Beyoncé

Bottom line...this album is not worth the money. For someone who puts themselves on the highest pedestal possible, whether its her willing to outshine or overshine every female artist who dare to dominate the #1 spot (even her own group members), Beyonce really took a drink of confidence of splitting a 1 LP album into 2....NICE TRY!!!

There's nothing here that brings out the Beyonce she knows she's supposed to be. So its obvious that listening to this album is a fascade to the ear...with the exception of "Halo", where she pulls off a nice Leona Lewis challenge, and the actually BANGER on this entire package is "Scared Of Lonely". Those 2 songs are the reason for the 2 stars.

Once again.....It's not worth it. Unless you are a CD collector or you just wanna see some sexy pics (5 star photography lol....hmmmm), this isn't worth your money.

On her third solo disc, Beyoncé returns with a concept album of sorts, a double disc with disc 1 comprising ballads reflecting Beyoncé, and disc 2 comprising more uptempo songs reflecting her fiercer alter ego, Sasha.

Opening the album is the smash hit "If I were a boy", co-penned by Toby Gad who also co-penned such lovely acoustic ballads for Fergie ("Big girls don't cry") and Donna Summer ("Sand on my feet"). The song is a beautiful acoustic ballad with Beyoncé stepping into a guys' shoes and telling how she would treat a girl better if she were a guy. It also features some of Beyoncé's most heartfelt and best vocals. Other standouts on Disc 1 are the acoustic "Smash into you", and the bonus cut "Save the hero", a Timbaland-style groove with lyrics asking who will be there for her in her time of need, as she's always there for others.

Disc 2 boasts more sonic variety; The techno-tinged "Radio", the club number "Sweet dreams" (which sounds like something off of former bandmate Michelle's recent Dance CD), the piano drenched "Hello", the retro Soul sounding "Ego" (with organ, horns and lovely harmonies), the stomping Darkchild produced "Scared of lonely" (nice keyboards and swirling synth effects) and the closing bonus cut co-penned by her sister Solange (who I feel should have co-penned the entire CD), the Motown-tinged bouncy "Why don't you love me".

That makes it 10 good songs on the entire album (assuming you have all 18 cuts). And therein lies the problem. The disc could have been effectively whittled down to just 10 tracks and it would have been much more effective. Songs like "Single ladies", "Diva", and "Video phone" are more of the same skeletal atonal tuneless stuff like "Ring the alarm" or "Get me bodied", while much of Disc 1 passes by harmlessly making no impact. Disc 1 sounds like an attempt to muscle in on Leona Lewis' territory; "Halo" was co-written by the same chap that co-wrote "Bleeding love" for Leona and was apparently originally intended for Leona. The songs also largely lack the vocal dexterity she displayed in her first CD on songs like "Be with you", "Yes" or "Speechless"; her singing on practically every song except "If I were a boy" is basically the same. Also, she seems unable to recapture the charm and excitement that was "Crazy in love".

I won't be surprised if months down the line, she releases a deluxe deluxe edition including the good songs that should have been on the album in the first place, much like she did with "B'day".

On her third solo disc, Beyoncé returns with a concept album of sorts, a double disc with disc 1 comprising ballads reflecting Beyoncé, and disc 2 comprising more uptempo songs reflecting her fiercer alter ego, Sasha.

Opening the album is the smash hit "If I were a boy", co-penned by Toby Gad who also co-penned such lovely acoustic ballads for Fergie ("Big girls don't cry") and Donna Summer ("Sand on my feet"). The song is a beautiful acoustic ballad with Beyoncé stepping into a guys' shoes and telling how she would treat a girl better if she were a guy. It also features some of Beyoncé's most heartfelt and best vocals. Other standouts on Disc 1 are the acoustic "Smash into you" (on the deluxe edition), and the bonus cut "Save the hero", a Timbaland-style groove with lyrics asking who will be there for her in her time of need, as she's always there for others.

Disc 2 boasts more sonic variety; The techno-tinged "Radio", the club number "Sweet dreams" (which sounds like something off of former bandmate Michelle's recent Dance CD), the piano drenched "Hello", the retro Soul sounding "Ego" (with organ, horns and lovely harmonies), the stomping Darkchild produced "Scared of lonely" (nice keyboards and swirling synth effects) and the closing bonus cut co-penned by her sister Solange (who I feel should have co-penned the entire CD), the Motown-tinged bouncy "Why don't you love me" (the latter 4 on the deluxe edition).

That makes it 10 good songs on the entire album (assuming you have all 18 cuts). And therein lies the problem. The disc could have been effectively whittled down to just 10 tracks and it would have been much more effective. Songs like "Single ladies", "Diva", and "Video phone" are more of the same skeletal atonal tuneless stuff like "Ring the alarm" or "Get me bodied", while much of Disc 1 passes by harmlessly making no impact. Disc 1 sounds like an attempt to muscle in on Leona Lewis' territory; "Halo" was co-written by the same chap that co-wrote "Bleeding love" for Leona and was apparently originally intended for Leona. The songs also largely lack the vocal dexterity she displayed in her first CD on songs like "Be with you", "Yes" or "Speechless"; her singing on practically every song except "If I were a boy" is basically the same. Also, she seems unable to recapture the charm and excitement that was "Crazy in love".

If you go for the regular edition of the album, you miss most of the best songs ("Smash into you", "Hello", "Ego", "Scared of lonely", and bonus tracks "Save the hero" and "Why don't ypu love me"). It's really pointless getting the regular edition. All 11 songs on the regular edition could have conveniently fit onto a single disc.

I won't be surprised if months down the line, she releases a deluxe deluxe edition including the good songs that should have been on the album in the first place, much like she did with "B'day".

I love this cd. This is my favorite cd by Beyonce. Some say that the first 3 songs are the only worthy ones on here. I disagree you have to give it a chance and really listen to the whole album. When I first heard it I thought it was just o.k.. But the more I listened to it the more I fell in love with it. The hit songs to me were not the best ones on the c.d. The lesser know hits were better than the hits. She's an o.k. artist to me, but I fell in love with this c.d. out of all her others. The only song I didn't care for to much was Hip Hop Star. I even fell in love with Daddy, which I didn't care for to much, but it is a beautiful song the more I listened to it. What a beautiful tribute to our fathers.

At the time, many artists were making their way to stardom in the R&B genre. But, Beyonce proves that she makes a variety of songs, not just for variety, but because she really is gifted in any genre. Crazy In Love features her boyfriend Jay-Z and was the biggest cut on here. Naughty Girl is exactly what the title says, on top of trance-driven violins. Baby Boy has Sean Paul in it, making it a dancehall classic, what with the beat and Sean Paul's appearances. Hip Hop Star has a very hard-hitting beat. Be With You is where the balladry of Dangerously In Love begins, and Beyonce's vocals trickle slowly throughout, like water. Me, Myself And I is a woman's pride song, and songs of the like make Destiny's Child (the group Beyonce is the leader of) famous. Yes is a very serene, calming song, with a complicated love story. Signs is an interesting way to express how Beyonce wonders what sign she should date, with some help from Missy Elliott. Speechless is a very romantic down-tempo number. That's How You Like It is a typical love song, once again Beyonce collaborated with Jay-Z. The Closer I Get to You is a very classy song. Dangerously In Love 2 (2, because Destiny's Child had this song on Survivor in prior years) was the most powerful song on here to me, where Beyonce carries out the most deep thoughts of the whole album. Gift from Virgo is a wonderful song, it's simplicity is what makes it outstanding. Daddy is where Beyonce thanks her father, who has managed her career all these years, and she owes a lot to him, making this song a great closing.

again, i'm not a big fan of her, but this was a pretty good listen. you can tell that she's had some good loving by listening to a few tracks. my favorite track is daddy.

Great first 3 SINGLES & everything else is just AVERAGE!

Beyonce is one of the few artist in R&B that seems to have striked an addiction with fans around the world. She is also one of the few acts where i feel people will run out to buy her CD even if your not a huge R&B fan. I do find her as a SINGER to be very interesting and i like her voice and ENERGY. But i dont like her during interviews because she talks really slow and sometimes so SLOW that she actually makes the interviewer forget what question he initially asked her. That's how long it takes her to answer questions on live TV interviews. She is so powerful at answering slow that she can literally throw you off of track from the main topic. WOW!! With that being said i like her as an artist and she has a fascinating & powerful voice. Crazy In Love is beyond ADDICTIVE when it was 1st released and still is to this day when you hear it. With beats & lyrics like that how can you not want to dance? To top off her successful solo debut her 2nd & 3rd singles were amazing. But that was it!!! Every other song on the album is a DUD! I didnt expect a stellar album but she's a commercial artist so i expected atleast 5 good songs on this album. But only 3 were worthy of being mentioned. 3 stars for 3 great singles and nothing else.

This CD beyonce honey i love it,there is a song in here called speechless that song an how it uses the saxaphone im teling you, baby making music she kinda goes back to the old school love jams type music i love it an then her fast songs are crazy around the time this came out there were no other beats an hooks things like this out at that time, i dont see how you could give this a rating lower than a 4 i gave it a 5 because i truely believe she did her thang in this album i was kinda tired of the dangerously in love some people tend to say she over sings that but other than that beautiful album

Some people believe that Beyonce is Everywhere! The Grammy winning singer Beyonce Knowles has sold 3.2 million copies of "B'Day" (in the United States, sales figures according to Nielsen SoundScan) she has been in the movie "Dreamgirls" and will appear in "Cadillac" playing Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Etta James. Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z have become involved in the 2008 Presidential Race - Interestingly, In the 2008 Presidential Primary race, Hillary Clinton earned more Votes than any other Presidential Primary candidate in the history of America (hillaryclintonforum, The Denver Group)

i didn't think this cd was all that bad, i like it. i'm not a big fan, but i like listening to it.

i disagree with people saying that they dont like the cd,it was her best work to date,i was quite impressed,i really didnt care for her really until i heard this album it's awesome.

She is a real hard working girl,i'm glad that she did her thang on this cd,beyounce keep them guessing gal

Here WE GO AGAIN, she TRICKED her FANS YET AGAIN! Great first 3 SINGLES & everything else is WAYYYYY BELOW AVERAGE! Just a DOWN RIGHT AWFUL ALBUM!!!!!!

Beyonce is one of the few artist in R&B that seems to have striked an addiction with fans around the world. She is also one of the few acts where i feel people will run out to buy her CD even if you're not a huge R&B fan. I do find her as a SINGER to be very interesting and i like her voice and ENERGY. But i don't like her during interviews because she talks really slow and sometimes so SLOW that she actually makes the interviewer forget what question he initially asked her. That's how long it takes her to answer questions on live TV interviews. She is so powerful at answering slow that she can literally throw you off of track from the main topic. WOW!! With that being said i like her as an artist and she has a fascinating & powerful voice. Deja Vu is a great lead off single but it's basically the sequel to Crazy In Love. On top of that she is yelling & SCREAMING when the song just started. GURL wait till the end, your not Deborah Cox. She must have thought that's what her FANS wanted to hear. All the yelling actually just gets annoying after awhile. Real BORED real FAST! Her 2nd single was a great track but once again a lot of yelling. Overall i still enjoyed it because it was something different that i didn't expect from her. 3rd singles was either Upgrade U or Irreplaceable which are both great songs but not sure which one came out 1st. I didn't even expect a 2nd album from Beyonce to come so soon. But she is FIESTY and wants to keep her REIGN of SUPREME to stay on TOP FOREVER! Every other song on the album is a DUD! I didn't expect a stellar album but she's a commercial artist so i expected at least 5 good songs on this album as i did with the 1st one. All I got again was 3 worthy tracks worthy of being mentioned. 1 star for 3 great singles and nothing else. On top of that she had the NERVE to release an album only containing 10 songs. 10 songs do not make an album and 9 songs with 2 interludes do not make an album. So Cassie if you're reading this that's directed towards you! The last thing is Beyonce has the NERVE to re-release the album with extra songs that should have been including in the original. You're not Mariah Carey OK!!!!!! Beautiful Liar would have saved this album from its HARSH reviews if it was released when the initial album came out. Instead she has to re-release and charge extra for stuff the fans already have. And the re-release has like 20 different versions of Beautiful Liar. I do give her credit for being one of the few R&B singers that can keep the attention of music lovers and the way certain other artist just can't. But behind the IMAGE laid an AWFUL ALBUM!!!!!

What the heck was she thinking? Dangerously in Love is a Classic, but this BDAY is a step back. Sorry Beyonce. Telling women to get a Frekum dress when he does wrong is why HIV is steadily rising in black america.

Now what can you say about this album that hasnt already been said all i can say is if u like soulful music an powerful meaning an words then buy it you wont regret its hard to listen to music anymore an get chills from not only by the person singing it but what there saying in it BUY IT

WOW!! This CD is one of my all-time favorites, and I can't believe I waited so long to purchase it. It flows along much like the movie, and one cannot help but to visualize the movie while listening to this Broadway playlike production. When I listen to this cd in my car, I can't help but want to get out of my seat and dance (not that I would recommend that)! But you will be tempted. Not only is the music heartfelt, but it also has great beats and soul with songs performed by very talented artists. As we know, these artists include Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, Beyonce', Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, and others. I can definitely see why Hudson received such rave reviews for her singing on this album, as she is very talented and has a phenomenally, powerful singing voice. Of course Anika and Beyonce' were also great to listen to. However, it would have been nice two hear a song or two featuring Anika Noni Rose as the lead singer, because she really does have a beautiful voice. Also, I just absolutely love to hear Eddie Murphy sing on this album. He's exciting to listen to, and sings with so much soul and spirit that it makes you want to dance. Jamie uses the softer sound of his voice on the songs he sings, but they are great to listen to nonetheless.

All I can say is you need to add this cd to your collection. It is upbeat and cannot help but to put anyone in a great mood. It is a must have for any music library. It is much better than the single cd, as more songs are included from the movie, as well as different versions of a few of the original song. If you like soul and true singing, get this now. One thing is for certain, I'll be listening to this one for a long time to come!

I love the music on this Cd, it has all the music from the movie dreamgirls. Be sure to buy this Cd because it has all your favorite dreamgirls songs. You will love this Cd it you are a fan of the music from dreamgirls.

Great CD set!! First CD contains major songs from the movie and is excellent; second CD is good too but contains lesser songs. Both are fun to listen to, very upbeat, and worth acquiring.

For those people who loves the musical pictures, this is the most powerfull soundtrack I ever bought. Te performances of Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Hudsun are AMAZING!!!!. Its like you are seen the picture, just AMAZING!!!

I received the cd very fast; haven't listen to it yet but it appears to be in excellent condition as promised.

Definitely an "Upgrade" and necessary revision of her previous load of scraps album B'day the original! I didn't purchase the original B'Day because I knew I would be ripped off paying 10+ dollars for a ~9 track album that Beyonce finished in two weeks! However, this revised copy was not too bad, and should've been the original B'day.

The album is overall VERY consistent, but at the same time it doesn't really have any groundbreaking masterpiece song that boasts the quality of Beyonce's previous "Crazy In Love", "Speechless", Be With You", "Me Myself and I" masterpiece tunes featured in "Dangerously In Love". The only ones that come to mind is "Listen", "Irreplaceable", and "Amor Gitano". "Listen" basically exposes Beyonce's voice for what it is, moderately powerful when it needs to be, and a good depiction of her necessary emotion and shades of soul and impressive range(she belts out an Eb5 in FULL VOICE!). Her voice truly does shine on this piece, and definitely solidifies her as one of the top five singing divas of today's modern age. The lyrics are also virtually immaculate, which always helps tons in a ballad! It is overall, one of Beyonce's better songs in her inventory, and quite possibly, her best ballad. "Irreplaceable" was milked to death over the radio, but it was a huge hit for Beyonce, and for good reason. A very catchy pop tune where Beyonce's voice soars with its attitude and supporting guitar sounds in the back. "Amor Gitano" is a fierce duet between Alejandro Fernandez and Beyonce. An upbeat, infectious Spanish tune. The rest of the album is tolerable, very consistent, and filled with mostly third and fourth single potential songs that are spread evenly throughout track list. However, some of the songs don't have the necessary hook or production that are necessary to catch the listener's ear upon first hearing. The beats are loud, chaotic, and work well for clubs, but in a more reserved audio or speaker system, the some of the songs' weaknesses and lack of melodic production might appear stale at times. It would also be nice if Beyonce could showcase that melodic voice of hers from time to time! The only song in here that showcases her impressive vocals and range is pretty much, "Listen" and "Resentment".

One thing about this is the overall new sound Beyonce took. Not an innovative sound by any means, and pretty much absent of the robotic, futuristic sounds of Justin Timberlake's Futuresex/Lovesounds, but it's a far cry from Beyonce's previous "Dangerously In Love". While "Dangerously In Love" focused more on R&B, slow sultry sounds, this album's focus was more on chaotic, dance tunes, without the electronica tint. So fans who are expecting R&B sounds or electronically dance infused pop music should be warned right now. 4/5 stars.

Great price and I love the songs in spanish as well as the collaboration with Shakira on "Beautiful Liar."

ok i like this CD i love how there is a lot of dance songs but its not better than her first one i thought she put more into it then this one she made this one after she did dreamgirls she said it inspired her but i thought if she would have took more time it could have been a better album. her slow songs of course are great she really knows how to sing about love an how it feels or how it hurts an i appreciate her for that. its good to hear someone else going through or feeling what your feeling if you love beyonce you would buy this album

Okay Beyoncé, I admire your motivation and drive but to think you are serving the latino audience is absurd. Think about it... The writing is on the wall... GREED..... A talented singers but shame, shame I know Shakira inspires you but there is only one SHAKIRA that is able to crossover and succeed. Take a break and find yourself and your craft because you are lost...Where is Beyoncé??.. Stick with the original release.

A must have sequel. Wonderful, entertaining and funny movie that stands on its own merit. Great to view in these days of stockmarket woes, job losses and overall gloom. At the end of a tough day, Bridget Jones can make you laugh and relax!!

I love Robbie Williams remake of Sade's "Love is King". This CD has a great list of songs you'll want to listen to over and over again!

What about the song that was playing when Bridget was in the water tripping on mushrooms? I LOVE that song! And I don't know the name of it or who does it. I listen to the clips here and it's not there!

Anyone know the name/artist for this song???

I actually got this CD because I LOVED the song "I Eat Dinner (When the hunger's gone)" when I heard it in the movie, and was so pleasantly surprised by the remainder of the soundtrack - I really enjoy Jamelia's 'Stop', and Mary J. Blige's cover of "Sorry seems to be the hardest word" is truly a portrait of painful sadness... I could go on about each song, but overall this soundtrack truly accomplishes what it set out to do - which is to tell the story of Bridget through song.... and it's A LOT of fun to listen to along the way!

Good mix of music from different genres with some songs "covered" by newer artists. They do a good job of re-doing ths songs in their own way without losing the original integrity of the song. Fun to listen to in the car while dealing with rush hour!

not great but good. of course i am a lil biased considering i praise myself as the biggest dc3 fan in the world lol

I was looking for a Christmas album that was a little more upbeat than the norm. I thought Destiny's Child did a pretty good job of it. Their songs are fast-paced and fun! I'm not normally a fan of Destiny's Child but enjoyed this CD rather than the slower-paced Christmas CDs we are used to.

They're young, hot, and dominating the charts. But they just don't have what it takes to make a good holiday album.

Destiny's Child attempts to take traditional Christmas carols and make a modern, fan-geared holiday album. And, sorry to say, but it just doesn't work here.

The album opens with the title track, which I'll admit is a catchy spin off of the original "12 Days of Christmas." But the lyrics are ridiculous. Example: "On the eighth day of Christmas my baby gave to me/A pair of Chloe shades and a diamond belly ring."

The next track, "Winter Paradise" is the best of the original tracks on the disc. It's a more moderate R&B number that talks about Christmas memories. It's pretty good. But, "Spread a little love on Christmas" is about on the same level as the title track, but it focuses on all the other holidays going on at Christmas.

The girls DO get a few things right. The ridiculously-titled "Opera of the Bells" (featured on the Victoria's Secret holiday commercial) is a slowed-down version of "Carol of the Bells," complete with nice harmonies that are actually quite enjoyable. "This Christmas" is also complete with tight harmonies that give it an enjoyable spin and make it almost unrecognizable. "A DC Christmas Medley" is a fun assortment of kid's Christmas carols, such as "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Frosty," and "Holly, Jolly Christmas." And the best track on the disc, "Do You Hear what I Hear," is a wonderfully original take on the classic that doesn't wander too far from the original sound of it.

However, the album also takes a turn for the worst in a few places. "Platinum Bells" is a ludicrous cover of "Siver Bells" that talks about the group's success (platinum albums). And the cover of "The Little Drummer Boy" is absolutely laughable. The girls don't even get the story right! ("And then he smiled at me/the little drummer boy smiled at me" -- correction... baby Jesus smiled at you, and YOU ARE the little drummer boy!)

Download the few good tunes off this album from I-tunes and save yourself the money of every single song on here. Trust me, buying the whole CD is not worth it.

Best Song: "Do You Hear What I Hear" (great original take, true to classic song)

The good:
"Winter Paradise" (enjoyable, laid-back original with good harmonies)
"This Christmas" (a different take, very original)
"A DC Christmas Medley" (it's fun)
"Opera of the Bells" (nice harmonies)

The OK:
"Silent Night" (pretty good, but Beyonce oversings it)
"8 Days of Christmas" (catchy, but with stupid lyrics)
"Spread a Little Love on Christmas" (ditto)

The bad:
"The Little Drummer Boy" (at least get the story right)
"White Christmas" (I don't like their version of this)
"Platinum Bells" (too stupid to even laugh at... worst track on the album)
"O Holy Night" (I'm very critical of covers of this song because it's my favorite Christmas tune and Michelle's voice just doesn't fit it)

I love this album! It rocks. It's up beat and fun. Instead of singing the same old songs the same old ways each song has a new flavor and style that brings new life and joy to Christmas. I enjoy listening to it every year. This is my all time favorite Christmas album.

That Eight Days of Christmas track really says it all about this shallow,tacky, soul-less drivel. Also, I admire her, but Beyonce needs to stop working on blue jeans and become a better musician. You can always tell a song she's written because her melodies and choruses are limited to the same four repetetive notes. See if the 8 days doesn't sound just like Independent Woman. Seriously. Why is she afraid to use the whole scale?

Queen B,
Nothing more needs to be said when you are in a class by yourself.

This is a gorgeous song. I bought this immediately after seeing Dream Girls. This song has a great message as well.

This is the most powerful song I have heard Beyonce sing. She brings me to happy tears when I hear her sing it. So many times, we all feel like we aren't being heard and this is the song you need to listen to at that point to really hear the message. I am so moved by this song that I left this review. And I don't do that often. Thank you Ms. Knowles for this piece of music that reaches our souls and lifts us up. If you want to hear more great music along with this song, look at this CD, it's the soundtrack for Dreamgirls. Dreamgirls: Music From The Motion Picture [2-CD Deluxe Edition]

I'm more than a little surprised that my review is the first of this single, because the song absolutely blew me away. After sitting through a movie full of show stopping songs mostly sung by *a* loser of American Idol (was it season 3 or 4 - who can keep track) Jennifer Hudson, it was nice to see someone else deservingly step into the spotlight. Don't get me wrong: I didn't mind Hudsons's performances. She has an incredible voice - deep, rich, and resonant, and she filled the shoes she was asked to fill and then some. Hence the Oscar.

But this song, this song gave me goose bumps, and this is the song I have on my iPod; this is the song I switch to if I need an extra boost (which I far too often do!) at the gym. It is the ultimate song of expression, freedom, individuality, and has such a terrific *third finger to you* punch that if it were an actual punch, it would drop the staunchest boxer to his knees. (Or her knees...heh...but we know it's mostly a guy we're talking about here.)

I don't know who could hear this song and not be moved. Then again, I didn't understand how it failed to break into the top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100. Perhaps my ability to judge music has gone the way of my hairline! In the 80s and 90s I could spot pick the end-of-year #1 songs on Billboard without fail. It was a standing bet that I won fifteen years in a row. In this decade, I can't even pick a song to get into the top 40!

Regardless of my ability or inability, this is a fantastic song.