“A diva,” announces Beyoncé’s drag-queen-inspired alter ego Sasha Fierce, “is a female version of a hustler”. Freakum Dress (2006)Ī song that belatedly provoked a TikTok meme, quite why Freakum Dress wasn’t released as a single from B-Day remains an enduring mystery. It’s electrifying from start to finish: the see-sawing organ part, the pounding drums, the explosive backing vocals, the unexpected melodic climb into the chorus. Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s collaborative album, Everything Is Love, paled a little by comparison to their preceding solo releases, particularly Lemonade, but it had its moments, not least the trap-infused Apeshit, which proved what Savage later underlined: that Beyoncé is pretty great at rapping. Interest in Lemonade tended to focus on what it revealed about the state of the Carter-Knowles marriage, but it was as musically adventurous as it was soul-bearing, as evidenced by Freedom, a flatly astonishing explosion of 60s psychedelia, Alan Lomax field recordings, punishing beats and ferocious Kendrick Lamar guest appearance.Īt the 2008 American Music awards. The negative image of Crazy in Love, Me, Myself and I moves seamlessly from heartbroken to screw you – “come pick up your clothes” – to sing-it-with-me-girls empowerment over a super-cool G-funk-ish beat. And the vocal is spectacular – check out the improvisation panning between left and right speakers at 3min 36sec. The original version of I Care is great, a maelstrom of drums and floating, ambient synth over which Beyoncé does her wronged-woman thing with style, but the live version on Homecoming turns everything – rhythm track, emotional intensity – up to full, and throws in marching band horns for added urgency. Daddy Lessons (2016)Īlways smart in her choice of collaborators, Beyoncé’s pairing here with Nashville refuseniks the Chicks is particularly inspired. She appends their country sound with old-fashioned New Orleans jazz-infused R&B, a stunning act of artistic dot-joining and evidence of a genuinely original, eclectic musical mind. “You ain’t never seen a fire like the one imma cause,” warns Ring the Alarm’s protagonist to her cheating partner. The bursts of distortion on her vocals, and the potent backing of aggressive beats, morse code-like electronics and wailing sirens amplifies the impression her ex is going to rue the day he crossed her. Sunlit, 808-driven, 80s R&B-influenced synths, a sample from Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick’s landmark old school rap anthem La Di Da Di, a rare guest appearance from André 3000 – on super-sharp form, discussing everything from sexual prowess to changing generations in hip-hop – and a luxuriant, relaxed Beyoncé performance.
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