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{{Album ratings
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''
| rev1 = ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''
| rev1score = 90/100<ref name=hampp>{{cite news|last=Hampp|first=Andrew|last2=Ramirez|first2=Erika|title=Beyonce, Beyonce: Track-By-Track Review|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/5839712/beyonce-beyonce-track-by-track-review|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=Billboard|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev1score = 40/100<ref name=hampp>{{cite news|last=Hampp|first=Andrew|last2=Ramirez|first2=Erika|title=Beyonce, Beyonce: Track-By-Track Review|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/5839712/beyonce-beyonce-track-by-track-review|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=Billboard|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev2score = A–<ref name="Entertainment Weekly">{{cite news|last=Catucci|first=Nick|title=Beyoncé|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20766081,00.html|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev2score = A–<ref name="Entertainment Weekly">{{cite news|last=Catucci|first=Nick|title=Beyoncé|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20766081,00.html|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev3 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name=guardian>{{cite news|last=Empire|first=Kitty|title=Beyoncé: Beyoncé – review|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/13/beyonce-beyonce-review|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev3score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name=guardian>{{cite news|last=Empire|first=Kitty|title=Beyoncé: Beyoncé – review|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/13/beyonce-beyonce-review|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev4 = [[Idolator]]
| rev4 = [[Idolator]]
| rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}
| rev4score = {{Rating|2|5}}
| rev5 = ''[[New York Daily News]]''
| rev5 = ''[[New York Daily News]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="NY Daily Review">{{cite news|last=Farber|first=Jim|title=‘BEYONCE’ album review: Pop's warrior shows new side on tracks like 'Blue,' 'Drunk in Love'|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/beyonce-album-review-pop-warrior-shows-new-side-article-1.1547120|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=[[New York Daily Times]]|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="NY Daily Review">{{cite news|last=Farber|first=Jim|title=‘BEYONCE’ album review: Pop's warrior shows new side on tracks like 'Blue,' 'Drunk in Love'|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/beyonce-album-review-pop-warrior-shows-new-side-article-1.1547120|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=[[New York Daily Times]]|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| ref6 = [[Mediacritic]]
| ref6 = [[Mediacritic]]
| ref6score = 83/100<ref name="Mediacritic"/>
| ref6score = 45/100<ref name="Mediacritic"/>
| rev7 = ''[[The Telegraph]]''
| rev7 = ''[[The Telegraph]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|last=McCormick|first=Neil|title=Beyoncé, album review: 'the most X-rated pop album since Madonna's Erotica'|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/10515912/Beyonce-album-review-the-most-X-rated-pop-album-since-Madonnas-Erotica.html|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev7score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|last=McCormick|first=Neil|title=Beyoncé, album review: 'the most X-rated pop album since Madonna's Erotica'|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/10515912/Beyonce-album-review-the-most-X-rated-pop-album-since-Madonnas-Erotica.html|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[The Times]]''
| rev8 = ''[[The Times]]''
| rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Hodgkinson|first=Will|title=First review of Beyoncé video album|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/albumreviews/article3948224.ece|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
| rev8score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Hodgkinson|first=Will|title=First review of Beyoncé video album|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/albumreviews/article3948224.ece|accessdate=December 13, 2013|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=December 13, 2013}}</ref>
}}
}}


Revision as of 23:58, 13 December 2013

Untitled

Beyoncé (stylized as BEYONCÉ) is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles, released December 13, 2013 by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Continuing her self-management from 2011's 4, Knowles served as the album's executive producer and co-writer, also taking the role of co-director in relation to the album's music videos. Initial recording began at The Hamptons, New York, in 2012, but continued internationally during Knowles' The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.[1]

A self-styled "visual album", the project consists of fourteen songs and seventeen music videos. It was released unexpectedly onto Apple's iTunes Store in December 2013, receiving no promotion.

Recording and composition

File:Chimamanda Adichie.jpg
"Flawless" includes a sample from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's speech "Why We Should All Be Feminists".

Beyoncé has been noted for having a feminist theme.[2] The eleventh track, "Flawless", features a sample from "Why We Should All Be Feminists", a speech made by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose name was misspelled as 'Adiche' on the iTunes track listing.[2]

Music and lyrics

Beyoncé's lyrical content has been noted for being sexual.[3]

The album's opening song "Pretty Hurts" is a "hip-hop groove" song, that builds into an "anthemic" chorus.[4] Written by Joshua Coleman, Sia Furler and Knowles the song is described as "a sexy pop song" that lyrically talks about the "beauty industry."[4] The song has been described as an "female empowerment anthem."[5] "Ghost" is contains "ambient beats" and a "dubstep deep bass",[4] The song is built on "Eerie minimal beats" with lyrics addressing "her critics".[6] The song changes into "Haunted" which is described as a "spacey hip-hop R’nB song" that speaks about desire.[4] The third track, "Drunk In Love" features Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z. The song incorporates a "hip-hop beat" with a "Caribbean tilt".[4] The track is built around, "hazy synths and chunky trap beats" and is described as a "exquisitely produced slow jam."[5] "Blow" is a "disco-tinged, retro-R&B jam" song that contains "funk" elements, lyrically talks about oral sex.[5][4][7]

The album's sixth track "No Angel" is a "slow jam" composed by Caroline Polachek, Knowles and James Fauntleroy.[4] The song contains elements of hip-hop. The song was described as experimenting "wildly with synths and beats" whilst Knowles vocals flip "sensuously between breathy falsetto and deep come-on".[5] "Partition" is an electro song that contains "Caribbean hip-hop flavour."[4] The songs lyrics contain sexual content, "He popped all my buttons and he ripped my blouse. He Monica Lewinsky'd all up my gown."[8] The track also contains French lyrics, which Slate speculated are sampled from the French version of The Big Lebowski (1998).[9]

The eleventh track "Flawless" contains a sample from a TED Talk given by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in 2013, which concludes with the statement "Feminist: the person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes".[10]

Promotion and release

The album was released without any announcement or promotion exclusively on the iTunes Store, surprising both fans and the press. Knowles explained that she was "bored" of her music being marketed as it had been done previously.[11] Described as a "visual album", Beyoncé also comes with a music video with each track on the album, as well as music videos for multiple tracks not included.[12] The self-titled set is Beyoncé's first visual album, featuring fourteen new songs and seventeen videos.[13]

The videos were filmed throughout 2013 in several locations around the world, including: Houston, New York City, Paris, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Rio de Janeiro.[1][14] It will be released in a physical format by December 20, 2013.[15]

Commercial performance

According to Billboard, the album sold 80,000 copies within three hours of its release in the United States. The publication expected it to debut at the top of the Billboard 200.[16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Billboard40/100[17]
Entertainment WeeklyA–[18]
The Guardian[19]
Idolator
New York Daily News[20]
The Telegraph[22]
The Times[23]

Upon release, Beyoncé received critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100, it has an average score of 83 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[21] Kitty Empire of The Guardian praised the album for its "squeaky sexed-up falsettos, hood rat rapping, wordless ecstasies and effortless swoops"; she highlighted the album's overt feminist message as a particular highlight.[19] The Telegraph applauded Knowles as "one of the most technically gifted vocalists in pop, with gospel power, hip-hop flow and a huge range". The publication also noted the album's sexual tone, quality of restraint and loose song-structure as distinct features.[22] Jon Pareles of The New York Times describes the tracks as "steamy and sleek, full of erotic exploits and sultry vocals; every so often, for variety, they turn vulnerable, compassionate or pro-feminist".[24] Jim Farber of New York Daily Times said that while Knowles was not in her full roar, "she gives fans much more to listen to." He also stated, "The mood draws on the warmth and mystery of trance music, enveloped in an echo which recalls subdued production sounds used by Phil Collins in the early 1980s."[20] Korina Lopes of USA Today also praised Knowles' work on the album, calling it "a feast for the eyes and the ears"[25] Nick Catucci of Entertainment Weekly praised the album, saying "it balances formal inventiveness with emotional directness. Share it with your little niece, or someone else you love."[18]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Pretty Hurts"
4:17
2."Ghost" / "Haunted"
  • Boots
  • Knowles
  • Boots
  • Knowles
6:09
3."Drunk in Love" (featuring Jay Z)
5:23
4."Blow"
5:09
5."No Angel"
  • Polachek
  • Knowles
3:48
6."Yoncé" / "Partition"
  • Timbaland
  • Harmon
  • Timberlake
  • Knowles
  • Key Wane
5:19
7."Jealous"
  • Fisher
  • Knowles
  • Proctor
  • Diaz
  • Soko
  • Boots
  • Detail
  • Knowles
3:04
8."Rocket"
  • Timbaland
  • Knowles
  • Harmon[a]
6:31
9."Mine" (featuring Drake)
6:18
10."XO"
3:35
11."Flawless" (featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
  • Hit-Boy
  • Knowles
  • Rey Reel[a]
4:10
12."Superpower" (featuring Frank Ocean)
  • Williams
  • Frank Ocean
  • Knowles
  • Williams
4:36
13."Heaven"
  • Boots
  • Knowles
  • Boots
  • Knowles
3:50
14."Blue" (featuring Blue Ivy)
  • Boots
  • Knowles
  • Boots
  • Knowles
4:26
Total length:66:35
Music videos
No.TitleDirector(s)Length
15."Pretty Hurts"Melina Matsoukas7:04
16."Ghost"Pierre Debusschere2:31
17."Haunted"Jonas Åkerlund5:21
18."Drunk in Love" (featuring Jay Z)Hype Williams6:21
19."Blow"Williams5:25
20."No Angel"@lilinternet3:53
21."Yoncé"Ricky Saiz2:02
22."Partition"Jake Nava3:49
23."Jealous"Knowles, Francesco Carrozzini, Todd Tourso3:26
24."Rocket"Knowles, Ed Burke, Bill Kirstein4:30
25."Mine" (featuring Drake)Dubusschere4:59
26."XO"Terry Richardson3:35
27."***Flawless" (featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)Nava4:12
28."Superpower" (featuring Frank Ocean)Åkerlund5:24
29."Heaven"Knowles, Tourso3:55
30."Blue" (featuring Blue Ivy)Knowles, Burke, Kirstein4:35
31."Grown Woman" (bonus video)Nava4:24
32."Credits" 2:34
Total length:78:00
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
  • "Flawless" is stylized as "***Flawless"

Personnel

Release history

Country Date Format Label
Australia[26] December 13, 2013 Digital download
Brazil[27]
Canada[28]
France[29]
Germany[30]
United Kingdom[31]
United States[32]

References

  1. ^ a b "BEYONCÉ Available Worldwide Now". PR Newswire (Press release). December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Ditum, Sarah (December 13, 2013). "Beyoncé's fists-up feminism is the climax of a revolutionary year for women in pop". New Statesmen. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  3. ^ Moeslin, Anna. "The Sexiest Lyrics From Beyonce's New Album (Who Needs Fifty Shades of Grey When We've Got This)". Glamour. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h McCormick, Neil (December 13, 2013). "BEYONCÉ, track by track review". The Telegraph. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d Wass, Mike (December 13, 2013). "Beyonce's 'Beyonce': Track-By-Track Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  6. ^ http://www.idolator.com/7498102/beyonces-beyonce-new-album-review#more-7498102
  7. ^ "Beyonce's Surprise Album: A Track-by-Track Breakdown". Fuse Staff. Fuse. Retrieved December 13 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ Patel, Puja. "Beyonce's 'Beyonce': Our Impulsive Reviews". Spin.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  9. ^ Haglund, David. "Beyoncé Sampled the French Version of The Big Lebowski". Slate. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  10. ^ Kellogg, Carolyn (December 13, 2013). "Beyonce's song 'Flawless' features writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie". LA Times. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  11. ^ Alexander, Ella (December 13, 2013). "Beyoncé Makes Music History". Vogue. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  12. ^ Hampp, Andrew (December 13, 2013). "Beyonce Unexpectedly Releases New Self-Titled Album on iTunes". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  13. ^ "Beyoncé releases surprise new album". The Daily Telegraph. December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  14. ^ "'I see music!': Beyonce shocks fans as she releases surprise full album on iTunes... along with Seventeen new videos". Daily Mail. December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  15. ^ "Beyonce puts surprise album on iTunes". BBC News. December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  16. ^ Silvio Petroluongo (December 13, 2013). "Beyonce's Surprise Album Trending Towards No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  17. ^ Hampp, Andrew; Ramirez, Erika (December 13, 2013). "Beyonce, Beyonce: Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  18. ^ a b Catucci, Nick (December 13, 2013). "Beyoncé". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  19. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (December 13, 2013). "Beyoncé: Beyoncé – review". The Guardian. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  20. ^ a b Farber, Jim (December 13, 2013). "'BEYONCE' album review: Pop's warrior shows new side on tracks like 'Blue,' 'Drunk in Love'". New York Daily Times. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  21. ^ a b "Beyoncé - Beyonce". Metacritic. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  22. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (December 13, 2013). "Beyoncé, album review: 'the most X-rated pop album since Madonna's Erotica'". The Telegraph. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  23. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (December 13, 2013). "First review of Beyoncé video album". The Times. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  24. ^ Pareles, Jon (December 13, 2013). "A December Surprise, Without Whispers (or Leaks)". The New York Times. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  25. ^ Lopez, Korina (December 13, 2013). "First take: Beyonce's album a feast for eyes, ears". USA Today. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  26. ^ "BEYONCÉ". iTunes Store (AUS). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  27. ^ "BEYONCÉ". iTunes Store (Brazil). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  28. ^ "BEYONCÉ". iTunes Store (Canada). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  29. ^ "BEYONCÉ". iTunes Store (France). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  30. ^ "BEYONCÉ". iTunes Store (Germany). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  31. ^ "BEYONCÉ". iTunes Store (UK). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  32. ^ "BEYONCÉ". iTunes Store (U.S.). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
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