Now that all the dust has settled around Beyonce's self-titled fifth album arriving out of nowhere, it's time to pay attention to the actual music itself. Over the year or so, we've heard a few leaked tracks either on commercials (Pepsi ad had Grown Woman, H&M featured Standing On The Sun) – or on movie soundtracks (cartoon Epic closing credits number Rise Up) or even in her current worldwide concert (God Made You Beautiful), but not one of those songs are featured here. So let's have a look at what she has actually given us!
1. 'Pretty Hurts'
Sounds a lot like 'Halo', even though the subject matter is more in line with Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful', this is penned by song-writer of the minute Sia (see: Rihanna's 'Diamonds', Britney's 'Perfume', David Guetta's 'Titanium), and adds to the long list of Beyonce power anthems. It's basically an attack on people who make women feel the need to be skinny and undergo surgery to look better. It feels a little hollow being sung by someone as visually appealing as Beyonce, but it still works due to the killer lyrics and soulful delivery. Four Out of Five.
2. 'Ghost' / 'Haunted'
The first of many songs on the album that start off one way, before switching lanes and becoming a completely different song for the second half. The first half smacks of something that Janelle Monae, half-rapping about how she doesn't trust record labels. Then it suddenly becomes a dark and moody, sounding like something Kanye West might've recorded for his Yeezus album. It's quite different to what we're used to from Beyonce, but then everything about this album could possibly be described that way. Five Out of Five.
3. 'Drunk In Love' featuring Jay Z
The sorta-sequel to 'Crazy In Love', after they had their sorta-sequel to 'Bonnie & Clyde' on Jay's Magna Carter album earlier this year, but not a dancefloor-filler like that song was. Instead it's a bedroom jam, all slinky base beats and lyrics about having sex in the kitchen. It's also the first proper song on the album by Beyonce singing about sex, and it's not the last time you'll hear it either. Four Out of Five.
4. 'Blow'
From the opening bars, you know this is a Pharrell Williams joint. He's pretty much owned 2013, and he closes it out with two fantastic contributions to this album. Sounding like a Michael Jackson homage, it's a similar sound to a previous Pharrell production 'Kitty Kat', but with a way more laid back groove. Timbaland gets involved around three minutes in to speed things up a little bit. Once again, Beyonce is singing about getting her sex on. But not in an overtly explicit way. That's still to, ahem, come. Four Out of Five.
5. 'No Angel'
Produced by Pitchfork favourites Chairlift, this finds Beyonce singing in a high-pitched, almost-broken voice that sounds a little like Ciara tune 'High Price'. Then Beyonce comes back down to Earth, singing about her partner who is 'no angel either, baby'. A song about admitting faults makes for a nice change, but the tune is just too jagged to warm to properly. Three Out of Five.
6. 'Yonce / Partition'
The first two minutes of this six minute track is Yonce, with a Timbaland and Timberlake-provided bass-heavy beat with Beyonce singing about how great it is to be Beyonce. Then it morphs into 'Partition', with Beyonce requesting her driver 'roll up the partition, please, don't want you to see me on my knees' and 'He Monica Lewinsky'd all on my gown'. This is Beyonce at her most primally sexual, out-Rihanna'ing Rihanna, and it's kind of fantastic. Five Out of Five.
7. 'Jealous'
Exactly what it sounds like, this Beyonce singing about she gets jealous sometimes if her lover isn't always around. Smacks a little of 'Irreplaceable', but doesn't have the killer hook and nice, relatable, empowering message that song had. Although it does get extra points for self-referencing 'Freak'um Dress'. Three Out of Five.
8. 'Rocket'
'Let me sit this ass on you' is the opening line, and we're back in Sexy Town. Written by much-loved R'n'B star of the moment Miguel, and with a fantastically laid-back groove provided by Timbaland, this is a warm, velvety love song about sex. A little too laconic to justify the 6 minute run time, and probably one of the more forgettable songs on the album, but by no means a bad one. Three Out of Five.
9. 'Mine' featuring Drake
Produced by Noah '40' Shebib, the main producer on Drake's album, and with Drake on board, this sounds a lot like a Drake song. Opening with concerns about not being herself since the baby came along, it then gets a little funkier, with Beyonce lets loose about her thoughts on relationships and marriage, and what are most likely some very personal lyrics about how much she loves Jay-Z. Drake's annoying chorus of 'This is something for the good girl!' puts a dent in the overall vibe, though. Four Out of Five.
10. 'XO'
Along with the opening track, this would seem to be the most radio-friendly potential single on the album. Written and produced by Ryan Tedder (the lead singer of OneRepublic, and the writer/producer of 'Halo'), this is clappy-happy song about being in love. Sounds like something that would've been right at home on Beyonce's ballad-heavy 4 album, and while is perfectly listenable, sounds a lot like a lot of other songs we've heard before. Three Out of Five.
11. '***Flawless' featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Opening with the 90 second mini-song 'Bow Down', which you may remember from the O2 adverts, it then presents us with a spoken word speech about feminism from African author Adichie. The rest of the song is a drum heavy affair about how good Beyonce looks – which is kind of counter acting the message in that opening song – but doesn't fall completely into pointless self-promotion thanks to the hip-shaking production by Hit-Boy. Three Out of Five.
12. 'Superpower' featuring Frank Ocean
The other Pharrell production couldn't sound more different to most of everything he's brought us this year, with a constant 'Do Do Do' happening in the background, and the fantastic Frank Ocean perfectly merging his voice in with Beyonce's. Its yet another song about how much she loves being in love, and it's just a teeny tiny bit TOO laid-back, but it's so unique sounding, and it's such an easy song to like, that you can't help but be singing along by the second chorus. Four Out of Five.
13. 'Heaven'
It would appear that this is a song about Beyonce has lost, with the repeated line 'Heaven couldn't wait for you', and this is quite an emotional moment in the album, moving away from the love and sex that we've been listening to so far and into more personal parts of her life. It's a lovely song, but it's also a tad overwrought, and more than a little depressing. Four Out of Five.
14. 'Blue' featuring Blue Ivy
Jay Z had his daughter feature on one of his tracks when she was just a few days old, and now Beyonce has brought her on board to help close out her album. Another down-tempo track, but this time about how much she loves her daughter. It's feels like we're sitting in on Bey singing a lullaby just to her daughter, until the slightly out-of-tune piano and drum beats come in. Again, it's a nice enough song, but feels a little too self-serving. Three Out of Five.
Final thoughts:
After the commercial flop (by comparison to her previous albums of 4), Beyonce is standing by her art. There are no 'Crazy In Love' or 'Single Ladies' style floor-fillers, but as an album, it feels like her most cohesive to date. Influences are to be found all over the place, from the borderline experimental sounds of Yeezus, to the chopped-up beats and sometimes over-indulgent running times of The 20/20 Experience, to the R'n'B-meets-indie sounds of her own sister Solange.
There will be some disappointment from the lack of club bangers, but Beyonce fans will be satisfied at getting to know their Queen Bee a little better, and even non-Bey fans will be surprised by the new sounds she's serving up.
Four Out of Five.
Review by Rory Cashin
