Search - Beyonce :: Dangerously in Love

Beyonce's firstborn...

Andrew Ellington | I'm kind of everywhere | 04/12/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Beyonce has a huge following, and I get it. I'm a fan, you could say. I loved Destiny's Child back in the day (yes, I just used THAT phrase) and when she split I was intrigued. I mean, she was never my favorite `Child' even though she was the only one that got any attention (MICHELLE, I LOVE YOU). That said, she has spunk and style and swagger and she is a commanding presence.



Her `Sasha Fierce' album is worth checking out, even if it is inconsistent.



`Dangerously In Love' was her debut album, and it proves to be what we expect from her. It's loud and boisterous and catchy and fun, but in the end it doesn't transcend anything, and when the years go by the album becomes a tad dusty.



I mean, there really isn't any song off of here that can be considered `her best'.



The album spurned a slew of radio hits like `Crazy in Love', `Naughty Girl' and `Baby Boy'. They are all decent. `Crazy in Love' is generic, but fun. `Naughty Girl' is slinky and seductive in all the right places. `Baby Boy' excels because of Sean Paul, but Beyonce does what she does rather well here as well. Add to this mix the `Dangerously in Love 2' (which is NO different from the one on Destiny's Child's album) and you have the best on the album. Sadly, the rest of the tracks pale in comparison (big time).



`Hip Hop Star' is decent. I like it, but it just doesn't really do much more than allow Big Boi to steal all of Beyonce's thunder.



It's a `by-the-books' hip-hop track.



The rest is generic pop/R&B fluff really. It's rather forgettable. `Be With You' is soft and has a glimmer of vintage R&B slink going on, but it is nothing memorable. `Me, Myself and I' is, again, generic. I mean, this is not a track to separate Beyonce from the pack. `Yes' sounds too much like early Destiny's Child. There is no progression of sound here. `That's How You Like It' is fun and playful, if not a tad annoying in parts. The duet with Vandross is far too `old' for the likes of Beyonce. I feel like I sound like Simon Cowell, but it's true.



That song ages her.



`Signs' is GAWD-AWFUL, as are `Speachless' and `Gift From Virgo'. These are just cheesy and forgettable (thankfully) tracks and `Signs' is just plain insulting to my taste.



And that interlude is just stupid.



I think that to call out the albums content as generic and a fault here would be rather harsh since there is only so much that musical acts within this particular genre sing about, but it is all about presentation here. You can hear a million songs about heartbreak but if they are all sung convincingly and consist of noteworthy musical arrangements and intriguing lyrics than you can listen to a million GOOD songs about heartbreak. When the songs are sung in a way that evokes no emotion and merely consist of recycled and uninspiring musical arrangements and lyrics that are forgettable and boring then you have a million MEDIOCRE songs about heartbreak.



In the end I'd say, without hesitation, that this is Beyonce's weakest album. There are a handful of good songs amidst a sea of mediocre ones. Hey, I like her, and I totally recommend getting your hands on her other albums, but this one is a forgettable and generic album that doesn't do anything to help define Beyonce as an artist...if you dare to consider her one."