Beyonce's latest album not quite 'Fierce' enough for fans

11/13/08 - I admit it. Despite the undeniable super-star, A-list status, despite the number one hits, the ubiquitous presence in our pop culture, the marriage to the most important figure in hip-hop music, and despite the killer looks and above-average voice, I have serious trouble taking Beyonce Knowles seriously.Case in point: I Am.Sasha Fierce, the double album released Tuesday. The album, Beyonce's third solo release, is spread between two discs for no reason, as all 11 of the songs put together come out to about 42 minutes worth of music.

While it almost made sense when Rachael Yamagata did it, all Beyonce's done here is to take a regular hip-hop / R&B album and separate the fast tracks from the slow ones.

Ms. Knowles could argue until she's blue in the face about her artistic reasons for doing so, but the fact is that neither disc contains much in the way of artistic statements.

The first disc, I Am, consists entirely of down-tempo love (or out-of-love) ballads, while the second disc Sasha Fierce is all about clubby dance tracks.

I Am starts off with the single "If I Were a Boy," where Beyonce considers just that premise.

Other highlights from the first disc include "Ave Maria," a clever urban-pop takeoff on the classic Catholic hymn, where Beyonce delivers a great vocal free-from complete with over-singing and superfluous runs. The lyrics are ho-hum, ("you are my heaven, my earth / you are my hunger, my thirst") but this sort of understated emotion is a pleasant surprise from her.

Another standout from the first disc is the closer "Satellites," an ethereal song featuring soft acoustic guitars and strings. Here again, Beyonce chooses to keep it subtle, and the results are gorgeous.

The second disc, Sasha Fierce, is anything but subtle. The album is named for a sort of alter ego that Beyonce has assumed, but the name doesn't come up at all in the album, so it's pretty irrelevant.

The first track is the hit "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" in which a swagger-filled Beyonce tells her man "if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it." It's not a bad song by any means, but it's funny to consider the fact that Beyonce dated Jay-Z for six years before they ever tied the knot.

Another amusing track on the second part is "Diva" where Beyonce informs us that, "a diva is a female version of a hustler" and declares "since 15 in my stilettos, I struttin' in this game / 'what's your age?' was the question they ask when I hit the stage."

The sound is cocky, self-assured, and infectious - to the point that even the overly repetitive hook isn't much of an annoyance.

Nothing can top the closer, "Video Phone" in ridiculousness however. It expresses flirtation in the form of a fetish for recording, culminating in the unforgettable lines "shorty on a mission / what yo name is? / what, you want me naked? / if you liking this position you can tape it."

In conclusion, I Am.Sasha Fierce is a bumpy ride, but the highs are higher than the lows are low, and even the worst tracks have a sort of likeable, guilty pleasure quality to them. Beyonce, Miss Fierce, whoever you are, I'm no closer to understanding you for listening to this, but I'm having a hell of a good time trying.