I Am...Sasha Fierce - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
(Amazon.co.uk Review) The latest outing from former Destiny's Child starlet Beyonce is an intentionally schizophrenic affair. Splitting herself into two separate characters--herself and alter ego Sasha Fierce--is the artist's way of presenting what she obviously sees as an artistic duality. The first set, I Am..., is intended give a glimpse beneath the surface of her usual R&B-pop persona. Featuring recent single “If I Was a Boy", the soaring “Halo", and ballads like “Disappear", and “Ave Maria", it seems her “real" self is way more saccharine than the lady that brought us sassy pop moments like “Crazy in Love" and “Baby Boy". That side of her personality comes rushing back out on Sasha Fierce, a more rousing collection that kicks off with the infectious handclaps of “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", ventures into Euro-dance territory with “Radio", and gets surprisingly risque with the voyeuristic “Video Phone". Which part of the album you enjoy most will depend on your musical proclivities, but the new, bifurcated Beyonce ensures there's enough diversity to satisfy the most demanding pop aficionado. --Danny McKenna

Album Description
Standard two CD pressing. One of 2008's most hotly anticipated album releases, I Am..Sasha Fierce marks the artist's first new studio collection since the Grammy-winning multi-platinum-selling B'Day debuted at #1 on charts around the world shortly after its international release on September 4, 2006. With all songs co-written and co-produced by Beyonc,, the artist's third studio album is her most personal, reflective and revelatory collection to-date. 11 tracks.

Customer Reviews: Read 59 more reviews...

1 out of 5 stars

I Am...Making You Pay For A Deluxe Edition That Could've Been a One Disc by Beyonce November 19, 2008
76 out of 81 found this review helpful

Before I start, I'm just gonna say I'm not an amazing reviewer, but I am going to give an honest review.

I am definately not the biggest Beyonce fan by far, as I usually like to stray away from mainstream music as often as I can, being such over processed crap as most of it is. But this is Beyonce we're talking about, she has amazing talent, and an amazing vocal range. Which is why I'm so appalled that she had the audacity to release such an album. It's almost like she's saying, "I'm Beyonce, I'm amazing, and people will jump on anything I create, so why even make an attempt."
I'm one of the idiots who purchased the deluxe album, and after unwrapping it at home and actually checking out the track listing and such, all of these songs could have DEFINATELY fit onto one album. There was nothing deluxe about it.
After listening to the first disc, I almost felt I had to check my stereo to make sure I didn't have the same song on repeat over and over. The entire first disc is nothing but power ballads, that lack just that, power. There was no emotion, they all sounded exactly the same: bland, dull, and over-polished. It made me feel like she went into the studio and just recorded each track to the same intrumental, back to back, and called it a night.

The second disc I'm assuming was supposed to be the disc with club anthems, party songs and such. It had the typical "independent" ladies song, and the typical "boast like a man" song. I forced myself through the whole thing just to say I gave it a shot. Basically the only song worth anything on this entire collection is the song "Single Ladies", which I'm still not bananas about.
Beyonce, you're incredible, but this album was a slap in the face to all of your fans and anyone who even mildly liked you. Giving it two stars is generous, and I wasn't in the mood.

It definately seems like I'm bashing Beyonce in this review, but I'm not bashing her, I'm bashing her feeble effort in this album release. I'm sure she'll notice the poor feedback from this cd and the next will be incredible. She should definately take her time and create an album with songs that have some staying power. Because if there ever was a Beyonce album to forget in the dust it's definately this one.

2 out of 5 stars

You're better off with the deluxe edition November 18, 2008
26 out of 26 found this review helpful

On her third solo disc, Beyonce returns with a concept album of sorts, a double disc with disc 1 comprising ballads reflecting Beyonce, and disc 2 comprising more uptempo songs reflecting her fiercer alter ego, Sasha.

Opening the album is the smash hit "If I were a boy", co-penned by Toby Gad who also co-penned such lovely acoustic ballads for Fergie ("Big girls don't cry") and Donna Summer ("Sand on my feet"). The song is a beautiful acoustic ballad with Beyonce stepping into a guys' shoes and telling how she would treat a girl better if she were a guy. It also features some of Beyonce's most heartfelt and best vocals. Other standouts on Disc 1 are "Broken-hearted girl", the acoustic "Smash into you" (on the deluxe edition), and the bonus cut "Save the hero", a Timbaland-style groove with lyrics asking who will be there for her in her time of need, as she's always there for others.

Disc 2 boasts more sonic variety; The techno-tinged "Radio", the club number "Sweet dreams" (which sounds like something off of former bandmate Michelle's recent Dance CD), the piano drenched "Hello", the retro Soul sounding "Ego" (with organ, horns and lovely harmonies), the stomping Darkchild produced "Scared of lonely" (nice keyboards and swirling synth effects) and the closing bonus cut co-penned by her sister Solange (who I feel should have co-penned the entire CD), the Motown-tinged bouncy "Why don't you love me" (the latter 4 on the deluxe edition).

That makes it 10 good songs on the entire album (assuming you have all 18 cuts), or simply 4 on this version of the disc. And therein lies the problem. The disc could have been effectively whittled down to just 10 tracks and it would have been much more effective. Songs like "Single ladies", "Diva", and "Video phone" are more of the same skeletal atonal tuneless stuff like "Ring the alarm" or "Get me bodied", while much of Disc 1 passes by harmlessly making no impact. Disc 1 sounds like an attempt to muscle in on Leona Lewis' territory; "Halo" was co-written by the same chap that co-wrote "Bleeding love" for Leona and was apparently originally intended for Leona. The songs also largely lack the vocal dexterity she displayed in her first CD on songs like "Be with you", "Yes" or "Speechless"; her singing on practically every song except "If I were a boy" is basically the same. Also, she seems unable to recapture the charm and excitement that was "Crazy in love".

If you go for the regular edition of the album, you miss most of the best songs ("Smash into you", "Hello", "Ego", "Scared of lonely", and bonus tracks "Save the hero" and "Why don't you love me"). It's really pointless getting the regular edition. All 11 songs on the regular edition could have conveniently fit onto a single disc.

I won't be surprised if months down the line, she releases a deluxe deluxe edition including the good songs that should have been on the album in the first place, much like she did with "B'day". Albums like this strongly argue the case for illegal downloads!

2 out of 5 stars

The Diva Jinx November 18, 2008
21 out of 22 found this review helpful

Bottom line...this album is not worth the money. For someone who puts themselves on the highest pedestal possible, whether its her willing to outshine or overshine every female artist who dare to dominate the #1 spot (even her own group members), Beyonce really took a drink of confidence of splitting a 1 LP album into 2....NICE TRY!!!

There's nothing here that brings out the Beyonce she knows she's supposed to be. So its obvious that listening to this album is a fascade to the ear...with the exception of "Halo", where she pulls off a nice Leona Lewis challenge, and the actually BANGER on this entire package is "Scared Of Lonely". Those 2 songs are the reason for the 2 stars.

Once again.....It's not worth it. Unless you are a CD collector or you just wanna see some sexy pics (5 star photography lol....hmmmm), this isn't worth your money.

1 out of 5 stars

I Am...No longer talented November 20, 2008
13 out of 20 found this review helpful

Beyonce sounds like she ruined/strained her voice too much for this CD
she's trying to sound like an old blusy/light R&B
she should be doing more songs like Deja Vu

The only good song was Halo...

1 out of 5 stars

I Am..Sasha Sleepy November 26, 2008
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

So, I'm no music "critic" but we are all entitled to our opinion. Never have I been a die hard Beyonce fan but have enjoyed her first and second albums with the first one being my favorite. Even then, I would buy the album and wait until it looked like the BeYAWNce hype would die down. I just opened B-Day last week as it had been on my shelf since it released, still wrapped in plastic. When I opened B-Day it gave me life so I was pumped for the release of I Am..Sasha Fierce.

Thankfully, and I mean thankfully my girlfriend who enjoys Beyonce's music sent me her MySpace page and told me to check it out before I ran down to Target and spent my $10.

BAYBEEEEEE....let me be the first to tell you that I wanted to mix Vicodin and Vodka while listening to I Am. It put me in a bad mood. I agree with one of the previous reviewers how it sounds like one never ending song. I had to stop and really listen to see if she was singing a new song because they all sound the same.

Sasha Sleepy was indeed a waste of my time. I don't want to hear an almost 30 year old married woman talking about her swagger being like that of a hustler, the paper in her pocket and somebody putting a ring on it. Come on now! Why does she sound like Mike Jones, who? Mike Jones! Who told her to speak that way? I like the classy yet sassy Beyonce, not this ghetto "o-so-hood" mess. So now all these little girls are going to be telling dudes to "put a ring on it" at 16, 17 and 18...there is more to it then just the ring. Marriage is hard work, don't get me started. LOL. With so many YOUNG girls looking up to her I feel this side of the album was an even bigger disappointment.

As I have told my friends I need Beyonce to take a real break like Brandy...lol...and make a fierce comeback after having a child or two. Maybe then she will have something worth listening to two full albums - not six songs on one album and a few more on the other. I am looking forward to what her music will be like after she becomes a mother and has been married for a few years...none of this Sasha Sleepy nonsense.

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