Crap's Album Reviews: America
Mar 2, 2018 11:32:16 GMT -5
Post by Willow Rinadoobee Breakfast on Mar 2, 2018 11:32:16 GMT -5
Dammit, Spotify, get this s### up.
Beyoncé - Lemonade
I’ve always been mixed on Beyoncé. I do think she deserves her title in music, and When she does great, she gives us Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable, and a lot of rest gems. But when she does bad, she gives us 7/11, Diva,Run The World, and other one’s like Check On It. However, now that I finally found this album, is it worth the hype? Let’s see:
BTW, this isn’t my first Beyoncé album. Dangerously in Love was, which was great.
1. Pray You Catch Me
So we begin, with an alright opening. Bey’s got a nice voice, and I do like the production. While it’s not enough to hook on to me, it’s still good. 3/4
2. Hold Up
Okay, NOW we’re getting somewhere. In this one, it’s Beys view on her relationship, where she’s CLEARLY giving it her all. Other than a great sample, Beys performance is phenomenal in this. It’s clear that she’s giving so much energy and dominance to the song, especially with some memorable lyrics.
Scrolling through your call list
I don't wanna lose my pride, but I'm a fuck me up a bitch
..DAMN.
Though there is one thing I’m mixed about: she actually samples or incorporates Turn My Swag On in this. Yes, she includes a part from the most retarded song of 2009, from the biggest ego-inducing douchebag to ever rap. I don’t know if that’s cool, or stupid. But whatever, great song. 3.5/4
3. Don’t Hurt Yourself
Holy shit, this was awesome. Now the production is getting better. All thanks to Mr. Jack White himself. We start with some drums, and then comes Bey, pretty much doing her “bad bitch” bragging. However, unlike other songs, Bey, once again, gives it her all, and it ESPECIALLY shows in this. Then the song gets better, adding a full on guitar, which PERFECTLY goes with Knowles’ voice. Basically, this is Knowles showing her dominance once again, and unlike other artists who are too sugar-coated and generic to live up to themselves, Bey LIVES up to it. 4/4
4. Sorry
Now we get to a song I used to hate. Back in 2016, I really wasn’t into her whole trap style voice in the song. In fact, it annoyed me a lot. Now, since I’m into the album now, I can finally say that I enjoy this song. It’s a post break-Up song, and like the past songs, we get another great performance by Bey, who has turned what could’ve been a typical R&B sad ballad, to basically “Fuck you, I’m done with your ass. Bye bitch!”. Granted, there’s still the repetition in the chorus, and again, she still has that type of voice I’d normally hate. However, Bey still brings in, and for that, this ends up being a great song. 3.5/4
5. 6 Inch
Now we got an empowerment anthem, with the legendary Weeknd. I’ll admit, this feels kinda weak compared to the past three songs. I mean, Weeknd is great on here, and I like the production, not to mention the whole songs theme is good, but maybe it’s because Bey doesn’t have the same type of performance she had for the others. But still, pretty good, I guess. 3/4
6. Daddy Lessons
Now we get to a guitar ballad. In this one, in a country style song, Bey reminisces on her father once again, thinking about how she was raised, and advice about shooting down terrible men. Not only does is the whole style of the song great, but we go back to Bey giving her all once again. Yes, another great ass song. 4/4
7. Love Drought
We get another broken relationship ballad, and in here, we have a good 80’s beat, a good Beyoncé performance, and some memorable lyrics. I’ll still admit, this sort of feels like a filler track, but still, good enough I guess. 3/4
8. Sandcastles
Oh...So we were gonna get this ballad. I thought Sorry would’ve washed that away. Unless the intention was that. But anyways, yeah, this is a post break-Up ballad. I could just name this as being generic, but Beys performance, once again, saves the song, especially in the middle of the song. It’s clear that she’s putting her emotion in this one, which I’ll give props too. Still not bad, but can we get back to the empowerment and “give no fucks” feel again? 3/4
9. Forward
Now we get to the shortest song on here. I’m guessing this is a response from the man of he whole scenario, and I won’t say the song is pointless. However, it’s just an odd placement. 2.5/4
Please don’t tell me the albums gonna go downhill from here.
10. Freedom
Now we’re getting back to business! Now, we get a black empowerment anthem, and the ultimate one that is, that sweeps the shit out of Run The World. We get back to Beyoncé showing her dominance, with great production, and a shit ton of memorable lyrics. Plus, we got Kendrick with what’s perhaps his best collab performance of the decade, rapping about the brutalities of society, while also giving his all. We also get the ultimate album name-drop on this track.
I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade
Two sentences, summing up this incredible album. Yeah, this is awesome. 4/4
11. All Night
Now we get to another post break-up song. This time, we get back to what sounds like something from Dangerously In Love. Again, good performance and production. Yeah, that’s all I got. 3/4
12. Formation
Now for the big finale, we have...her debut single from this album. Not a big ballad, but this song, where she goes full on trap. Fun fact, I used to think this was terrible back in 2016, because again, her voice. But what is my opinion on it now? It’s definitely great.
Again, she gives another great performance, one that I’d usually hate, since she’s still bragging, but it’s saved because she lives up to that name. Not to mention the production on this one, as all of this is with a Banjo-Kazooie sounding beat, yet it works. We’re also given some memorable lyrics. Well, at least most of them.
I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag
I really hate that word so much. But anyways. Yeah, good song. 3/4
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Holy crap, this blew me away. This definitely deserves its acclaim. Beyoncé honestly proved herself worthy to be known as a queen, because she gives some of her absolute best to this album. She gives a phenomenal performance where she goes all out to be dominant, with some trap elements, and while there are things I would normally hate, like the sassy or diva-esqe personality, Bey managed to make it ABSOLUTELY work. Not to mention how phenomenal the production is for a lot of these songs. When it’s not making weird sounds work like in Formation, we’re given something awesome like Don’t Hurt Yourself. Plus, the themes of the whole album about empowerment, dominance, and love really are told well throughout the album.
Now, of course, I got some gripes with the album. I’ll be honest, while the love ballads are good, I feel like they kinda wear out. Maybe it’s because I was expecting Bey to have the “bad bitch” persona throughout the album, but then again, I guess she needed to change her style for a few songs. Plus, I kinda get 1989 vibes from this album, on how the first half is much better than the second half. I mean, the first half of this album is pure 5/5 material, while the other half is more 4/5. However, with that said, what is the rating for this album?
4.5/5
Yeah, I knew it had to be this. Deserves to be one of the best 2010 albums yet, and of course, the Grammys give the awards to Adele. Because you know, they don’t like choosing anything new. Instead of drinking lemonade, they choose the generic water. Or should I say, water UNDER THE BRIDGE? On second thought, I like that song.
Favorites:
Don’t Hurt Yourself, Daddy Lessons, Sorry, Hold Up, Freedom
Least Favorites:
6 Inch, Love Drought
Now, if I had to rank the albums I’ve reviewed.
1. Lemonade
2. Love.Angel.Music.Baby
3. 1989
4. Kiss
5. Salute
6. Teenage Dream
7. Camila
8. Born To Die
9. Man Of The Woods
10. Fearless
11. Witness
12. Reflection
13. All The Right Reasons
14. Bangerz
15. The Click
Beyoncé - Lemonade
I’ve always been mixed on Beyoncé. I do think she deserves her title in music, and When she does great, she gives us Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable, and a lot of rest gems. But when she does bad, she gives us 7/11, Diva,Run The World, and other one’s like Check On It. However, now that I finally found this album, is it worth the hype? Let’s see:
BTW, this isn’t my first Beyoncé album. Dangerously in Love was, which was great.
1. Pray You Catch Me
So we begin, with an alright opening. Bey’s got a nice voice, and I do like the production. While it’s not enough to hook on to me, it’s still good. 3/4
2. Hold Up
Okay, NOW we’re getting somewhere. In this one, it’s Beys view on her relationship, where she’s CLEARLY giving it her all. Other than a great sample, Beys performance is phenomenal in this. It’s clear that she’s giving so much energy and dominance to the song, especially with some memorable lyrics.
Scrolling through your call list
I don't wanna lose my pride, but I'm a fuck me up a bitch
..DAMN.
Though there is one thing I’m mixed about: she actually samples or incorporates Turn My Swag On in this. Yes, she includes a part from the most retarded song of 2009, from the biggest ego-inducing douchebag to ever rap. I don’t know if that’s cool, or stupid. But whatever, great song. 3.5/4
3. Don’t Hurt Yourself
Holy shit, this was awesome. Now the production is getting better. All thanks to Mr. Jack White himself. We start with some drums, and then comes Bey, pretty much doing her “bad bitch” bragging. However, unlike other songs, Bey, once again, gives it her all, and it ESPECIALLY shows in this. Then the song gets better, adding a full on guitar, which PERFECTLY goes with Knowles’ voice. Basically, this is Knowles showing her dominance once again, and unlike other artists who are too sugar-coated and generic to live up to themselves, Bey LIVES up to it. 4/4
4. Sorry
Now we get to a song I used to hate. Back in 2016, I really wasn’t into her whole trap style voice in the song. In fact, it annoyed me a lot. Now, since I’m into the album now, I can finally say that I enjoy this song. It’s a post break-Up song, and like the past songs, we get another great performance by Bey, who has turned what could’ve been a typical R&B sad ballad, to basically “Fuck you, I’m done with your ass. Bye bitch!”. Granted, there’s still the repetition in the chorus, and again, she still has that type of voice I’d normally hate. However, Bey still brings in, and for that, this ends up being a great song. 3.5/4
5. 6 Inch
Now we got an empowerment anthem, with the legendary Weeknd. I’ll admit, this feels kinda weak compared to the past three songs. I mean, Weeknd is great on here, and I like the production, not to mention the whole songs theme is good, but maybe it’s because Bey doesn’t have the same type of performance she had for the others. But still, pretty good, I guess. 3/4
6. Daddy Lessons
Now we get to a guitar ballad. In this one, in a country style song, Bey reminisces on her father once again, thinking about how she was raised, and advice about shooting down terrible men. Not only does is the whole style of the song great, but we go back to Bey giving her all once again. Yes, another great ass song. 4/4
7. Love Drought
We get another broken relationship ballad, and in here, we have a good 80’s beat, a good Beyoncé performance, and some memorable lyrics. I’ll still admit, this sort of feels like a filler track, but still, good enough I guess. 3/4
8. Sandcastles
Oh...So we were gonna get this ballad. I thought Sorry would’ve washed that away. Unless the intention was that. But anyways, yeah, this is a post break-Up ballad. I could just name this as being generic, but Beys performance, once again, saves the song, especially in the middle of the song. It’s clear that she’s putting her emotion in this one, which I’ll give props too. Still not bad, but can we get back to the empowerment and “give no fucks” feel again? 3/4
9. Forward
Now we get to the shortest song on here. I’m guessing this is a response from the man of he whole scenario, and I won’t say the song is pointless. However, it’s just an odd placement. 2.5/4
Please don’t tell me the albums gonna go downhill from here.
10. Freedom
Now we’re getting back to business! Now, we get a black empowerment anthem, and the ultimate one that is, that sweeps the shit out of Run The World. We get back to Beyoncé showing her dominance, with great production, and a shit ton of memorable lyrics. Plus, we got Kendrick with what’s perhaps his best collab performance of the decade, rapping about the brutalities of society, while also giving his all. We also get the ultimate album name-drop on this track.
I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade
Two sentences, summing up this incredible album. Yeah, this is awesome. 4/4
11. All Night
Now we get to another post break-up song. This time, we get back to what sounds like something from Dangerously In Love. Again, good performance and production. Yeah, that’s all I got. 3/4
12. Formation
Now for the big finale, we have...her debut single from this album. Not a big ballad, but this song, where she goes full on trap. Fun fact, I used to think this was terrible back in 2016, because again, her voice. But what is my opinion on it now? It’s definitely great.
Again, she gives another great performance, one that I’d usually hate, since she’s still bragging, but it’s saved because she lives up to that name. Not to mention the production on this one, as all of this is with a Banjo-Kazooie sounding beat, yet it works. We’re also given some memorable lyrics. Well, at least most of them.
I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag
I really hate that word so much. But anyways. Yeah, good song. 3/4
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Holy crap, this blew me away. This definitely deserves its acclaim. Beyoncé honestly proved herself worthy to be known as a queen, because she gives some of her absolute best to this album. She gives a phenomenal performance where she goes all out to be dominant, with some trap elements, and while there are things I would normally hate, like the sassy or diva-esqe personality, Bey managed to make it ABSOLUTELY work. Not to mention how phenomenal the production is for a lot of these songs. When it’s not making weird sounds work like in Formation, we’re given something awesome like Don’t Hurt Yourself. Plus, the themes of the whole album about empowerment, dominance, and love really are told well throughout the album.
Now, of course, I got some gripes with the album. I’ll be honest, while the love ballads are good, I feel like they kinda wear out. Maybe it’s because I was expecting Bey to have the “bad bitch” persona throughout the album, but then again, I guess she needed to change her style for a few songs. Plus, I kinda get 1989 vibes from this album, on how the first half is much better than the second half. I mean, the first half of this album is pure 5/5 material, while the other half is more 4/5. However, with that said, what is the rating for this album?
4.5/5
Yeah, I knew it had to be this. Deserves to be one of the best 2010 albums yet, and of course, the Grammys give the awards to Adele. Because you know, they don’t like choosing anything new. Instead of drinking lemonade, they choose the generic water. Or should I say, water UNDER THE BRIDGE? On second thought, I like that song.
Favorites:
Don’t Hurt Yourself, Daddy Lessons, Sorry, Hold Up, Freedom
Least Favorites:
6 Inch, Love Drought
Now, if I had to rank the albums I’ve reviewed.
1. Lemonade
2. Love.Angel.Music.Baby
3. 1989
4. Kiss
5. Salute
6. Teenage Dream
7. Camila
8. Born To Die
9. Man Of The Woods
10. Fearless
11. Witness
12. Reflection
13. All The Right Reasons
14. Bangerz
15. The Click