Just last Friday, Beyonce came out with her surprise self-titled album. As a big fan, and in desperate need of new music, I found myself really excited to listen to the album. Beyonce’s previous album, 4, was such a great album in my eyes, and two years later, she did it again.

When listening to the lyrics on this album, just as the last, you can tell the songs are personal. From love songs for Jay-Z to the miscarriage Beyonce went through, the songs are lyrically and musically beautiful. The track ‘Heaven’ is obviously about Beyonce’s struggle with her miscarriage. She sings “I just can’t stand to see you leaving, but heaven couldn’t wait for you.” Such simple lyrics, but when she sings it, the pain she is feeling shows through.

Beyonce features Drake, Jay-Z and even her daughter, Blue Ivy, though most of her songs are just her. I quite like the lack of features on the album, because it shows the true talent of an artist, though her last album was like that as well and it would have been nice to see a few other features.

Songs like ‘Rocket’ and ‘Superhero’ give off an old timey-ish love song feel. I mean, it’s obvious B has a beautiful voice, but when she just sings, that’s when the real magic is made. ‘Superhero’ features Frank Ocean, another R&B singer, and their voices harmonize each other so well on the song. She has this seductive voice in the song that seems so effortless and Ocean’s low voice compliments the song so well.

The guilty favorite of mine on the album is ‘Flawless.’ At first, the song seems a little conceited in a way, but then Cimamanda Ngozi Adichie is featured on the song, talking, about the double standards of women and it’s such a great verse from Adichie talking about feminism. This is the perfect example of how all of the songs on this album mean something, and those are the best albums with lyrics that have meaning.

For someone who is a Beyonce fan, or in the past has liked Beyonce’s music, I don’t believe this album will disappoint. It may not have mainstream top 100 radio hits on it, but each song will get stuck in your head and have you singing a long. “Beyonce” is a great follow-up to her previous albums.
By Renata Williams
What do you think of the Drunk in Love music video released on YouTube today?