Beyoncé

Album Reviews

B'Day C -Beyoncé's first above average album, B'Day is a solid pop record that contains some of the most memorable moments of the singer's career (note: skip the overstuffed deluxe edition, which prominently features the awkward Shakira collaboration, "Beautiful Liar").

I Am... Sasha Fierce F -A botched concept album that introduced late alter ego Sasha Fierce (who Beyoncé promptly murdered in the wake of I Am...'s critical failure), the singer's third album is the only real flop in her catalogue. It still contains a few shining moments of personality, but its bulk consists of whitebread pop that could've been delivered to equal effect by just about anybody that can hold a tune.

4 B- - After the disaster that was I Am... Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé dipped out from the public eye to seek inspiration in new places. The result of this self-imposed exile from the spotlight was 4, her first truly excellent piece of work. It still has its flaws, but its high points remain stunning in their absolute disregard for convention.

BEYONCÉ B+ - Billed as a "visual album," the pop star's fifth studio effort succeeds in all mediums. It's a stunning manifesto of womanhood, and the project that elevated Beyoncé to untoucable status.

Lemonade A - Bey's standing opus, Lemonade emerged from the flame of a woman's scorn. It's her second true "visual album," but it plays more like a movie in both its audio and visual formats. Its social message is somewhat dampened by its arc of forgiveness, but it's nonetheless one of the most impressive pop albums of the century.