Disco de Beyoncé: “I Am...Sasha Fierce [Japan Bonus Tracks]”

The Good: For the person whose been hiding under a rock and doesn't already have "I am Sasha Fierce", congrats. Now you can own a 18 track edition that includes the upbeat Poison (another Sweet Dreams style of a song)plus the remix of Video Phone featuring Lady Gaga.. This cd is Beyonce's best album to date since leaving Destiny's Child and going solo

The Bad: Why another release or re-release. I strongly resent how record companies seem to produce 10 different versions of the same cd in an effort to maximize profits at the expense of hard-working fans. I already owned the previous Deluxe version with the then bonus 4 tracks. So I had to buy this version just for 2 songs.

The UGLY: Here's the bitter rub. This isn't even the best version. In Europe and Asia, Beyonce's Platinum Edition features 20 songs and a bonus cd of all her videos to-date for practically the same price. Missing on this US and Canadian only version are the amazing ballads: Save the Hero, Why Don't You Love me and Honestly.

The Ultimate version could have been a two cd compilation including the 3 songs on the Euro / Asian version plus the 2 featured on the North American version and then some remixes from Above and Beyonce.

And record companies wonder why cd sales are declining?!!

Who is Sasha Fierce? More importantly, who is Beyonce Knowles-Carter? Music listeners worldwide are more interested in the latter; more curious about divulging into the mind and psyche of Beyonce, the newly married, former lead singer of super girl group Destiny's Child.

But with her third solo album, widely publicized as her most personal project to date, does Beyonce really give insight into what life is like behind the celebrity trappings?

I Am...Sasha Fierce is exactly what was forecasted: a disjointed package of two sounds and ambiences. In what is described as an album illustrating two sides of the vocal powerhouse diva's persona: Beyonce', the artists vulnerable, emotional (sincere) side, and alter ego Sasha Fierce, the domineering, attention capturing diva; the two disc set straddles current music trends of pop on the former, and edgy, street-wise R&B/dance on the latter.

First disc, entitled, I Am, is an adventure in pop sounds and phrasings for the most part. In the grand scheme of this conceptual project, I Am is more rewarding and convincing.

Listening to the twenty-seven-year-old sing about her lover's angelic qualities on "Halo" and pondering her actions as the opposite sex on "If I Were A Boy" is actually a bit refreshing. An abundance of acoustic elements (piano, guitar) and soaring restrained vocals reveal a distinctively new approach to music for the Houston native, famous for cramming more syllables and words into a single breath than her other female counterparts.

Even here, however, the attempts to incite a certain intimacy are futile. Most notably is "Ave Maria", which may have been a decent song without the interpolation of the operatic standard into what is an overly ambitious, under-executed filler track. Conclusively, there is no doubt Mrs. Knowles-Carter has the chords to sing just about anything, and I Am, while pleasant, is almost too easy.

Thankfully, disc two, Sasha Fierce, finds Beyonce channeling her familiar, sure-footed sexiness. It's inevitable that most will skip through a couple of tracks on disc one before they trade it in for Fierce.

With alter-ego in full effect, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" immediately signals the change of pace and prepares listeners to break out in a sweat. "Single Ladies" is about as synonymous with sophomore album single "Get Me Bodied" as any song could be without being an exact carbon copy. Down to the snappy hand claps and steady foot stomping beat ---both songs even have accompanying dance routines---"Single Ladies" may sound eerily familiar, but it is among Bey's catchiest songs to date.

"Radio" and "Sweet Dreams" are clear attempts to capitalize on the techno craze sweeping airplay as of late. "Radio" finds the singer stepping into Rihanna territory, relying on overemphasis of vowels 'o' and 'a' while in the midst of lyrics that sound like they were written for a teenager . On the other hand, Beyonce owns "Sweet Dreams", embodying the song's irony in her vocal delivery against the bass-thumping, rousing synths and sparkling piano. "Dreams", a clear gem, was unfortunately leaked to radio and dance floors in the early part of 2008.

After listening to I Am...Sasha Fierce, one will realize that Beyonce's work with Destiny's Child on their farewell album, Destiny Fulfilled, is the closest we have gotten (or may ever get) to calling an album by Sasha Fierce herself, personal and probing.

Speaking of the Destiny Fulfilled album, the final track on second disc Fierce, "Video Phone", borrows a lot from "Soldier" off of the DC3 project. Hustlers swagger and pants sagging low are the catalysts for Beyonce to offer a private "video phone" sex tape. "Video Phone" is rather frank.

We appreciate the notion of trying to present a candid, stripped down Beyonce to the world through music, but this is not it. There are interesting surprises, but this double-disc album package is a lot less compelling than it could have been. Given a recording process that stretched over a year, and a goldmine of seventy songs from which these eleven were selected, it's hard to determine whether the album's concept diminished the intended introspective feel or if the concept saved the songs from the project's lapse in cohesiveness.

Beyonce's voice is there. She sings effortlessly. A few good songs are there. Top 40 radio will eat up the catch phrases. But where is the evidence of the singer turned actress and wife blossoming into womanhood and relishing in the bliss of married life?

If Beyonce fights the inevitable, at worst she could end up like Usher; playing catch up by the time she is thirty. If she reinvents herself, she may never need to live her personal life on stage. Instead she can follow in the footsteps of Madonna or Tina Turner and "Sasha" all the way into her fifties and sixties.

3*** stars out of 5

I used to like Beyonce. Now I have very negative feelings about her motives with this record and do not feel I could support her again.

This standard edition is garbage. I am so glad that I was able to listen before I purchased it. But you noticed how they had the standard edition and deluxe edition mixed in together for listening on the myspace page, so you don't have a clear idea as to the fact that the standard one is lacking...everything. They were blended together as if they were all one record. The only really good songs are If I Were A Boy and Halo, which she didn't even write. She stole the first one. What a joke.

This was a gimmick and strictly about fooling everyone into buying the deluxe.

With the economy the way it is, they figured, everyone will buy the $8.99 standard edition to save money, and the diehard fans likely will. Once they realize it's garbage and get that "where's the rest of it" feeling from the record (they arranged it that way), you will go out and get the deluxe, thereby ultimately spending at least $24 on her.

Beyonce, you are rich enough. Why rip off your loyal fans, especially in these hard times? It's not even about making good music, its about making money by any means necessary. That is very wrong and I will never support you again. I downloaded the few songs I liked because you won't be ripping me off. I saw past the gimmick and so have many others, but unfortunately not enough. This is the beginning of your downfall as an artist. You have shown your true colors. You've gotten complacent, thinking you can release garbage and your stans will buy it anyway, and they will. But YOU have to live with lying and cheating to make your millions. Your loyal fans will support you because they love your past work. THEY can help make you rich with this (whatever it is that you are trying passing off as music). I won't help them.

The album is split into two sides--the first side being "I am..." and the second side being "Sasha Fierce". "I Am..." is nothing less than 8 ballads thrown onto a cd while "Sasha Fierce" is 8 uptempo tracks thrown on another.

Simply put, the Sasha Fierce side of the album is garbage. I've followed Beyonce since her early days (97-98)with Destiny's Child and am one of the few who truly appreciated her talent then. But I find it amazingly hard to listen to this newer uptempo side of her music. With the exception of Single Ladies and perhaps two other tracks, this second half is a complete waste of time for the listeners--album filler that many are sure to skip. If the lackluster track production on some of these songs are not enough, surely, Beyonce's juvenile niche for writing senseless lyrics will distract those looking for substance. (i.e.: "A diva is a female version of a hustler... of a hustler..." is enough to make anyone shake their head in disagreement.)

On the flip side, the "I Am..." half is fairly decent. I especially enjoyed the first four tracks and can't quite get enough of "Halo" and "Disappear". The remaining tracks are so-so and would have to grow on most people.

To appreciate this album for anything at all, one may have to disregard Beyonce's uptempo approach to satisfying mainstream fans. Her faster tracks not only come off underdeveloped but with tracks like "Diva", "ego" and "Video Phone", they also give off a shallow vibe. If this is to be Beyonce's most personal album it then becomes clear that perhaps Beyonce has some out-of-studio maturing to do. With only a third of her tracks being radio-possibles, at its best this album is average.

Wow what an awful album. We must have alot of Bey stans on amazon because aint no way this album is worth 5 stars or $14.99 considering the fact she will re release it in a few months anyway. Tracks like Halo, Single ladies and Diva are my ish, but that's all. I didnt buy it for If I was a boy because I like BC Jean's version better. I feel duped into buying fake double cd. Who has a double cd with 16 songs on it come on Bey? I am a fan but this just is not right.