MUSIC REVIEW: BEYONCE - '4'

Bigger Beats, Dance Floor Treats & Sweet Ambition Add Up to Global Domination

By: Andrew Shaw

June 27, 2011

(Columbia) Beyoncé Knowles is one of those artists who is, and will forever remain, a point of reference for other artists that need to check the possibilities of genre, style, and expression. She was announced, by Forbes, as being one of the top earners within the music industry, yet the working class know-how has not been forgotten; she remains in touch with street sensibilities. She has one of the largest sounds and expansive accounts of studio time, yet her tracks stomp the floors in the tiniest and grimiest clubs, as well as the VIP rooms of the places with shiny floors that us mortals will never enter. Simply put, Beyoncé has achieved a level of artistic integrity and popularity that has to be the stuff of some folks' dreams.

4, as an album title, reflects a numerical simplicity that opens proceedings in “1+1,” the first track on the collection. Song, and collection, start simply with a description of a near naked personality that is usually built toward, not expressed from the outset. Limitations are acknowledged; standards and objectives are set. Instrumentation here, if not elsewhere on the album, is near naked, and a low-key approach is employed, drawing in as much as it leaves out of the equation.

Here is an album on which Knowles departs company from her former manager, who happens to be her father. It is also an album that matures beyond the last album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, which was a portrayal of the performer's alter-ego -- an alter-ego that is now absorbed into the full personality of the artist. It seems that all intention is focussed on ownership of the complete picture and a level of explicitly mature honesty that was perhaps at least partially concealed in the past. Things are simpler, richer, more direct. This is an important step in the progress and process of an artist; not only is the darkness expressed, it is owned and expelled with as much celebration as the light.

Despite a seemingly obvious desire to move forward and away from previously held ideals, nothing from previous releases is betrayed -- no big departure or jolting misstep to shake the fans and their expectations. Notions may have matured, but Knowles, as always, doesn't forget where she's coming from. Sonically, production values remain as polished and 'club ready' as they have ever been. Babyface, Kanye West, and Ryan Tedder all share duties with a host of other producers -- too many to list. Knowles continues to leave her foot in the producer's door, so nothing ever gets away from personal vision.

Military snares lace the entire collection but in no better place than on lead single “Run the World (Girls).” The track is an orgy of regimented beats, flipped vocal samples, and a strut that carries a conviction of “building a nation.” Usual Beyoncé style comes in as a sexed-up suggestion of cursing: “Who runs this mother...” while we're also told to “...raise a glass to the college grads.” It's the combination of all things feminine without necessarily adopting masculine methods of domination that has always been Knowles' method of accomplishment. Business and political ambitions are discussed and balanced with the ability to also give birth and raise a child. Money, as a result of intelligence and hard work, are considered sexy, and sex is also another strength which women should harness. The sentiment is a matured vision of “Independent Women (part I)” where more than just finances are claimed, and the music is less Pop and more of a dance floor assault.

A real standout moment comes with the arrival of Kanye West and Andre Benjamin on “Party.” The story of temptation and nocturnal impulses that can't be denied, despite what may be said in the morning, is nothing unfamiliar. But Benjamin's vocal twang snapping line after line over Knowles' smoothest expressions is a flawless victory in terms of recent guest spots.

“Countdown” is an unmissable track. Again returning to a numerical simplicity, here's a launch-pad countdown of actions and behaviors. Beyoncé brings her sexiest best; she addresses the ladies and encourages teasing behavior which can only result in 'lift off.' Her vocal turn here, cascading the scales between itemized instructions, is as good as it's ever been.

4 is one of those albums that concentrates efforts and awareness on the 'now' of an artist. It's smart, addresses a variety of perspectives from a deeply personal perspective, and, like all genuinely honest stories, it's sometimes contradictory; for that reason, it will inform much of what will follow. It doesn't attach too much sentimentality to previous achievements, but it doesn't deny them either. It's also clever because it doesn't overreach itself with a sound that confuses or leaves fans behind. It's a significant, almost subtle step in the direction that Knowles has always been heading in, but it's also an acceleration. The rockets just got bigger; the range just got wider.

Standout Tracks: ”Party,” “Run the World (Girls),” “Countdown”

For Fans Of: Andre 3000, Rihanna, Kanye West