Beyonce introduces us to an alter-ego that many of us have known for a long time with her third studio album I Am…Sasha Fierce. A double-album that really isn’t, this record features an impressive array of vocal acrobatics from Beyonce in her usual unpretentious but extraordinary style.
The obvious critique here isn’t really with the music but rather with the gimmick. As Sasha Fierce, Beyonce elucidates tracks of the speed and personality that were found to be more than at home on Dangerously in Love or B’Day. Indeed, there is nothing new about Sasha Fierce and nothing overly “fierce” about her either. She is remarkably docile.
The idea of splitting the disc in two is perplexing, as the entire album is only composed of eleven tracks (six are found on the I Am… disc, the remaining five are on Sasha Fierce). Is a double disc really necessary? Nope. Beyonce has precisely and skilfully displayed these two sides before, so it almost seems like a wasted trick. At least when Christina gave us Back to Basics there was a reason for the second disc.
But hell, such are marketing gimmicks…
The music itself is enjoyable and fulfilling, with Beyonce’s emotional approach to singing evident in every track. She pours herself into each one, laying her soul bare for the listener with no shame and little use for theatrics.
It is the first disc that is the most stimulating and, ironically, the most dynamic. Here, Beyonce lays out the strong single “If I Were A Boy” and allows her voice to soar through the upper registry with ease and purity. The track is one of the album’s most impressive, coursing through the bloodline of a woman scorned with no apologies and a sense of brutal irony. Beyonce doesn’t just run through a litany of “guy excuses” either; she’s telling a deeply personal story and it works like a charm.
“Broken-Hearted Girl” is breathtaking, as Beyonce catches all of the right notes and pours herself into the song with command and control. Strings drive through the background, punctuating what could easily be a lame self-affirmation ballad with notes of necessity and feeling. And “Satellites” is a stunning song accented by soft guitar and Beyonce’s graceful voice.
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