Herald rating: * * * *
Beyonce's unfortunately named B'Day (someone is going to have to explain French plumbing to the poor woman) seems to know that predecessor Dangerously in Love failed when it slowed things down. And that most of it paled in comparison to its runaway single Crazy in Love.
So this one keeps things kicking throughout, only belting out one inevitable ballad, Irreplaceable, near the end. The rest, however, is as exciting as contemporary blockbuster R&B gets, with Beyonce bringing extra guts to her vocals - which haven't exactly lacked for them in the past.
True, there's nothing here that is going to overhaul Crazy in Love as her greatest workout. But her two earthy duets with her chap Jay-Z - Deja Vu and Upgrade U - still rise above the studio marriage of convenience.
And the likes of the 70s soul-styled Suga Mama, the whiplash inducing syncopation of Ring the Alarm and the jagged crunk of Freakum Dress makes B'Day, er, awash with a rapid flow of shining utter bootyliciousness.
Verdict: R&B queen's second speech from the throne tops her debut
Label: SonyBMG
<i>Beyonce:</i> B'day
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