On September 4, 2006, Beyoncé turned 25 and her second solo album was also released. An easy to remember release date, and the album title immediately explained. Beyoncé is the absolute R&B superstar of her generation, both with her group Destiny's Child and solo. Her first solo CD Dangerously In Love (2003) became a huge hit, so expectations were high for the follow-up. Can B'day live up to
… it? Yes, still. The surprise is a bit off, and the various producers (including Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes and Rich Harrison) leave a big mark on the album. As a result, B'day often sounds more like a loose collection of singles than a coherent album. But, those singles are very good. Suga Mama, Made up entirely of funk samples is a very strong song written by Rich Harrison (think of Amerie's 1 Thing). And the blasting beat in Upgrade U fits well with Beyoncé's new, somewhat tougher image, just like Ring The Alarm (with siren), in which an aggressive Beyoncé warns her boyfriend not to show herself with 'another chick on your arm'. Her 'pop doll' Jay-Z has to be careful. (IV)more
