On Dec. 13, 2013, Beyoncé’s eponymous album, Beyoncé, was silently released exclusively on iTunes without any prior marketing of the work.
Her fifth studio album, Beyoncé follows 4, an album boasting such hits as “Run the World (Girls)” and “Love on Top.”
A multi-platinum artist and winner of 17 Grammy awards, Beyoncé Knowles is a pop, female and African-American icon.
Knowles started her career in the group Destiny’s Child but released her first solo album during a band hiatus. This first album, Dangerously in Love, launched her as a solo performer.
With such a prestigious history, can her latest album live up to the artist’s own reputation?
Labeled as a “visual album,” the album consists of 14 songs and 17 music videos, an unprecedented mark in the digital music industry.
In a day and age where songs and videos are leaked and pirated before the album release, Beyoncé has managed to do something modern-day artists have been struggling to do: beat piracy.
The silent and secretive album, furthermore, was unequivocally a marketing prodigy. Relying on the trusty social network outlets of Twitter, a small snippet of Beyoncé’s arrival album was enough to send the hordes of people rushing to download.
With no prior announcements or even hints, Knowles was able to keep the songs and the nature of the album in great suspense. Not only has Queen Bee revolutionized the marketing and music industry with her surprising album release, but Beyoncé has delighted with her music and has not disappointed any of her fans.
Fierce and fiery, sensual and smooth are words that come to mind when listening to Beyoncé’s new and scorching album. Beyoncé Knowles has channeled her inner power, unleashing her true and entrancing voice. With innovative R&B beats merged with alluring vocals, Beyoncé attracts all listeners regardless of their musical interests.
Out of the 14 songs on the album, fans have seemed to align with one in particular: “Drunk in Love.” Featuring Jay-Z, this upbeat, retro tune has grasped America. Beyoncé brings her lustful persona out as her erotic lyrics describe the close physical relationship with her husband.
The drum vibes in sync with the vibrato of Beyoncé has wooed the nation. The song has caused raving support of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s successful celebrity marriage. This song on replay is sure to keep the mind at peace and the mood mellow.
On the other spectrum of Beyoncé’s album is her song devoted to her precious daughter, Blue Ivy. The song titled “Blue” has the movement similar to her previous hit, “Halo.”
With a single piano accompaniment, which was portrayed in many of her songs this album, Beyoncé conveys the natural love between a mother and a daughter. Holding strong lyrics bound to melt the heart, Sasha Fierce has floored her ferocity, morphing it into a robust love song that highly contrasts the feel of other songs in the album, such as “Haunted” and “No Angel.”
Holding true to her R&B background, Beyoncé introduces a new angle in her song “Flawless.” The rather soft-tongued singer brings out an edgy side with her unusually explicit song.
Despite the rap-like background and angry-sounding expressions, this intriguing song is catchy. With an accompanying music video that shows a raunchy and rowdy Beyoncé, the song has a new aura that seems to arise through her presence.
The music videos are the highlight of the album. Stretching from the carnal to the sizzling, Beyoncé utilized the whole spectrum in redefining her image. From the artistic renditions in the song “Mine” to the sexual cries in “Partition,” Beyoncé delivered a new visual sophistication and attraction that few have achieved.
The visuals are marvelous with stellar settings, magnificent movements and camera finesse. The dance sequences and empowering lighting adds to the effect of the album’s music.
The videos add an additional layer of intensity and intrigue that sells the importance of adding the music videos to the album.
Beyoncé is truly a masterpiece of an album. The studio perfections and the usual immaculate performance will make Beyoncé’s fifth solo album a large hit.
Beyoncé continues to hold true to her roots while spicing things up with a variety of new melodies to appeal to a range of audiences.
Whether it is the surprising release of the album or the complete trust of the fans, Beyoncé has taken a large risk and it has paid off in big dividends.