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Review: BEYONCE

downloadLadies and gentlemen Queen B has returned! Beyonce shocked the world Dec. 13 when she dropped her surprise self-entitled album, BEYONCE.

Only true pop-stars such as Beyonce could do something so slick while on tour. The album release was truly shocking and the album is nothing like anything Beyonce has ever done. There is an erotic sexual element, coupled with the newfound joy of motherhood induced in the new album due to features with husband, Jay Z and her baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter.

BEYONCE is a visual album, meaning it has 14 songs and 17 corresponding videos. When you play the videos in order, the album plays itself somewhat like a movie. The album features her beloved husband, Jay-Z, and her baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter. There are also a few non family oriented featured artists like Drake, Frank Ocean, and Nigerian feminist writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

The album is unlike anything Beyonce or any other artist has ever produced. Songs like “Pretty Hurts” and “***Flawless” have a serious message with its call to female empowerment. Beyonce is known for championing young girls to be independent and proud of themselves. In a recent photo shoot for the H&M summer campaign, Knowles scolded the company for photo-shopping her body and wouldn’t let them print anything until they ditched the air-brushed photos. Knowles has also performed with all girl bands, such as “The Sugar Mamas” so young girls could have more role models.

“When I was younger I wish I had more females who played instruments to look up to. I played piano for like a second but then I stopped. I just wanted to do something which would inspire other young females to get involved in music so I put together an all-woman band,” Beyonce said.

These ideals are reflected in the video for “Pretty Hurts” when she is a contestant in a beauty pageant depicting the struggles to portray a perfect female image. She even quotes that, “Perfection is the disease of a nation” as she destroys her beauty pageant trophies while the chorus roars that, “It’s the soul that needs a surgery.”

Similarly in “***Flawless” she quotes Adichie’s “We should all be feminists” speech saying, “We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, ‘You can have ambition, but not too much.’” The song also features several parts of Adichie’s speech including quotes regarding marriage, sexuality, competition with other girls, and ambition.

The album is a full reflection of Beyonce and her views. In the video for “No Angel” she returns to her hometown in Houston, Texas, while songs like “Drunk In Love,” “Rocket” and “Partition” explore a more explicit marriage to featured rapper, Jay Z.

A personal favorite from the album would have to be “Superpower” featuring Frank Ocean and “Blue” featuring one year old, Blue Ivy Carter. But the entire album is undoubtedly a work of art.

Sasha Fierce has clearly been snubbed to the side for the new and improved, Yonce, a successful pop-star, wife, and mother.

Written by Dominique Barrett

Dominique was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. She moved to San Diego her freshman year and started off high school as a Sundevil. She's played volleybal for the school since she's been here and is now on Varsity, she also joined staff as a sophomore. By her junior year she was appointed to the News editor. Another accomplishment would be when she was chosen to be a Sundevil Standout her sophomore year. Dominique has had a colorful Sundevil experience and looks forward to many more.

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