The first 346 days of
Beyonce's 2013 were eventful enough. She headlined the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, joined by
Destiny's Child partners
Kelly Rowland and
Michelle Williams. The trio released "Nuclear," an excellent song disregarded for not being an anthem. A documentary, Life Is But a Dream, aired on HBO. There were appearances on albums by
Rowland,
the-Dream, and husband
Jay-Z, as well as a Soundcloud upload "Bow Down/I Been On," passionately debated for its aggression and vulgarity, and the more "ladylike" "Standing on the Sun," a clothing retailer tie-in. And then, on December 13, while engaged in a world tour and when no one expected it, she released her fifth solo studio album with accompanying videos. Easily her best album since
B'day, it's among her most entertaining and sexually explicit work, yet it's substantive in every respect.
Beyonce co-wrote and co-produced all of the songs with A-listers like
Pharrell,
Timbaland,
James Fauntleroy,
Hit-Boy, and
the-Dream, as well as emerging Detroiters
Detail and
Key Wane and the previously unknown
Boots. There are deep references to
Beyonce's competitive showbiz upbringing and acknowledgments of her beloved Houston hometown. "Mine" and "Blue" involve vivid expressions regarding the turbulence and thrill of motherhood. Central track "***Flawless" opens with
Ed McMahon's introduction of her preteen group on Star Search, incorporates the combative "Bow Down" and a portion of celebrated Nigerian writer
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED talk on feminism, as well as a booming, quotable-packed victory lap. It concludes with
McMahon's dismissal of her group, as if to say, "Yeah, but look at me now." There's also a whole lot of romance, heartache, and, most prominently, monogamous sex -- in the kitchen, in a chauffeur-driven car, while drunk. Best of all is "Blow," playfully risque boogie loaded with instantly memorable lines -- "I'm-a let you be the boss of me," for instance -- and a slick tempo changeup. Soul throwback ballad "Rocket" is a close second, another amusing mix of metaphorical and explicit come-ons. It opens with an elegantly delivered "Let me sit this ass on you." When the album came out, the release itself dominated the chatter. In time, it should be seen as a career highlight from a superstar -- one of the hardest-working people in the business, a new mother, in total control, at her creative and commercial peak. ~ Andy Kellman
![Beyoncé [Clean Platinum Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888750455420_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg)
![Beyoncé [Clean Platinum Edition]](http://vs-images.bn-web.com/static/redesign/srcs/images/grey-box.png?v11.5.5)
![Beyoncé [Clean Platinum Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888750455420_p0_v2_s600x595.jpg)
![Buffet [Bonus Tracks]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888751398221_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Buffet [Bonus Tracks]")
