I am very impressed with Beyonce's first solo effort. It is unquestionable that Ms. Knowles has profound talent, which is often shielded by the aura of Destiny's Child. The album is full of innovative and lyrical songs. Otherwise, Beyonce and her work are extremely refreshing, in comparison to the overhwelming monotony of the music industry since 2001. "Dangerously In Love" is definately a keeper, and I guaruntee it will have a long shelf-life. I will enclose a track-by-track critique of the album.
TRACK-BY-TRACK CRITIQUE
1. Crazy In Love (feat. Jay-Z) - *EXCELLENT SONG* (FIRST SINGLE) This song is the summer's smash hit and Beyonce's second solo single ("Work It Out" being the first); innovative background music; great rap by Jay-Z; catchy lyrics; one of my favorites!
2. Naughty Girl - *GREAT SONG* cool Middle Eastern vibe; great vocals; one of my favorites.
3. Baby Boy (feat. Sean Paul) - *EXCELLENT SONG* could easily become the next single; Sean Paul's rap is always great; cool Indian background music; another favorite of mine!
4. Hip Hop Star (feat. Big Boi & Sleepy Brown) - *GOOD SONG* good vocals; bizarre background music; cool rapping by Big Boi & Sleepy Brown
5. Be With You - *EXCELLENT SONG* my favorite ballad on the album; kind of a 70's funk feel; stellar vocals by Beyonce!
6. Me, Myself, and I - *GREAT SONG* another ballad with inspirational lyrics; great vocals; similar feel to "Be With You."
7. Yes - *Good song* good vocals
8. Signs (feat. Missy Elliott) - *EXCELLENT SONG* A great collaboration (Beyonce's has been featured on two Missy Elliott albums); unique lyrics involving the zodiac signs; very catchy track with the potential to be another single!
9. Speechless - *GOOD SONG* I love Beyonce's vocals in this ballad; lyrics are thought-provoking; (except you don't realize it with Beyonce's powerful ad-libs); another favorite.
10. That's How You Like It (feat. Jay-Z)- *GOOD SONG* kind of breaks the chain of ballads; up-tempo beat with a good dose of Jay-Z's rhymes; different from "Crazy In Love."
11. The Closer I Get To You (with Luther Vandross) - *EXCELLENT SONG* Both Beyonce and Mr. Vandross do an exceptional job on this powerful duet/ballad!
12. Dangerously In Love 2 - *GREAT SONG* I'm neutral on which version of this song I like better (#1 being on Destiny's Child's "Survivor"). I like the instrumentals on this one, but I like the feel of #1.
14. Gift From Virgo - *GREAT SONG* short and sweet; great lyrics (a continuation of the zodiac theme lol); background music is very nice.
15. (BONUS TRACK) "Daddy"- *Good SONG* The touching lyrics dedicated to her father, Matthew Knowles.
