by HALEY MILLAN Editor-in-chief
Beyoncé has broken records upon releasing her new self-titled album in a way that had never been done before: no promotions, no marketing, and no interviews. This major risk is something only Beyoncé could pull off; she sold over eight million copies worldwide within the first three days of the album’s release, landing the number one spot on Billboard 200 chart.
This is Beyoncé’s fifth album and her fifth number one album on Billboard’s chart, which makes Beyoncé the first woman to achieve this accomplishment.
The album includes 14 songs and 17 music videos. Each song on the album has its own video. Beyoncé wanted the album to break the mold of current music sales. Normally, artists release singles at a time, but Beyoncé planned to release the album as a whole. When listening to the album, each song (and even video) flows right into the next.
“Beyoncé is the only person on earth who would be able to pull something off like this. If she wasn’t such a big superstar, no one would really freak out the way they are,” says senior Lisa Sowinski.
This album proves that Beyoncé is an amazing business woman. The social media outburst was enough to get the entire world to take note of the newly dropped album. And in order to be a part of the hype, people had to purchase the album for $15 on iTunes; there was no free streaming.
Beyoncé explained the overall message of her album in a video she released late Tuesday night: “My message behind this album was finding beauty in imperfection.”
Sexuality and women empowerment are two major themes brought up throughout the album.
As groundbreaking as the release may be, the actual content of the album is up for debate. While some fans are completely obsessed, most people seem disinterested in the music. As creative as the videos and lyrics are, the songs are decent; they are not particularly hits. In fact, there is no obvious hit single on the entire album.
However, there is a variety of music. Artists such as Drake, Frank Ocean, and even Bey’s husband Jay Z are featured on tracks. Even Justin Timberlake and The Dream worked in the studio with Beyoncé.
The track “Mine,” which features Drake, is one of the most popular on the album thus far. It is a love song with an R&B feel to it and a little bit of hip-hop.
“Drunk in Love” is another love song, which features Jay Z; however, it is definitely more upbeat and hip-hop than “Mine.”
“***Flawless”, “Partition”, “No Angel” and “Yonce” are heavily influenced by hip hop, with more explicit lyrics.
There are also many ballad-sounding songs on the album, such as “Superpower” (feat. Frank Ocean) and “Heaven.” “Blow” is a disco-inspired track, and the video was shot in a rollerskating rink.
Most of the songs are pop-based, but there is another song that sticks out from the rest. “Blue,” which features Beyoncé and Jay Z’s daughter Blue Ivy, is a fast-paced ode to love. The music video shows clips of Beyoncé and Blue snuggling on the beach, which closes the album on a high-note.
“I like the album a lot. My favorite song is “XO.” When I heard it on the radio. I got so excited. This CD is different from all of Beyoncé’s other work,” says senior Danielle Pochopin.
Whether or not you enjoy the music, there is no denying that Beyoncé has pulled off the near impossible; the album is definitely praiseworthy.
Do you plan on giving Beyoncé’s new album a listen?