Beyonce Knowles' debut solo album showcases her in two
styles, one far more flattering than the other. "Crazy
in Love," the opening track, roars out of the speakers
on the strength of a propulsive horn sample and the charged
presence of her pal, Jay-Z. In that cauldron of energy,
Beyonce sounds loose and sexy, gripped by emotions she can
neither understand nor control. In contrast, Dangerously
in Love closes with "Daddy," a "hidden,"
five-minute tribute to her manager-father that is an anthology
of vocal and lyrical cliches ("I want my unborn son/To
be like my daddy"). While she oozes charisma and has
a fine voice, Beyonce isn't in a class with the likes of
Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey as a singer, a fact that
"The Closer I Get to You," her duet with the effortlessly
smooth Luther Vandross, also makes clear.
But the club tracks on Dangerously in Love burn -- particularly
"Baby Boy," which the irrepressible Sean Paul
lights up -- all the more so because she sounds like she's
having fun on them. Just twenty-one, Beyonce has plenty
of time to develop a mature ballad style that makes sense
for her. For now, she's more compelling when she's not trying
so earnestly to act like a grownup.
by Anthony DeCurtis, Rolling
Stone
