4 [Deluxe Edition]

by Beyonce

Overview

Beyonce reportedly delivered over 70 songs to Columbia for her fourth solo studio album. The dozen that made the cut, combined with their sequencing, make it plain that straightforward crossover-dance singles and cohesion were not priorities. Taking it in at once is mystifying, even when little attention is paid to the lyrics. The opening "1+1," a sparse and placid vocal showcase, fades in with a somber guitar line, throws up occasional and brief spikes in energy, and slowly recedes. It's the kind of song one would expect to hear during an album's second half, certainly not as the opener -- not with the (fittingly) slight sonics and heavy lines like "Just when I ball up my fist, I realize I'm laying right next to you, baby." Three additional ballads follow. Each one features its own set of collaborators and contrasts both sonically and lyrically. "I Care" rolls in on pensive percussion and low-profile synthesizer drones, surging during a cathartic chorus. "I Miss You," alluringly bleak and hushed, is a codependent confessional. The only one that's rote, "Best Thing I Never Had" is a bombastic kiss-off saved by Beyonce's ability to plow through it. From there, the album restlessly bounces between tempos and moods: a desperate midtempo chest thumper, a couple cyborg marching-band dancefloor tracks, an ecstatic early-'90s throwback, yet more ballads. What's most surprising is that a song titled "Party," co-produced by Kanye West with a guest verse from Andre 3000, quickly settles into a low-watt groove and remains there. Wildcard interludes and a Euro-pop party-anthem cash-in would be the only ways to make the album more scattered, but the strength of most of the material, propelled by Beyonce's characteristically acrobatic vocal skills, eases the trouble of sifting through the disjointed assortment. No one but one of the most talented and accomplished singers -- one with 16 Grammys, nothing left to prove, and every desired collaborator at her disposal -- could have made this album. [A Deluxe Edition was also released.] ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	04/02/2013
Label:	Rca
UPC:	0887254236627
Rank:	15938

Tracks

1. 1+1
2. I Care
3. I Miss You
4. Best Thing I Never Had
5. Party
6. Rather Die Young
7. Start Over
8. Love on Top
9. Countdown
10. End of Time
11. I Was Here
12. Run the World (Girls)
13. Start Over
14. I Was Here

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Beyonce   Primary Artist
André 3000   Rap,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Consequence   Vocals (Background)
Billy Kraven   Vocals (Background)
Beyonce Knowles   Vocals
Ryan Tedder   Vocals (Background)
Kanye West   Vocals (Background)
Luke Steele   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Switch   Producer
Jeff Bhasker   Producer,Composer
Michael Bivins   Composer
Shea Taylor   Composer,Producer
Diane Warren   Composer
Ester Dean   Composer
Kuk Harrell   Producer,Vocal Producer
Kenneth Edmonds   Composer,Producer
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart   Composer,Producer
Antonio Dixon   Composer,Producer
The-Dream   Composer,Producer
Theresa LaBarbera Whites   A&R
Tom Coyne   Mastering
Cainon Lamb   Composer
Brent Kutzle   Producer
Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young   Mixing,Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Nick van de Wall   Composer
Ellen Von Unwerth   Photography
Melina Matsoukas   Creative Consultant
Michael Davis   Composer
Los DaMystro   Producer
Adam Larson   Art Direction
David Taylor   Composer,Composer
Patrick Smith   Composer
Caleb   Producer
Raquel Smith   Stylist
Caleb McCampbell   Composer,Producer
Beyonce Knowles   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer,Executive Producer
Douglas Davis   Composer
Tony Duran   Photography
Chad Hugo   Composer
Carlos McKinney   Composer
Ricky Walters   Composer
Wanya Morris   Composer
Ryan Tedder   Producer
S1   Producer
Julie Frost   Composer
Kanye West   Composer,Producer
Nathan Morris   Composer
Luke Steele   Composer,Producer
Thomas Wesley Pentz   Composer
Frank Ocean   Composer
Terius Nash   Composer,Producer
Dexter R. Mills   Composer
Jenke Ahmed Tailly   Creative Director
Larry Griffin, Jr.   Composer
Greg Gex   Photography
Ty Ty Smith   A&R
Uranga Emilio   Composer
Adidjah Palmer   Composer