B'Day
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CD Details
Performer: BeyoncéEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Published)
CD Release Date: 2006-09-05
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
- Deju Vu
- Get Me Bodied
- Suga Mama
- Upgrade U
- Ring The Alarm
- Kitty Kat
- Freakum Dress
- Green Light
- Irreplaceable
- Resentment
Music reviews of B'Day
Music Review: "B'Day" Is The Perfect Reason To Celebrate!
Rating: 4 Stars
Wow, Beyonce really is a smart, shrewd businesswoman! Don't believe me? Ok then, lets speculate for a minute or two, shall we? "B'Day", her much-anticipated sophomore effort, was conveniently completed in two weeks and released a day before her birthday. Result? Haters and idiots who've been living under a rock for too long buy it out of curiousity, while fans buy it out of sympathy and love for their favourite female R&B idol.
Then there's the fact that none of her Contemporary R&B peers are around to thwart her commercial success on the Billboard Hot 200. Alicia Keys, the only artist of today's new generation that can compete with Beyonce on a commercial and artistic level, has yet to release another album's worth of original material (her "Alicia Keys - Unplugged" album from 2005 doesn't fully qualify as "original", despite a few new tunes); Brooke Valentine & Teairra Mari have yet to solidify their presences in the mainstream; Cassie & Ciara have yet to prove their live vocal chops to haters and critics; the ever-so-talented Brandy is nowhere in sight; the unforgettable Aaliyah died due to an unforeseen plane crash (R.I.P. Baby Girl); Christina Milian, Beyonce's only other solid competitor, still isn't taken seriously, and has recently been dropped from Def Jam; and it will be a while before R&B songstress Monica drops her upcoming album "The Makings Of Me". Her only real threats in the R&B game are Rihanna, Letoya & Keyshia Cole, but all three of their individual albums (sophomore album and debut albums, respectively) lost steam MONTHS ago! Then again, Letoya's self-titled debut had a lesser (but still strong) impact on the charts due to Beyonce's conniving pre-sales of this album.
With all of these factors stacking heavily in her favour, you shouldn't be surprised if this album scores preposterously huge first-week sales, a shiny #1 spot and a few platinum plaques. Thankfully, however, the future success this album is destined to receive does not go undeserved. "B'Day" is leagues better than her ballad-heavy debut "Dangerously In Love", partially because there's a larger variety of top-line producers (Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, Rich Harrison, etc.) and skilled songwriters (Sean Garrett, Ne-Yo, etc.) to compliment her soaring vocals and instinctive business smarts. In fact, "B'Day" is, to Beyonce, what "So Amazin'" was to Christina Milian - sexy, bold, artistic statements that replace sloppy, boring balladry with funky, upbeat dance numbers and a few unexpected surprises to keep listeners interested. The only significant difference is that Beyonce's sophomore album sounds much more raw in its production.
Surprisingly, this album has many more highlights than its official 11-track listing may lead you to believe (the addictively flirtatious #1 smash hit hip-pop gem "Check On It", featuring rapping Houston natives Bun B and Slim Thug, is included as a bonus track). Her signature smash hit with Jay-Z on "Crazy In Love" is not surpassed by either of "B'Day"-`s killer Beyonce/Jay-Z duets (the definitive lead single "Déjà vu" and the royal R&B/Hip-Hop number "Upgrade U", where Beyonce and Jay-Z promise to give each other power, prestige and materialistic offerings over Swizz Beatz's heavy bass and commanding horns) but by the anthemic, club-banging standout "Freakum Dress", where Beyonce celebrates payback on an unfaithful lover by half-nakedly flirting her goodies for other men on the dance-floor. Then there's "Suga Mama", a dirty slice of sexy, sweaty R&B/Soul/Funk where Beyonce offers her services with seductive, passionate vocals over funky guitar riffs. Shockingly, both of the aforementioned tracks were produced by Rich Harrison, the same individual behind "Crazy In Love", Jennifer Lopez's "Get Right" and Amerie's "1 Thing", PLUS he produced Christina Milian's international bonus track "Wind You Up". The Neptunes also provide some smooth grooves to Beyonce's vulnerable vocals on the album's biggest surprise, "Kitty Kat". On the aforementioned mid-tempo burner, she decides to leave a man who's failing to attend to her emotional AND sexual needs.
However, the vulnerable moments are almost always the most appreciated, and "B'Day" is no different. Penned by superstar Ne-Yo, Sean Garrett and Beyonce herself, "Irreplaceable" is the type of ballad you wished "Dangerously In Love" has more of. The soft guitar is a great way to ease listeners into focusing on her soulful, emotional vocals & the incredibly well-crafted, raw lyrics which tell the story of a woman letting a dirty cheater know he's not as unique and great as he thinks he is ("You must not know `bout me/You must not know `bout me/I could have another you in minutes/In fact, he'll be here in a minute, baby"). Hidden track "Listen", from her upcoming movie "Dreamgirls", is another emotive ballad about demanding the attention of a lover who seems uninterested in her problems. Driven by complimentary piano work, emotional-soulful vocals, compelling lyrics and a killer chorus, this semi-operatic masterpiece should've been labelled as an official track. The minimalist beats of the endlessly enjoyable club number "Get Me Bodied", the old-school soul of the guitar-driven ballad "Resentment" (where Beyonce finds trouble in forgiving what her man did to her) and "Green Light", where an unfaithful lover is dismissed once again over some infectious instrumentals & an addictively chanted chorus, also make for great listening.
If not for the second single "Ring The Alarm", another upbeat Hip-Hop number where Beyonce sings about losing her love and material possessions to someone else, this album would be closer to flawless. Don't get me wrong, "Ring The Alarm" is just as brilliant in quality as everything else, but nearly everything from the psychotic chorus to the heavy beats sounds stolen or ripped off from Kelis' debut single "Caught Out There". Another problem lies in the album's theme. Absolutely nothing from this album branches out of good and bad relationships, despite having most of the songs being distinctive from one another in terms of perspective.
What I find most rattling, however, is whether or not Beyonce truly feels what she's singing. While her co-writing credits on every track, in combination with her constantly passionate vocals, makes this album sounds so much more believable and universally appealing than it should, her hidden commentary about how the album's partially about everything she wished her character Deena (from "Dreamgirls") said in the film causes some of my faith to fade (though not much).
Nonetheless, "B'Day" is a solid effort which definitely deserves more awards and sales than "Dangerously In Love". What this album lacks in introspective insight, it makes for in addictive club bangers and classic balladry. 4.5 stars!
P.S. Also included is a hidden extended mix of "Get Me Bodied", which should've been made as the official version or simply left off altogether IMO because there's not much difference to its original counterpart
Description of B'Day
Japanese pressing of 2006 album features 15 tracks including bonus international versions, 2 hidden tracks and the Japan only track 'Creole'. Sony.History may prove Beyoncé's B'Day to be a rare double-whammy of an achievement. Not only is it destined to hold up as one of the thumpingest, most polished-sounding discs of 2006, it's also bound to loose a new phrase into the popular lexicon: a "freekum dress" (n.), as described on a same-named track halfway through this excellent CD, is a "right-fittin'" garment owned by every woman; "when they act wrong, that's when you put it on." Linguistic hijinks aside, here is Beyoncé as the public rarely sees her: fully liberated and artistically fearless. "Ring the Alarm," a big-banging, fire-alarm-clanging wake-up call to a cheating man, finds her seething; "Kitty Kat," a feline-like size-up of a stale relationship helped along by the still innovative Neptunes, shows her spurned; the womanly, fire-in-the-belly come-on "Suga Mama" gets her way, way worked up; and the crackling, vocally volcanic "Resentment" steeps her in Aretha-caliber soul. For all the disc's solo trailblazing, though, where it really soars is on one of two duets with Jay-Z: While "Up Grade U" chugs along entertainingly enough about the good life ("I'm talkin' spa bags and fly pads and rooms at the Bloomberg"), opener "Deja Vu" blasts out a bomp-bomp beat nobody with a head to nod could resist. Cake, candles, and Cristal or no, B'Days rarely get this good. --Tammy La Gorce
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