Tellingly, without his help the album stumbles, as on the overblown 'I Was Here', a faceless, theoretically-inspirational slog written by veteran schlockmeister Diane Warren. As a songwriter, The-Dream has a way of drawing out a side of Beyoncé that's both more personal and brash, and, as seen on his several brilliant solo albums, his production style routinely references past greats while standing in the now. The pair first combined forces on super hit ' Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)', but their collaborative relationship fully blooms on this album's ramped-up back half, including the bombastic, Major Lazer-sampling empowerment tract 'Run the World (Girls)'. And 'End of Time' is perhaps 4's most strident declaration of co-dependence sounding like En Vogue remixed by a high school pep band, the song has Beyoncé finding the strength in two as she sings, 'I just wanna be with you/ I just wanna live for you/ I'd never let you go!' That track- along with most of 4's stand outs- was co-written and co-produced by the star's other invaluable partner, Terius 'The-Dream' Nash. 'Love on Top' lilts like a lost Reagan-era smash, its light-as-air bop recalling Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder at their sunniest. The track has Beyoncé infatuated once again while its mid-tempo bounce provides prime summer barbecue background. The album's carefree retro sensibility pops up on three more highlights, including the Kanye West-assisted 'Party', which combines a pitch-perfect André 3000 guest verse, a Slick Rick sample, bubbly 80s keyboard tones, and 90s girl-group harmonies. The new track makes 10 years of loyalty seem just as thrilling as the first time, with Beyoncé offering her partner copious praise in that famed half-rap cadence: 'Still love the way he talks/ Still love the way I sing/ Still love the way he rock them black diamonds in that chain.' All of the album's best elements, thematically and sonically, burst ahead on Jay-Z ode 'Countdown', a honking, stutter-step sequel of sorts to ' Crazy in Love'. The album's relative riskiness extends to its music, which side-steps Top 40 radio's current Eurobeat fixation for a refreshingly eclectic mix of early-90s R&B, 80s lite soul, and brass'n'percussion-heavy marching music. But where that song- and its massively successful corresponding album, 21- wrung out the aftermath of young heartbreak, Beyoncé is aiming for something a bit more challenging with 4: love the one you're with, and have some fun doing it, too. The only recent pop ballad that comes close to its power is Adele's stunning ' Someone Like You'. '1+1' is that rare wonder: a wedding song that pleases but doesn't pander. The song boasts some of her finest-ever singing laid over a bed of warm and flowing synths, strings, and bass that manages to connect the dots between Sam Cooke and Prince without sacrificing any Beyoncé-ness. 'If I ain't got something, I don't give a damn/ 'Cause I got it with you,' she testifies on '1+1'- potentially dubious words from a woman who certainly has 'something,' but her mainlined vocals quickly dismiss mere logistics. But, in Beyoncé's more-than-capable and still-in-love hands, a relationship that lasts can seem as complicated and rewarding as anyone would hope. Which, like a bad marriage, might sound boring, repetitive, staid. It's a fitting sentiment and song to introduce 4, which largely deals with monogamy and all that comes with committing to one person for a potential lifetime.

'You've been right in front of greatness so often that you need to step back and see it again for the first time.'

'Sometimes you need perspective,' wrote Jay in an intro to the video on his Life + Times website. And, as Beyoncé finishes the song, you hear her proud husband let out a joyous 'woo!' It's all quite endearing and personal- two words one might not often associate with this superhumanly talented and famous couple. The video has a similar impromptu charm to the many intimate, one-shot performance clips popularized by Vincent Moon's 'Take Away Show', its appeal compounded by the shock of seeing such a notoriously manicured superstar without embellishment. There she is: eyes shut, standing in front of a mirror, singing her guts out while family and friends look on in quiet awe. The camera phone clip shows Beyoncé rehearsing her new album's opening eternal-love ballad, ' 1+1', backstage at 'American Idol'. Wondering why Bey decided to drop a bomb with no warning.One of the year's best music videos was directed by Jay-Z and cost about zero dollars to make.

The complementary videos unfold amid an international backdrop of New York, Paris, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro.” ITunes describes the project as an “unguarded artistic statement,” and labeled as “a visual album” that is “exclusively available on iTunes. ***Flawless (featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche) Ģ8. ***Flawless (featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche)ġ8.

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