Sorry, but three months is not a long enough time for an album to have existed for it to earn the adjective “seminal.”
Bad use of the word “seminal” aside, that is a good look at the album’s release and some of the artists featured on it. (If you’re already plugged into all those artists’ careers, it maybe won’t tell you much, lol, idk. But I appreciated it!)
I was really excited for that Shaboozey because the singles were good but something about it just didn’t click at all which was a bummer. The singles and a few other album songs still rule.
I was reading in a thread on another forum where people were posting how just disappointing this era has been after the initial announcement hype and immediate album release and honestly, I get it. I totally understand how she has made being top secret and mostly quiet her thing (i.e. not doing interviews or much promo) but it just makes the eras less exciting to enjoy, especially when there’s no songs from the album currently smashing and no visuals to enjoy.
I'm really surprised this still seems to be the odds-on Album of the Year favorite, because it feels like it totally evaporated. Easily the least impactful Beyonce album in a decade-plus.
It's the Grammys, of course THIS will be the Beyonce album that finally wins AOTY. "You probably should've gotten this aware a few times by now, so even though this album doesn't truly deserve it... uh here you go"
I'd rather chew glass than care about the Grammys, but this is probably still my personal favorite of the year. (Though, Brat is very close.)
Finally revisited this since it came out, and wow I loved it! Honestly thought that maybe it just wasn't for me like the last one because I never had the desire to go back, but I just needed some time for it to sit.
I maintain that there are some absolutely beautiful songs here. "PROTECTOR", "BODYGUARD", "DAUGHTER", "JUST FOR FUN" There's also a lot of filler and it doesn't come together for me as a whole like RENAISSANCE did... that album only got better and better with the transitions, this one feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be. Definitely at the bottom of her discography for me, with the possible exception of I AM... SASHA FIERCE because I have never listened to that album straight through.
AOTY and the Grammys in general have become so boring and dated. Artists butthurt about not winning (or those that use it as validation) just comes off so cheesy. This record isn’t even a Top 5 Beyoncé project, it’d be laughable to see this win. Have a feeling the Billie love from the Grammys will continue this year.
oh wow! That’s a take for sure. Lemonade Renaissance S/T 4 Sasha Cowboy Carter B’Day Dangerously in Love
They definitely do this sometimes, but they’ve also missed the boat on awarding plenty of major iconic artists when they were in their peak and then just never gave them the “make-up” Grammy. Springsteen never won. Prince never won. I don’t think it’s beyond the realm of possibility that Beyoncé just won’t ever win it.
My definitive #1 is still Renaissance, but this, 4, and Lemonade are in that #2-4 range. A tighter version of this would certainly be my clear #2. Though, I still don’t have the runtime problem most people have, lol. The lower tier filler is still solid enough, and I like how it’s structured (perfect for a long work day listen, or picking different stretches to hit up during a care ride). The final stretch is my favorite, so I’m not constantly starting it and getting bored, but I also love the opener and scattered highlights before that finale.
Ya but I feel like it wasn't like a stain on their legacy back then. Like people grumbled but ultimately didn't care, and now people are like mad and so it's about PR. I wish it wasn't like that, but just how I see it. Although it does seem really likely Billie could win it too, and it would be pretty justified (at this point anyway) so who knows, anything could happen.
I don’t really think that matters, though. People have been mad about it for a decade. Anger might influence an editorial decision for a music publication, but it doesn’t really impact a massive and disparate voting membership.
outside of singles, i haven't heard anything in full pre-S/T. should probably give 4 a chance. i know the track sequencing differs between the original retail version and the deluxe version that's now the primary one on streaming services, so i'm not sure which version to spin.