Judging by the sales figures, the impressive music career of brand new mother Beyoncé seemed to be less and less fruitful. The proceeds of her latest album 4 (2011), with three million copies, contrasted sharply with that of her solo debut Dangerously In Love (2003), which still accounted for eleven million copies. Pedigree performer Beyoncé must have seen that now was the time to kick-start her
… career. With a healthy dose of proof, Mrs. Knowles-Carter entered the studio and delivered a product that has everything it takes to reanimate the numbers. The eponymous record was first released digitally as a visual album, only to be bundled with the audio version on the shelves just before Christmas after all the riots. This stunt is indicative of the character of the music. With a very tasteful, hip-hop oriented, timing, the free-spirited Yoncé sings about her postpartum depression, about tensions within her marriage and about how hot she can be. Combined with the unorthodox productions of, among others, Timbaland and Pharrell Williams, we can speak of R&B with such a sharp edge that people could cut themselves to it. (GL)more
