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Celeb News: 'BEYONCÉ' - Universal Acclaim on MetaCritic (86)
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 7,152
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lets hope for 75+
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Member Since: 1/25/2012
Posts: 6,215
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Quote:
Originally posted by RomanNavy
We all know her metacritic score is gonna be insane...
Critics love her
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How does it feel to hate a woman that everyone loves? That must be very difficult.
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Member Since: 8/18/2013
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YES GAWD!!! get dat PRAISE!!!! 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 10,844
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 i guess everyone missed her too much
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Member Since: 1/25/2012
Posts: 6,215
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90/100 from Billboard is amazing. 
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Member Since: 3/27/2012
Posts: 27,951
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I want an 80 for this masterpiece.
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Member Since: 8/22/2009
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Telegraph UK gave 4 a 60. 
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Member Since: 10/29/2010
Posts: 29,249
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Album review: Beyonce shows she has it all
Bow down, Radiohead. You too, Yeezus. And anybody else who thinks they can top Beyonce Knowles when it comes to making an album release a global event.
The superstar diva sent the Internet into overdrive — and gave fans an early Christmas — by unexpectedly releasing an album overnight Thursday, posting it to iTunes without warning.
“I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it,” is how she explained the move in a press release. “I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans … I felt like I didn’t want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it’s ready.”
That’s far from the only surprise surrounding Queen Bey’s self-titled fifth full-length. More revelations:
It’s a multi-media album.
Along with 14 songs, the “visual album” includes 17 full-length videos. “I see music,” claims Beyoncé. “It’s more than just what I hear … I immediately see a visual or a series of images that are tied to a feeling or an emotion, a memory from my childhood, thoughts about life, my dreams or my fantasies. And they’re all connected to the music.” Good news for those who like to watch.
It’s all new. Almost.
Since her last album 4, Beyonce has released songs such as Bow Down / I Been On, Grown Woman and God Made You Beautiful. You won’t find any of them here (though Flawless does update Bow Down). But you will find 67 minutes of brand-new fare. Clearly, somebody’s been busy.
It’s autobiographical.
Beyonce has never shied away from revealing lyrics, but here she’s taken it up a notch. From snippets of award-show introductions and childhood Star Search appearances to songs about her marriage, miscarriage and her daughter Blue Ivy, these songs are among her most personal.
It’s crazy-sexy.
Marriage and motherhood have not diminished her libido. Not if frankly risqué numbers like Rocket and Drunk in Love — and bootylicious lyrics about cooking naked and having your gown stained Monica Lewinsky style — are anything to go by. And if you have to ask whether the videos can keep pace, you may not be ready for this jelly.
It’s experimental.
Not surprisingly, this isn’t a batch of big-lunged R&B bangers. It’s far more moody and textured, with grooves that run low and slow, deep fluid basslines, and songs built around futuristic synths, skittering beatboxes and electronica instead of live instruments and traditional styles. Fortunately, cuts like the 1980s-style Prince-funk of Blow do keep things from sounding too samey.
It’s got VIPs.
Naturally, hubby Jay Z drops by to drop a verse on Drunk in Love — though a line comparing Beyonce’s breasts to breakfast kinda makes you wish he hadn’t. Toronto’s own Drake fares better with his typically subdued contribution to Mine, while Frank Ocean offers some old-school crooning on the electro-doo-wop waltz Superpower. And of course, there’s a list of superstar producers and songwriters with names like Pharrell, Timbaland and Timberlake. However, one suspect’s Beyonce’s favourite guest is her daughter, whose laughter seals the album closer Blue.
It’s groundbreaking.
From the opening moments to the final seconds, the album manages to tick all the boxes: It re-establishes Beyonce’s supremacy without resting on laurels; it moves forward creatively while acknowledging her past; it covers everything from motherhood, sisterhood and feminism to grownup sexuality; and it throws down a competitive gauntlet for every other artist. Trust Beyonce to prove you really can have it all.
RATING: 5/5
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/12/13...she-has-it-all
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Member Since: 6/5/2010
Posts: 6,067
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Get that acclaim, queen. 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 31,020
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I wonder what Rolling Stone is gonna give her since even BJ got 3.5
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Member Since: 8/23/2010
Posts: 16,089
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^Does it count for metacritic?
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Member Since: 6/5/2010
Posts: 6,067
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Quote:
Originally posted by DG1
Album review: Beyonce shows she has it all
Bow down, Radiohead. You too, Yeezus. And anybody else who thinks they can top Beyonce Knowles when it comes to making an album release a global event.
The superstar diva sent the Internet into overdrive — and gave fans an early Christmas — by unexpectedly releasing an album overnight Thursday, posting it to iTunes without warning.
“I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it,” is how she explained the move in a press release. “I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans … I felt like I didn’t want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it’s ready.”
That’s far from the only surprise surrounding Queen Bey’s self-titled fifth full-length. More revelations:
It’s a multi-media album.
Along with 14 songs, the “visual album” includes 17 full-length videos. “I see music,” claims Beyoncé. “It’s more than just what I hear … I immediately see a visual or a series of images that are tied to a feeling or an emotion, a memory from my childhood, thoughts about life, my dreams or my fantasies. And they’re all connected to the music.” Good news for those who like to watch.
It’s all new. Almost.
Since her last album 4, Beyonce has released songs such as Bow Down / I Been On, Grown Woman and God Made You Beautiful. You won’t find any of them here (though Flawless does update Bow Down). But you will find 67 minutes of brand-new fare. Clearly, somebody’s been busy.
It’s autobiographical.
Beyonce has never shied away from revealing lyrics, but here she’s taken it up a notch. From snippets of award-show introductions and childhood Star Search appearances to songs about her marriage, miscarriage and her daughter Blue Ivy, these songs are among her most personal.
It’s crazy-sexy.
Marriage and motherhood have not diminished her libido. Not if frankly risqué numbers like Rocket and Drunk in Love — and bootylicious lyrics about cooking naked and having your gown stained Monica Lewinsky style — are anything to go by. And if you have to ask whether the videos can keep pace, you may not be ready for this jelly.
It’s experimental.
Not surprisingly, this isn’t a batch of big-lunged R&B bangers. It’s far more moody and textured, with grooves that run low and slow, deep fluid basslines, and songs built around futuristic synths, skittering beatboxes and electronica instead of live instruments and traditional styles. Fortunately, cuts like the 1980s-style Prince-funk of Blow do keep things from sounding too samey.
It’s got VIPs.
Naturally, hubby Jay Z drops by to drop a verse on Drunk in Love — though a line comparing Beyonce’s breasts to breakfast kinda makes you wish he hadn’t. Toronto’s own Drake fares better with his typically subdued contribution to Mine, while Frank Ocean offers some old-school crooning on the electro-doo-wop waltz Superpower. And of course, there’s a list of superstar producers and songwriters with names like Pharrell, Timbaland and Timberlake. However, one suspect’s Beyonce’s favourite guest is her daughter, whose laughter seals the album closer Blue.
It’s groundbreaking.
From the opening moments to the final seconds, the album manages to tick all the boxes: It re-establishes Beyonce’s supremacy without resting on laurels; it moves forward creatively while acknowledging her past; it covers everything from motherhood, sisterhood and feminism to grownup sexuality; and it throws down a competitive gauntlet for every other artist. Trust Beyonce to prove you really can have it all.
RATING: 5/5
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/12/13...she-has-it-all
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Does this count towards Metacritic? 
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Member Since: 10/29/2010
Posts: 29,249
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‘BEYONCE’ album review: Pop's warrior shows new side on tracks like 'Blue,' 'Drunk in Love'
R&B queen shocked everyone by dropping her new album as a surprise, but there's plenty of substance to go along with the interesting marketing ploy. Highlights include 'Mine,' a track with Drake, and 'Pretty Hurts.'
Beyonce — pop's most exposed star — has somehow found a way to show us yet another side.
In her new CD, the emphatically named "BEYONCE," the R&B warrior queen gives her music a soft new focus. In song after song, she drapes herself over the music with an insinuating sensuality. The beats, too, have a hazier texture, and proceed at a slower pace, the better to let the music last longer.
The mood draws on the warmth and mystery of trance music, enveloped in an echo which recalls subdued production sounds used by Phil Collins in the early 1980s.
For a woman who made her name on strident declarations and forthright vocal flourishes, all this makes for a sweet change. But it doesn't come out of nowhere. On Bey's last CD, "4," she began to add more ballads and allowed more vulnerability shade her tough persona. But the new disc maintains its mood more consistently, and risks a more down-tempo focus.
Not that Beyonce has turned in any way wimpy. Key parts of the disc show her assertion by letting her thrash about in the sheets — as well as many other places. In "Drunk In Love" she gets down with hubby Jay Z. For "No Angel," she plays erotic devil, while in "Rocket" she sings, "Let me sit this a-- on you" to a distinct R&B grind.
That last track has some vintage Marvin Gaye eroticism to the melody without resorting to recycling his sound. Much of the music has a freshness to it, combining African beats with muted modern hip-hop, the latter element most obvious in her track with Drake ("Mine").
In another innovation, the release features videos for all the songs. Many illustrate the free sexuality of the music — and all make good use of Beyonce's fantasy-fulfilling beauty. The clips also help flesh out the lyrics, such as in "Pretty Hurts" — a song about the perils of perfectionism that depicts a bitchy beauty contest.
She’s not in full roar on “BEYONCE,” but by hearing a different muse, she gives fans much more to listen to.
nd those fans are responding: Beyonce's album release generated over 1.2 million tweets in its first 12 hours.
That’s even more than the Twitter activity generated by Syfy's record-setting “Sharknado” — evidence that Beyonce is not only a pop star, but lives somewhere near the center of the pop culture universe.
RATING: 4/5
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...#ixzz2nOUK7PXe
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Member Since: 10/29/2010
Posts: 29,249
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No, it doesn't. If it does, from now on I will indicate.
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Member Since: 10/29/2010
Posts: 29,249
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Quote:
Originally posted by YeaBey4ever
Does Billboard's review count?
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Yes
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Member Since: 11/8/2011
Posts: 31,648
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Stan Billboard.
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Member Since: 10/26/2009
Posts: 2,271
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Quote:
Originally posted by heartbeats
4 deserves this acclaim  imo |
4 was one of the most critical acclaimed pop albums in recent memory. BEYONCE wish it could touch 4.
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Member Since: 4/7/2009
Posts: 34,961
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Not her coming for Yeezus.
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Member Since: 1/31/2012
Posts: 19,942
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Love the acclaim. That King Reign just won't let up.
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Member Since: 10/29/2010
Posts: 29,249
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Entertainment Weekly
What a gift. The new self-titled album from Beyoncé, surprised-released two weeks before Christmas, may not be the perfect stocking stuffer for your niece — not, at least, if you want little Madison hearing "Partition," a detailed narrative of sex in the back of a limousine. (Buy it exclusively on iTunes through next Friday. According to reports, physical copies will likely go on sale soon after that.) But it's a music-industry "event" with unprecedented value for fans: 14 dreamy new songs, each with videos, plus four other clips, dropped just like that into our laps.
Which, as it turns out, makes a decent metaphor for a notable chunk of her fifth and least overtly pop studio album: "Let me sit this assssss on ya," Beyoncé, now 32, lustily declares to start off "Rocket," a slippery, six-and-a-half-minute funk excursion, and just one of a suite of surprisingly frank sex jams. If "Rocket" takes a silk blouse out of Prince's drawer, "Partition," a two-part hip hop track divided by the sound of a camera clicks and a window whirring up, evokes fringier, grimier horndogs from the Ying Yang Twins to the Weeknd, and sends any sense of romance off with a swat on the rear-end: Not only do the couple never make it to the club, but "daddy" forgets to "bring the towel"; she's not relying on the men here to provide anything more then their libidos.
And what about Beyoncé's man in real life? Jay Z drops by for "Drunk in Love," although that track's really about the bass and Bey's truculent raps and rare (for this album) displays of scale-busting, R&B-singer flair. Jay's mainly good for a giggle, or his line about "your breast-eses for breakfast" is, at least. But Bey's not merely flexing her dominance or even her independence with these bedroom — and, let's not forget, backseat — songs. Just as often she plays the submissive part, saying "I just wanna be the kind of girl you like," or even "Punish me, please!" What she's shaking off relates more to any one idea we might have of her — or, in the mild album opener "Pretty Hurts," any female held to a standard of "perfection": "Momma said you're a pretty girl/what's in your head doesn't matter."
We'll never really know what a day contains for Beyoncé, as this year's HBO gauzy, self-directed "documentary," Life Is But a Dream, reminded us. But this album reveals plenty of what's in that head of hers. One the most beautiful, painstakingly constructed women in the world singing "Pretty Hurts"? Clearly, she's a little conflicted. Here more than ever Bey indulges clashing impulses — between strength and escape, megapop and fresh sounds, big messages and resonant lyrics. "Haunted," "No Angel," "Jealous," and "Superpower," a doo-wop-tinged track featuring a mumbly Frank Ocean: These treat relationships with the same raw instinct that suffuses her sex songs, coasting along or snarling up according to flitting moods. She even goes full Drake on "Mine," a misty six-plus minutes featuring Drizzy himself.
Some fans will no doubt feel lost in this murky, intermittently thrilling new territory. For them — and everyone else with a heart — there's "Blue," which features her baby-talking toddler Blue Ivy reverbed into infinity at the end, but more importantly, proves that not every piano-laden pop ballad need bring the doldrums on. Like much of Beyoncé, it balances formal inventiveness with emotional directness. Share it with your little niece, or someone else you love. A-
Best Tracks:
"Blue" feat Blue Ivy — A mesmerizing, spun-sugar ballad
"Haunted" — A moody, genre-melding epic
RATING: 91/100 (Counts for Metacritic)
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20766081,00.html
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