoncé. Sasha now has a last name (possibly picked up from Tyra Banks, who maybe took a cue from Klymaxx), and is granted half an album (the second disc) to express herself. These five songs, when compared to the majority of B'day, are actually less fun, less impulsive, and yes, less fierce. "Diva," a variation on Lil Wayne's "A Milli," is the only track that could go toe to toe with the likes of B'day's "Freakum Dress" or "Ring the Alarm," at least in terms of audacity. At the other end is "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," a dire "Get Me Bodied" retread. Otherwise, the Sasha Fierce half is full of decent, if easily forgettable, upbeat pop. If placed within the context of an album without a packaging ploy, there'd be little evidence that Beyoncé is making a radical progression or being any more bold than before. It would, if anything, be notable as the least R&B-oriented batch of songs she has made -- that is, if it wasn't for the I Am half, essentially a small set of adult contemporary ballads. Acoustic guitars, pianos, strings, contemplative soul searching, and grand sweeping gestures fill it out, with more roots in '70s soft rock than soul. Beyoncé feels each line to the fullest extent, which almost rescues the set's staidness. "If I Were a Boy," while sounding like the watery backdrop for a singing competition finale, turns out to be the album's standout, both for its lyrics and Beyoncé's tormented performance. It could have been the song that broke an unfairly neglected adult-R&B singer like Heather Headley into the mainstream, and don't be surprised if a country artist nabs a CMA Award by covering it.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
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Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Jens Gad, Drums - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Syience, Drums - Syience, Guitar - Toby Gad, Composer - Toby Gad, Recording Engineer - Toby Gad, Producer - Toby Gad, Misc. Prod. - Toby Gad, Lyricist - BC Jean, Composer - BC Jean, Lyricist
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Ryan Tedder, Lyricist - Ryan Tedder, Composer - Ryan Tedder, Recording Engineer - Ryan Tedder, Misc. Prod. - Ryan Tedder, Producer - Christian Baker, 2nd Engineer - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - E. Kidd Bogart, Lyricist - E. Kidd Bogart, Composer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Dave McCracken, Lyricist - Dave McCracken, Composer - Dave McCracken, Producer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Marcos Tovar, Recording Engineer - Ian Dench, Lyricist - Ian Dench, Producer - Ian Dench, Composer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Amanda Ghost, Lyricist - Amanda Ghost, Composer - Amanda Ghost, Producer - Beyoncé, Performer - Hugo Chakrabongse, Lyricist - Hugo Chakrabongse, Composer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Tor Erik Hermansen, Lyricist - Tor Erik Hermansen, Composer - Tor Erik Hermansen, Misc. Prod. - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Stargate, Producer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Lyricist - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Misc. Prod. - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Recording Engineer - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Composer - Beyoncé, Performer - Kenneth Edmonds, Lyricist - Kenneth Edmonds, Composer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Tor Erik Hermansen, Lyricist - Tor Erik Hermansen, Composer - Tor Erik Hermansen, Misc. Prod. - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Stargate, Producer - Ian Dench, Lyricist - Ian Dench, Composer - Ian Dench, Guitar - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Amanda Ghost, Lyricist - Amanda Ghost, Composer - Beyoncé, Performer - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Lyricist - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Misc. Prod. - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Recording Engineer - Mikkel S. Eriksen, Composer - Makeba, Lyricist - Makeba, Composer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Dave McCracken, Lyricist - Dave McCracken, Composer - Dave McCracken, Producer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Marcos Tovar, Recording Engineer - Ian Dench, Lyricist - Ian Dench, Producer - Ian Dench, Composer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Amanda Ghost, Lyricist - Amanda Ghost, Composer - Amanda Ghost, Producer - Beyoncé, Performer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
DISC 2
Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Terius Nash, Producer - Terius Nash, Composer - Terius Nash, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Misc. Prod. - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Christopher Stewart, Composer - Christopher Stewart, Producer - Christopher Stewart, Lyricist - Thaddis Harrell, Composer - Thaddis Harrell, Lyricist - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Randy Urbanski, 2nd Engineer - Jaycen Joshua, Mixing Engineer - Dave Pensado, Mixing Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Kuk Harrell, Recording Engineer - Brian Thomas, Recording Engineer - Andrew Wuepper, 2nd Engineer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Rico Love, Lyricist - Rico Love, Composer - Rico Love, Misc. Prod. - Rico Love, Producer - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Jim Jonsin, Producer - Jim Jonsin, Recording Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Dwayne Nesmith, Lyricist - Dwayne Nesmith, Composer - D-Town, Producer - James Scheffer, Lyricist - James Scheffer, Composer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Shondrae Crawford, Lyricist - Shondrae Crawford, Composer - Shondrae Crawford, Producer - Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Kory Aaron, 2nd Engineer - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Michael Miller, 2nd Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Miles Walker, Recording Engineer - Sean Garrett, Lyricist - Sean Garrett, Composer - Sean Garrett, Producer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Wayne Wilkins, Lyricist - Wayne Wilkins, Composer - Wayne Wilkins, Mixing Engineer - Wayne Wilkins, Producer - Rico Love, Lyricist - Rico Love, Composer - Rico Love, Misc. Prod. - Rico Love, Vocal - Rico Love, Producer - Jim Jonsin, Producer - Jim Jonsin, Mixing Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - James Scheffer, Lyricist - James Scheffer, Composer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Shondrae Crawford, Lyricist - Shondrae Crawford, Composer - Shondrae Crawford, Producer - Tom Coyne, Mastering Engineer - Beyoncé Knowles, Lyricist - Beyoncé Knowles, Composer - Beyoncé Knowles, Executive Producer - Beyoncé Knowles, Producer - Kory Aaron, 2nd Engineer - Mark 'Spike' Stent, Mixing Engineer - Mathew Knowles, Executive Producer - Jim Caruana, Recording Engineer - Matt Green, 2nd Engineer - Beyoncé, Performer - Michael Miller, 2nd Engineer - Miles Walker, Recording Engineer - Angela Beyince, Lyricist - Angela Beyince, Composer - Sean Garrett, Lyricist - Sean Garrett, Composer - Sean Garrett, Producer
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
In non-Deluxe Edition form, Beyoncé's third solo studio album is as concise as 2006's B'day, but it is divided into two discs as a way to emphasize the singer's distinct personalities. It's a gimmick, of course -- a flimsy one. Revealed through interviews in 2005, Sasha was said to be Beyoncé's "stage persona," an embodiment of the outgoing, aggressive, on-stage Beyoncé that doesn't necessarily represent the real Beyoncé. Sasha now has a last name (possibly picked up from Tyra Banks, who maybe took a cue from Klymaxx), and is granted half an album (the second disc) to express herself. These five songs, when compared to the majority of B'day, are actually less fun, less impulsive, and yes, less fierce. "Diva," a variation on Lil Wayne's "A Milli," is the only track that could go toe to toe with the likes of B'day's "Freakum Dress" or "Ring the Alarm," at least in terms of audacity. At the other end is "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," a dire "Get Me Bodied" retread. Otherwise, the Sasha Fierce half is full of decent, if easily forgettable, upbeat pop. If placed within the context of an album without a packaging ploy, there'd be little evidence that Beyoncé is making a radical progression or being any more bold than before. It would, if anything, be notable as the least R&B-oriented batch of songs she has made -- that is, if it wasn't for the I Am half, essentially a small set of adult contemporary ballads. Acoustic guitars, pianos, strings, contemplative soul searching, and grand sweeping gestures fill it out, with more roots in '70s soft rock than soul. Beyoncé feels each line to the fullest extent, which almost rescues the set's staidness. "If I Were a Boy," while sounding like the watery backdrop for a singing competition finale, turns out to be the album's standout, both for its lyrics and Beyoncé's tormented performance. It could have been the song that broke an unfairly neglected adult-R&B singer like Heather Headley into the mainstream, and don't be surprised if a country artist nabs a CMA Award by covering it.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:37
- Main artists: Beyoncé
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Music World Music - Columbia
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
(P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment
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