Beyonce — I Am... Sasha Fierce

I Am... Sasha Fierce is Beyonce's third solo album, but it's not a charm. The two-part record is meant to show the real Beyonce on the first disc and her on-stage "Sasha Fierce" alter-ego on the second. But listening to the first CD is like being stuck as a third wheel on a date where one half of the couple is bipolar. The mood shifts from sappy love songs like "Halo" and "Smash Into You" (which is only found on the deluxe edition) to the whininess of the single "If I Were A Boy." Neither extreme is a fun listen. They both stick to the low-key, slow-tempo of the album's first single. Sasha Fierce, on the other hand, is apparently still single, desperate for a man, and horny. These songs at least have the beats and catchiness for which Beyonce is famous, but the lyrics come off as phony. Beyonce begs some guy — any guy, really — to tape her naked on his phone in "Video Phone." We all know Beyonce got hitched, so "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" isn't very convincing. Nothing on either disc lives up to her earlier singles, but, for future releases, Beyonce should consider letting her alter-ego take over.

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