I am a fan of Beyonce’s, and I am always excited to get my hands on her (new) albums/ materials. Her latest album, ’4′, is definitely an interesting one – more experimental than B’day, has more slow to mid-tempo tracks, and is quite a departure from her usual style. It is still impressive nonetheless.
The album kicks off with her third single “1+1″. She sounds amazing on this track, and I think it probably has to do with her marriage. Her voice floats above this simple arrangement below, and she sounds so much in love. The best rendition of this song that I have heard so far has to be that on American Idol, when she sings with just piano accompaniment. Equally just as emotional is the track “I Miss You”.
I have to say that the mid to fast-tempo tracks sort of stands out more on her album (maybe because there are less of them). There’s “Best Thing I Never Had”, which is essentially “Irreplaceable” part II in a way; “Love on Top”, “Countdown”, ” End of Time”, and her first single “Run the World (Girls)”.
My most favourite track on the album has to be “Love on Top”, the song which she performed at the 2011 VMAs! It has this retro-feel, and it is just so catchy! Simple and effective song! “Countdown” is another favourite. I really like the arrangement for the song, and is sort of reminiscent of her B’day era.
Overall, while it is a great effort by Beyonce, it may not be a very listenable album for the first few runs. One will definitely need more time to get used to most of the songs, and once you do, you will realise how amazing an artiste she has become over the years.
4 out of 5
