I Am... Sasha Fierce (Deluxe Edition)

Performer: Beyonce
Distributor: Sony Music Entertainment

Notes: I AM. SASHA FIERCE represents another change of pace for Beyonc�. Unlike the relatively streamlined, retro-soul inflected B'DAY, I AM... is a sprawling two-disc set designed to reflect two conflicting sides of Beyonc�'s musical personality. The first disc sports reflective, sometimes moody ballads, while the second, attributed to Beyonc�'s brash alter ego, Sasha Fierce, is loaded with propulsive dance-floor fillers. Except for this stylistic divide, I AM. pays only nominal attention to its supposed concept, focusing instead on a set of excellent, radio-ready songs--neatly avoiding the possibility of I AM. becoming some sort of Chris Gaines-style conceptual disaster. Though the second disc, which boasts the synth-drenched lead single, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," is more immediately gratifying, the impeccably produced ballads of the first disc represent a vast improvement on the often awkward torch songs that weighed down Beyonc�'s first solo record.

Rolling Stone (p.121) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "The SASHA disc boasts Beyonce's most adventurous music yet....The girl who blew up going all melismatic has never sung with more restraint than she does on SASHA." Entertainment Weekly (p.71) - "[S]everal of the high-gloss bangers on SASHA are more than equal to the gauntlet laid down by 'Single Ladies.'" -- Grade: B+ Billboard (p.77) - "[I]t's the classic, more timeless R&B songs on the I AM portion of the album that seem like a much-welcomed stretch for the singer.'

Beyonce Knowles rose to fame as a member of the R&B ensemble Destiny's Child. With Beyonce's father as a manager, the group garnered massive success with their 2001 album, SURVIVOR. Soon Beyonce, sporting a sexy yet girl-next-door image, broke out on her own, with major roles in the Austin Powers movie GOLDMEMBER, a hip-hop version of the opera CARMEN, and her star turn as a Diana Ross-esque diva in the film DREAMGIRLS. With the release of her more eclectic solo albums and acting roles, Beyonce became a full-fledged international superstar and role model. It has been rumored that after her 2008 marriage to rap mogul Jay Z, Beyonce would be performing and recording less and focussing on A&R work.

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