The opening ballad. That soft piano, the vulnerability in her voice. Beyoncé starts the album by breaking herself open. The high notes near the end? Goosebumps.
I used to say things like "follow back, you're not Beyoncé" and keep it moving. But when "America Has A Problem" from Renaissance hit my ears, something clicked. I spiraled back into her discography... and found this masterpiece waiting for me.
1. Pretty Hurts
2. Haunted ⭐
Those drums. That bass. When she goes low on "on tooo youuuuu"the whole world stops. The way the beat just takes over, it’s everything. Dark, sexy, hypnotic.
3. Drunk in Love
The "surfboardt" meme overshadowed how raw this song is. That beat rides like a wave and the chemistry with Jay-Z is chaotic perfection.
4. Blow
That disco-funk bassline? The whispered vocals? It's so playful and filthy in the best way. She’s having fun and it shows.
5. No Angel
That falsetto. The softness. It’s like a slow exhale. Her vocals melt into the synths. Quiet power.
6. Partition
"He Monica Lewinsky'd all on my gown." The beat switch. The French. The sheer sensuality of it. But beyond all that it’s the confidence. Showing her body like that after pregnancy? That’s a flex. It’s not just sexy - it’s liberation. Womanhood, motherhood, fame, desire all tangled together unapologetically. It’s a declaration.
7. Jealous
So human. She’s not Beyoncé the icon. she’s Beyoncé the person, watching someone slip away. Relatable and raw.
8. Rocket
It’s like D’Angelo’s "Untitled" but from her POV. Sultry and soulful. The confidence in her delivery is everything.
9. Mine (feat. Drake)
The shift into Drake’s part, it flows like a dream. That lyric, "I'm not feeling like myself since the baby"? Ouch.
10. XO
Anthemic. That stadium pop sound mixed with her raspy, joyful delivery makes it feel like a giant hug.
11. ***Flawless (feat. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
That speech. That beat. The switch from "Bow down, bitches" to "I woke up like this"? Pure audacity. And it works. I live.
12. Superpower (feat. Frank Ocean)
It’s the calm after the storm. Minimal, haunting, tender. Her and Frank? Magic. That choral swell in the end? Stunning.
13. Heaven
This hurts. You feel every bit of loss in her voice. No frills, just pain. A goodbye you didn’t want to say.
14. Blue (feat. Blue Ivy)
A lullaby to close. Hopeful, personal, intimate. Her daughter’s voice at the end? I cried.
Listening to this album front to back is like watching someone peel back layer after layer until you’re staring at their soul. It’s Beyoncé telling you: I’m human too. And she does it flawlessly.