Fans across the globe began to ‘bow down’ to the queen of pop and R&B, Beyoncé, on Dec. 13 when she released her self-titled “visual” album. Immediately after its release, the record shot up to the top of the Billboard 200. Beyoncé managed to this without any marketing or promotion or even the announcement of a release date. What shocked the world even more was the explosion of personal details laced within the album—not even TMZ can handle it.
Even her most faithful fans, the Beyhive (myself included), who basically follow her every move, were stunned by the news. What stunned us even more was the superiority this album has to any other pop idol’s album. The record sales say nearly all of it, but if you remain unexposed to this magnificent work of art, then continue reading…and buy the album! It’s worth it.
Beyoncé opens up the album with audio from the music video for “Pretty Hurts” the actual song begins. A pageant host asks Beyoncé’s character, “Miss 3rd Ward, your first question: what is your aspiration in life?” Startled by the question, Miss 3rd Ward responds, “Oh…wow…I wasn’t expecting that question. Well, I guess my aspiration in life would be to be happy.” From there, the chorus begins, and the beat the drops. Beyoncé goes into a powerful alto ballad about the nation’s obsession with perfection. This opening song lets the listener know just how personal her fifth solo album will be.
“I took all of insecurities, all of my doubts, all of my fears, and everything I’ve learned—I’ve applied it into this project,” Beyoncé said at the director’s screening of her album at the School of Visual Arts.
By applying all she has learned about love throughout the years, Beyoncé teamed up with her husband Jay Z to make another popular record. Beyoncé’s hit hip hop single “Drunk in Love” completes (or continues) Beyoncé’s “in love” songs about her man. First came “Dangerously in Love” a song Bey did with her group Destiny’s Child back in 2001. Once she went solo, she released “Dangerously in Love 2” a strong, jazzy, operatic ballad expressing her wild emotions for Jay Z. Later, on her second solo studio album came “Crazy in Love” of which Jay Z was also featured. Both songs were instant hits just as their successor is.
Fans following Beyoncé over the past decade or so have seen the progression of her openness. She began dating Jay Z at age 19, but the two never spoke of it. The lyrics in each of their songs clearly describe one another. For example, on Bey’s first album she released a song named “Signs.” This track was about a Sagittarius man. What man could that be, you ask? Jay Z. Who else? And don’t even get me started on their “Bonnie and Clyde” songs… Those two were not fooling anyone.
They did, however, deceive the world when they married in secret. No one saw that coming. Since then, they have slowly begun to reveal more and more about their personal lives.
When her HBO special “Life Is But a Dream” aired, Beyoncé revealed, for the first time, information about her personal life. The most personal, most shocking piece of information was that before Beyoncé became pregnant with her now two-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter, she had a miscarriage.
The album concludes with “Blue” a beautifully melodic ode to Blue Ivy. Before this heavy-hearted, lightly sung tune begins, “Heaven” plays. This song, as Beyoncé said on her exclusive iTunes radio station, is about death and mourning the loss of a loved one. Although the lyrics possess ambiguity, the song must be about Bey’s miscarriage. In her HBO special, she revealed having written a song about it. Unfortunately, the beat and melody were muffled in the film. I stand firm behind this notion. Bloggers across the internet have the same theory.
Throughout the album, Beyoncé does not hold back. She gives details into personal life whether it is her marriage, her family or what she likes to do behind closed doors. It’s all out on the table.
“I’m proud of myself as a woman,” Beyoncé said at SVA, “for taking the risks.” I’m proud too Bey.
