I Am...Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé > Reviews (1)

I had never classed myself as a huge Beyonce fan, but decided to buy her album I Am Sasha Fierce after hearing loads of songs from it. Originally the album was released in 2008 but has been re-released a couple of times. I have the platinum edition, which includes 20 tracks plus a DVD with 'behind the scenes' footage and 8 videos.

Some reviews I've read indicate that the album is divided into 2 CDs, one with the 'I Am' tracks which are softer and slower and more personal to Beyonce, while the other is the 'Sasha Fierce' side which contains more in-your-face tracks reflecting her on-stage persona. This is an interesting idea but isn't replicated in my copy: all the songs are on one CD. This is a shame in one sense but on the other hand it means the songs are mixed up a bit, meaning that the mood of the album changes a lot and never gets boring. The idea does seem to be reflected on the album cover - the front features Beyonce looking rather demure and sophisticated with a simple hairstyle and minimal makeup, and the back features her with her hair up and wearing glittery clothes, with a much more sultry expression on her face!

Track Listing
1. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
2. Diva
3. Ego
4. Halo
5. If I Were a Boy
6. Smash Into You
7. Sweet Dreams
8. Broken Hearted Girl
9. Scared of Lonely
10. That's Why You're Beautiful
11. Hello
12. Radio
13. Video Phone
14. Ego (Kanye West Remix)
15. Why Don't You Love Me
16. Honesty
17. Save the Hero
18. Satellites
19. Disappear
20. Ave Maria

The album opens with strong dance-pop track Single Ladies, the video for which also seems to have become something of a hit if YouTube is anything to go by! The song is incredibly catchy and a great opening track.

Diva is a strong RnB track with an excellent beat. It's the sort of song which really gets into your head. Ego is not one of my favourite tracks, although it is saved from being massively arrogant by the impression I get that Beyonce isn't taking it - or herself - too seriously. Halo is a lovely, sweet song followed by the beautiful, thoughtful If I Were a Boy, which has a clever and stylish video. The gentle Smash Into You completes the early trio of slower songs, which I imagine belonged to the 'I Am' side of certain versions of the album.

Sweet Dreams follows, and this is probably my favourite track of the album. It is incredibly catchy with a fantastic beat. Things slow down a little for the violin-laden Broken Hearted Girl, and speed up a bit for Scared of Lonely, which has a strong dance beat. That's Why You're Beautiful is a nice-enough slower song, although not one of my favourites. Hello has really grown on me, and sounds lovely with the harmonies and prominent piano. Radio is a very dance-sounding track, and Video Phone is a catchy track with electronic beats. The next track is a remix of Ego featuring Kanye West, but although his presence goes well with the piano and old-school flavour of the song it gets rather annoying after a while. Why Don't You Love Me could be soppy and boring but is actually rather uptempo and catchy.

Honesty, Save the Hero, Satellites and Disappear are pleasant ballads that showcase Beyonce's fantastic voice, but aren't anything special in my opinion. The album closes with Ave Maria, a lovely sweet song that ends the CD nicely.

I really love this album - although there are some weaker tracks on here, the fact that there are 20 in total means that the number of amazing tracks equals the number of total tracks on most albums you can buy. This is fantastic value for money. It's a great achievement by Beyonce - this album has something for everyone and I highly recommend it.