Deep Dive: Beyoncé's I AM... SASHA FIERCE
Beyoncé released her third solo album in 2008, I AM... SASHA FIERCE. An ambitious 2-disc project compromising of a ballad-heavy first disc, I Am. And then a second, R&B-pop blending booty shaker anthem disc, Sasha Fierce. She felt the need to introduce an alter ego (which she later killed after album promotions, by the way) to carry the point of the dual discs.
I often see people refer to this as her weakest album. I'm not for sure about that. It's not weak, but the highs are definitely career-defining Mount Olympus peaks, and the lows are... Ocean depths, scary glow fish low. Each disc has its own sound characterized by similar instruments and tropes. Should the album have been one disc with the best of both worlds on it? Yes. But it would have been overwhelmingly full of songs from the second disc. So. Let's be fierce and deep dive.
So our introductory song to the project is "If I Were A Boy." It's still an amazing song. The dating game and everything has changed so much since this song. I think so far this is a Beyoncé song that tells a full story with a beginning, middle, and end cohesively. Which is nice to see from an artistic growth point-of-view. It was released as one of two-lead singles. The other, "Single Ladies" of course went on to be the album's smash hit, but this song right here did just as well. Other artists really gave this song props back in the day. Reba McEntire even covered it on an album of hers. It's just written so well, and it's amazing to sing along to.
"Halo" is still so gorgeously beautiful. Beyoncé kills it, of course. It's heavenly. It's divine. It's the hit this disc needed and deserved. It's pretty much a signature song for Beyoncé. A one-two punch of ballads back to back. It's a good balance of genius-songwriting and hook song. Which was very relevant in 2008. The repetition of "halo" gives us a good hook to belt. The verses are angelic. It's a perfect song.
"Disappear" keeps that ballad, natural, clean vibe going. This isn't one that I listen to that much. The instrumentals are nice. Especially the drums. It definitely has a "naturalness" that characterizes this first disc. But it feels like we quickly approached album filler.
"Broken-Hearted Girl" is soooo 2008. I feel like that time of music treated ballads better. This one's a little sappy. But I still love it. The chorus really champions it through. Of course Beyoncé sounds amazing on it. She showcases nice vibrato on it in places, and shows off a lot of technique and restraint until it's time to let loose.
Fans often say that I Am... has aged the worst of all of her albums. And... This song was hot back in the day, but it's also one that has showcased the album's age. It's still hot for a throwback, but it really is 2008 R&B. 2008 was an interesting time for R&B because it was quickly being phased out in favor of electropop. I Am... was probably the R&B moment of the year. Perhaps besides Trey Songz releasing Ready which is actually quite similar to this album.
"Ave Maria" continues the "naturalness" we saw with "Disappear." There's an innocence on this disc that comes out in moments like this, and it's nice to see. I still skip this one pretty much every time, but it's a nice little moment. Very tender.
"Smash Into You" was the ending theme song for her movie, Obsessed. It was really refreshing to hear after the ending of it. An excellent choice from this album. The song is just gorgeous. It's one of my favorites here. A great song to stretch your vocal chords to. Instrumentally, it's so free. It's like a white wind through a spring-green meadow. It would be excellent to see live.
There's definitely soft themes on this side lyrically. "Satellites" is another example of this innocence that was new to us at the time from Beyoncé, and we haven't really seen this side from her since. She was describing herself in interviews around this time as shy, so she needed her alter-ego to be confident. Yet, this pure side is just breathtakingly beautiful. Her voice is a treasure, and it's nice to hear her sing songs that feel more... Universal? Things we can all understand.
"That's Why You're Beautiful" is familiar territory for Beyoncé to cover. Even sonically, this sounds like a cut from B'Day. I skip this one. The twangy guitar is nice though. And vocally, she kind of lets go here. Which is different from the restraint and properness we've seen from the songs before this one.
Oyy. I skip "Save the Hero" too. The piano is gorgeous, but we've heard all of this before. Not only from Beyoncé, but any artist that has ever featured a piano in a song from 2006-2008. Lyrically and conceptually, it's an interesting take to explore.
I think I skip so many songs on this first disc because I know of all the bops awaiting me on the second disc, so I can't wait to get to them. I do the same thing every time I watch Naruto. I always say I'm going to watch the filler before Shippuden, but I always skip it.
I'm absolutely horrible because I skip "Honesty" too. Is this the first time we've come across this scenario in a Deep Dive? I don't think we've done this before. But it's moments like this why I say the album could use some cutting and editing.
Overall for the first disc, if this is the real Beyoncé then it feels so... One dimensional. The one thing that comes across most of all is that she is a real girl who experiences things all girls go through. Just. You know. With more money. And more beauty. And brand recognition. I actually think the second disc gives her more personality outside of the smashes on the first disc.
Songs like "Halo" and "If I Were A Boy" show us that there's this inquisitiveness and wonder of Beyoncé that we hadn't really seen before. But the woman is bombastic, and she shows us at every given chance.
And just like that, we're on the second disc! "Single Ladies" is our first song here. We all know it. We all love it. Though listening to it now, it feels like a song from back in 08. But only certain things make it feel like that throwback. Still, it also feels like its own thing entirely. It was always destined to be a mega-hit though! The concept is an A+. The whoo-whoo yoo-hoo music itself is a hook. Speaking of the hook, it's an A+. "Iconic" is a word that is often used these days, but that's just what this song.
My favorite part of this song has to be the bridge before the final chorus. She gets serious on it, it's catchy, and it commands your attention. The "and like a ghost/I'll be gone" lyric hits something crazy hard.
"Radio" was very forward-thinking for the time. It still sounds amazing. The innuendos and implications make for a nice story. We're already more lively and engaged. We're no longer bored by this point. The backing track goes insane. There's a lot happening back there. Like a choir. Not to mention all the electronic blips and pops.
The hook of "Diva" caught me off guard back in the day. It's still kinda futuristic of a track. It slaps you in the face. The "I'mma, I'mma a Diva" loop is sassy as all hell. Lyrically, it's so 2008. But I'd like to think the kids would still go crazy for this one these days. I feel like it's songs like this one that ultimately ended up inspiring 4 and even self-titled.
Whereas the first disc feels like anyone with a great voice could sing most of those songs sans "If I Were A Boy" and "Halo," it's songs like "Diva" that show you which lane Beyoncé belongs in and where she flourishes the most creatively. And this brand has ultimately lead her through every album from here to get to where we are now.
"Sweet Dreams" is arguably the best track on the whole damn album. It still slays. It slaps you silly. Beyoncé gives us her best performance on the whole album here. She took the trends of the times and rebuilt them from the foundation up. It's her take on electropop, and it is fantastic. Hook? Check. Uniqueness? Check. Does it make your senses tingle? Check. Hell yes. She creates an atmosphere and sends you on an experience with this one.
2009 had this kind of gothic atmosphere a lot in music and anything art-related. The piano gives us those vibes, and I just love it so much. I also think a lot of R&B artist tried to chase this vibe at the time, "Beautiful Monster" by Ne-Yo comes to mind. But they couldn't quite reach this height most of the time.
"Video Phone" feels like the blueprint for Rihanna's "Rude Boy." And "Rude Boy" excels to crazy heights that this one kind of misses. It dates the album. I can't pinpoint exactly, but this one misses the mark a little. Even the remix with Lady Gaga missed for a lot of people. The hook lacks, I think. And... It's not that sexy? Or at least not as much as it wants to be. I actually skip this one a lot.
I have always loved "Hello." It creates such a mystical atmosphere. Beyoncé sounds amazing on it. The piano is just gorgeous. The best vocal production on the album is probably right here. The vocal layering shows us how hard Beyoncé works to give us something extraordinary. She also gives us a stellar performance. Showing she excels on songs like this and "Sweet Dreams."
"Ego" is full of innuendos. It's such a unique moment in Beyoncé's discography. And surprisingly, if Cadillac Records inspired anything on this album, it's probably this number right here. Just listen to her spoken-word intro. And the little funkiness/soul spread throughout. The lyrics are definitely a highlight here. Especially that chorus. The vocal production is tight. The overall production is pretty timeless here. Possibly the most timeless song on the album.
The ending where she ad-libs her way to the end is a highlight of the whole album.
Trey Songz did a remix of this song, and he adds a male perspective to it. It's very entertaining. Please look it up. It makes this sexy song even sexier.
When I listened to this album for the first time, "Scared of Lonely" was an instant stand out to me. And it still is. It strikes a good balance between pop and R&B. Which most of the album manages to do. Lyrically, this is new territory for Beyoncé that she hadn't covered much before. Thematically, it feels like a first disc track, but sonically, it definitely is a second disc track just based on the innovation alone. It just a seriously great track. It's hauntingly gorgeous. It feels like we get a glimpse into the real Beyoncé's fears here. I think she hits her highest note here on the album before the final chorus.
It's such a dramatic way to end that album that feels more like an open end rather than a closed one that's wrapped up in a little box with a bow. It's part of what makes the second disc so killer.
"Why Don't You Love Me" was a bonus track, later turned single, later turned fan-favorite. And I think one of the only songs from this era that Beyoncé still takes ownership of. And... I honestly still lay awake at night wondering why she didn't have this on the main album and release it as a single earlier. It was one of the album's final singles. And the album cycle had already run out of steam by then. It did get a music video. A great one. But... The potential! Gone! Wasted!
This song is always going to be a bop. Beyoncé's performance and vocals on it are just insane. It's funk, it's R&B. It's dramatic. It's empowering. It's just amazing. It's always been one of my favorite songs of hers.
There's also another track, "Poison," that was a bonus track. This one doesn't receive a lot of love. It's a good song though. Could have been featured on the main album too. Though... It does feel slightly generic. And a little too electro-pop for the rest of the album. It's fun, though. The chorus is catchy.
Okay! So. What do I think of the album overall? It's a solid effort. It's entertaining. It's a beloved classic due to its singles. It's delightfully 2008. And it's Beyoncé's last attempt at being commercial before she dived head first into being an artist and giving us albums instead of hits. Proving that she can, in fact, do both. Though even the idea of this double album and its concept is proof of artistic strive and integrity.
The album needs an edit though. It's too long. And needs some fat trimmed. So here's what I think the tracklist should be like:
- If I Were A Boy
- Radio
- Single Ladies
- Why Don't You Love Me
- Ego
- Halo
- Smash Into You
- Broken-Hearted Girl
- Hello
- Diva
- Video Phone
- Sweet Dreams
- Scared of Lonely
Bonus Tracks:
Poison
Ave Maria
Disappear
So you're still talking a generous 13-track album with little-to-no filler on it. Depending on how you feel about some of the ballads. I still think overall the album is very enjoyable, and if this is Beyoncé's worst album, it's still better than some artists' best.
Rank: B Rank
Recommendation: for if you become a boy.
Standouts:
That second disc
Plus the singles
Pretty much my mock tracklist
This is probably going to be the last article for September as I'd like to do a lot of Music Mysteries for October. We're going to try to get spooky! I'm currently researching and getting some things together. I guess we will see what happens and what gets covered. Until next time, normal dudes!
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