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Performer: Beyonce
Artist: Jay-Z; Sean Paul; Luther Vandross; Sleepy Brown; Cissy Houston; Missy Elliott; Byron Miller; Big Boi
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Contains a hidden track following "Gift From Virgo." Personnel: Beyonce Knowles, Luther Vandross, Sean Paul (vocals); Jay-Z, Big Boi, Missy Elliott, Sleepy Brown (rap vocals); Nat Adderley, Jr. (arranger, electric piano); Skip Anderson (arranger, keyboards, programming); Focus, Rich Harrison (various instruments); Dan Workman, Phil Hamilton, John "Jab" Brousard (guitar); Byron Miller (bass); Ivan Hampden (drums); Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Cissy Houston, Tawatha Agee, Brenda White-King, Candace Thomas (background vocals). Producers include: Beyonce Knowles, Rich Harrison, Scott Storch, Focus, Bryce Wilson. DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. "Dangerously In Love" won for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. "The Closer I Get To You" won for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals. "Crazy In Love" won for Best R&B Song and for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The song was also nominated for Record of the Year. This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Besides deft, pitch-perfect hit songs, the talented if volatile Destiny's Child was remarkable for its unpredictability, not always a defining characteristic of mainstream R&B. While there was certainly a formula at play in the songs, the structure was subtly unstable, never following standard progressions. Yet most of their singles flew to the top of both the pop and R&B charts. While DC was generally a collective, Beyonce Knowles clearly emerged as the most high-profile member, even before major turns on the big screen, signaling anticipation for her debut album, DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE. Beyonce's opening salvo should disappoint neither her fans nor the general public, as it features skillful songwriting balancing innovation and abundant hooks. DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE starts with a flourish, as the omnipresent Jay-Z brashly introduces the feverishly catchy, brass-fueled dance cut "Crazy In Love," followed by three more lush club-bangers, including a typically inviting guest toast by Sean Paul and some tongue-twisters from Outkast's Big Boi. From there, the soulstress shifts into ballad mode, the starkest moment coming with "Yes," beautifully reminiscent of the DC sound. On DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE, Beyonce both remains true to her past success while forging intriguing new ground.

Rolling Stone (12/25/03, p.104) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2003" Rolling Stone (07/24/03, p.86) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Beyonce sounds loose and sexy....she sounds like she's having fun..." Entertainment Weekly (12/26/03-1/2/04, p.140) - "Crazy in Love" ranked #3 in Entertainment Weekly's 2003 "Records of the Year" - "...Beyonce swoons, Jigga glides, the recycled Chi-Lites horns vroom--and Destiny's Child seem like a distant memory." Mojo (Publisher) (9/03, p.105) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Her deliciously smooth reworking of Bootsy Collins' 'Be With You', 'Naughty Girl's' reference to Donna Summer's 'Love to Love You Baby', and the JB-style funk of 'Work It Out' are all exceptional cuts..."

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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