|
Originally Posted by Severian
Nah, I've listened to it more now and I'm digging the shit out of it. What I wrote before (about "Don't Hurt Yourself") was a snap judgement after only hearing it once and not paying full attention.
DAMN though, this is one hell of an album. I'm honestly, truly and completely, amazed.
I've loved Beyoncé forever, even argued in favor of Destiny's Child back in the day, when shot started to get twisted and weird on "Bills Bills Bills" and "Say My Name," but I have I admit that I've always been more of an individual song fan than an album fan.
Her self titled album -- the first to really go for that "complete album" sound, without relying on pre-release singles -- is great, but I've listened to it much less than I've listened to 4, which is filled with those crazy high points like "Schoolin Life" scattered throughout, and feels like it's made with singles and individual tracks in mind.
Lemonade is the first Beyoncé album that I've blown through from start to finish repeated times as soon as it was released, and there's a damn good reason why I've done that: it's absolutely transcendent, and while it's hard to say (for me, anyway) if it's "better" or of a higher quality than 4 or s/t, it definitely feels like a monumental leap forward that makes her previous progressions seems minor by comparison.
In a year characterized by a handful of big releases from big names -- pretty much all of whom are, or were, above Bey in my opinion -- this album is making a hell of an impression on me, and I'd have to say that it's probably sitting at the #3 spot, just behind Kanye and PJ, but astonishingly ahead of Kendrick, in my albums of the year list so far.
Wow. Seriously, wow.
And Pitchfork actually wrote a pretty goddamn good review of the album. I can't say how accurately they write about the "visual" element of the album, since I've only heard the record itself.
But... yes, this is a corker.
And it makes me look a little differently at Jay, who's long been (as you all know) one of my hip-hop heroes. I want their relationship to be fair and balanced and faithful, even though I have no earthly reason to give a shit. I just want them to succeed where the others have failed. To be the anti-Kurt and Courtney, and to have a healthy and happy marriage that works and doesn't result in any suicides or lawsuits or investigations. So, some of the obviously biographical content of Lemonade is a little unnerving for me. But still... fucking amazing album.
|