On her third solo album, Beyoncé unleashes her alter ego: Sasha Fierce."" Her alternate identity, once reserved for the stage, now makes her album debut. Ultimately, I Am...Sasha Fierce is split between songs of slow and mellow reflection that are typical for Beyoncé and Sasha's lively dance beats.
The single, ""Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it),"" is a quintessential pop song that speaks to the same women Beyoncé and the rest of Destiny's Child reached with ""Independent Women."" Empowering and strong, its heavy beats and catchy hook make it the perfect choice for a first single. It also borrows the same dance feel of ""Check on It,"" one of Beyoncé's additions to the ""Pink Panther"" soundtrack in 2006.
Other ""Sasha Fierce"" songs include ""Radio,"" which is, like the title suggests, a song all about her radio. She sings, ""I think I'm in love with my radio / And I fall in love with my stereo,"" and it doesn't go a whole lot deeper than that. ""Video Phone"" and ""Diva"" follow along with themes discussing dancing for another guy's camera and being the ""female version of a hustla,"" respectively. These dance songs are meant to be entertaining but also forgotten once another comes on.
Even though these new ""Fierce"" songs fall short of the Beyoncé listeners are used to, she sticks to what she does best on songs like ""Disappear"" and ""Broken-Hearted Girl,"" where her voice shines against sweet melodies and cliché story lines. Her voice is still crystal clear and carries complex emotions easily. It is the ease of her voice that allows her to take risks, especially in songs like ""Halo."" This song is the most different from anything Beyoncé has done before, and it actually works. Unlike her ""Fierce"" counterpart, this is the direction Beyoncé should go to expand her musical focus.
The album's other single is ""If I Were a Boy,"" where Beyoncé explores what it would be like to be a man, and how he might treat his girlfriend. Think ""Like a Boy"" by Ciara, but without the dance beats and in a more quizzical manner. Beyoncé is not jealous of men in this song (like Ciara), but rather questions the motives behind their behaviors. Both ""Halo"" and ""If I Were a Boy"" embody the raw emotion Beyoncé is famous for.
Overall, I Am...Sasha Fierce has a few shining moments, but cannot hold its own next to Beyoncé's previous albums. In an attempt to expand her fan base, Beyoncé falls short. Although exploring other styles is admirable, she should go back to what she does best: light pop dance tunes and slow jams sprinkled with deeper sentiments. She needs to seek out gradual places to expand while still staying true to the fans who want the Beyoncé they know and love.
