Beyoncé - BEYONCÉ

Where does one start with introducing this one? 2013's standout pop event was the sudden release of Beyonce's fifth studio album, hands down. Not that there was much competition: Lady GaGa was at a creative nadir, Katy Perry was borrowing Sara Bareilles songs and Britney might as well have thrown herself in a blender, it would've made a better noise (and impression on the charts) than Britney Jean. Aggravating three very strong online fan communities out of the way, and over a month after the release, it's probably time to tackle this review.

Production-wise, there's a stellar lineup as usual. Pharrell, Ryan Tedder, The-Dream and Timbaland all make reappearances, whilst new talents to Beyoncé's roster include Sia, Boots, Justin Timberlake and Miguel. Her music has always come under scrutiny for having so many helping hands but with such a talented collection it's hard not to get excited; but at this stage in her career it's actually what's so unBeyoncé about this record that's keeping me listening more than the others. The stereotype of the ferociously dancing, in-your-face-with-her-perfectness superstar is really toned down here, and although 4 was a great first step into a serious, album-making artist, her self-titled effort is the one that'll probably go down as her finest.

My initial favourite, and probably the strongest argument for what would usually serve as the first single from a Beyoncé album cycle - you know, the whole woman-overcoming-disadvantages shtick - was 'Pretty Hurts'. It's a vocal juggernaut, so it'll probably get a release at some point in 2014, and the mantras pouring out through the lyrics are likely to endear her to her fans (and alienate her from the haters). "Perfection is the disease of the nation", she bemoans, and highlights the inconsistency among media as to what exactly is the dream body ("TV says bigger is better... Vogue says thinner is better"). She sets out her intentions with the project properly though on the two-parter 'Haunted', starting with the hidden track Ghost where she riffs "Soul not for sale/ probably won't make money off this, oh well". It's a little naive, really, of the world's biggest popstar to fear she won't make any money, but never mind. The second half - the actual 'Haunted' - is an echoing, opulent bit of chamber music tampered with masterfully by Jordy Asher (Boots). The meme-spouting 'Drunk in Love' finds Beyoncé going a little for her husband's rapmaster title. Some of the lyrics are definitely delivered a little oddly ("surfbort?") but the beat and tune - accentuated by Detail's production and that lingering vocal hook from the beginning, and the in-and-out-of-consciousness sound effects - are impeccable.

Some of 4's funk and groove reappears on 'Blow' (but then it is produced by Pharrell, so go figure) but its scene-stealer is its equation of sex with candy. Caroline Polachek (of Chairlift fame, and more recently her Blood Orange appearance) lends her writing hand to 'No Angel' and tests the more husky, shrill aspects of Beyoncé's voice, but the effect is not quite as beguiling as the outrageously filthy 'Partition'. Its first half - 'Yoncé' - is a trap-dominated bit of bragging and sexual confidence ("when he wanna smash I'll just write another one"), but the second half again is more sensual and steamy ("chauffer eavesdropping; trying not to crash"). While tracks like this assert her feminist and dominant qualities, it's often the ones where she takes on another character - since one would assume that she's not jealous or suspicious of Jay Z cheating - that give us the strongest hooks and finest pop moments like 'Jealous' and its bridge. The bouncy vocals of 'Rocket' are another easy, enjoyable moment, whilst the album's best single is the stuttering, explosive 'XO'. 

Aside from the obvious husband spot, the album's two biggest guest stars may well have been Frank Ocean and Drake, but I can't help but feel both tracks underperform. 'Mine' is an indulgent, classic arrangement that serves as nice lounge music but doesn't really call on either star's talents, and 'Superpower' - sort of Monáen in its retro-futuristic build-up - is startingly weaker. In fact, it falls upon the album's two least-experienced recording artistes billed as features to really deliver: Nigerian feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's sterling wisdom and sass turn '***Flawless' from a run-of-the-mill brag to a wannabe social uprising, and really ups Beyoncé's stake in being the most important feminist force right now, reminding us "Don't think I'm just his little wife... this my shit, bow down bitches". The second spot comes from her own daughter on 'Blue', an obvious go-to for emotional output and a rewarding, cute track. The album's most striking rapport is made on 'Heaven', though; believed to be referring to her miscarriage, it's achingly empty and quite a magic moment.

For me, there hasn't been a Beyoncé album that offers fewer opportunities to want to skip tracks: prior to this, she's always been something of a pop performer that's best kept to the singles. BEYONCÉ is far more mature, compelling and multi-layered that it actually slots her finally into that bracket of a serious, album-making artist (after the great first stepping-stone of 4).

Rating: 9/10
Highlights: XO; Heaven; Drunk in Love; Yoncé/Partition; Rocket; Haunted
Avoid: n/a (although the obvious weak link is Superpower)

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