There isn't much emotional investment in 4 because Bey doesn't sing with emotion. Bey sings with attitude depending on the song. Now she can give you any emotion that love can give you but heartbreak and sadness, she can't. She has never experienced that in the time that we've known her in the public eye. She has to give forced growls and imitate other singers to give you a somewhat raw vocal. Its like Kelly Clarkson can't sing a love song because she isn't in that space. She can give you angry though
The songs may be very personal and dear to her heart (she says that with EVERY album since Survivor so I would take it with a grain of salt) but it doesn't translate to everybody in her singing.
Also I'm going to need ATRL to listen to some other non-mainstream albums if they truly believe that 4 was the only album made last year that won't sound dated. I can name 10 albums from last year that can be called timeless in the vein of 4. Gimme a break!!!