At this point we don’t even know what to say to capture Beyonce‘s all-around dominance and superhuman swagger, so we’ll let the reactions, and the numbers of her surprise new album, Beyonce, do the talking.
Beyonce Drops Surprise Album, World Rejoices
When Queen Bey (she will forever be known as this) eschewed traditional album release practices on Dec. 13 by dropping her album on midnight on a Thursday, with no announcement, no promotion, and an overflowing amount of “Bow Down” confidence, some were skeptical that the surprise album would blow up like Bey hoped. Those people are now living in Siberia because they doubted Beyonce.
Beyonce Strips For Jay-Z On Suprise New Album
First of all, the album — which oh yeah, included nearly twenty music videos— has been praised by almost every prominent music critic out there. Here are a just a few snippets:
New York TimesIts songs are steamy and sleek, full of erotic exploits and sultry vocals; every so often, for variety, they turn vulnerable, compassionate or pro-feminist. And with both the songs and the videos, Beyoncé consolidates one of pop’s most finely balanced personas; she is, at once, glamorous and down-home, carnal and sweet, “Queen Bey” and a diligent trouper, polished and human.
Entertainment Weekly
Some fans will no doubt feel lost in this murky, intermittently thrilling new territory. For them — and everyone else with a heart — there’s “Blue,” which features her baby-talking toddler Blue Ivy reverbed into infinity at the end, but more importantly, proves that not every piano-laden pop ballad need bring the doldrums on. Like much ofBeyoncé, it balances formal inventiveness with emotional directness. Share it with your little niece, or someone else you love.
Los Angeles Times
What’s exciting about the record, beyond its means of delivery, is how the music similarly blends the intimate and the extravagant.
‘Beyonce’ Is #1 Worldwide
