4: US New Version

ワールド・ツアー＜ザ・ミセスカーターズ・ショー＞で再始動するビヨンセ。2011年にリリースしたアルバム『4』に2曲追加収録し、曲順を変更、ジャケットもデラックス盤と同様の絵柄に変更されたニュー・ヴァージョン。
ソニー

2011年にリリースしたアルバム『4』に、配信でしか入手できない人気リミックス音源を追加収録したデラックス盤。
ソニー・ミュージック

Rolling Stone (pp.95-96) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "It's a big-budget pop album with an A list of guest stars....Half the songs are ballads, but all kinds of sounds filter through the mix -- vintage soul, hard rock, reggae, [and] adult contemporary..." Rolling Stone (p.70) - Ranked #25 in Rolling Stone's '50 Best Albums Of 2011' -- "The world's shrewdest diva turns on her star power full blast..." Spin (p.18) - Ranked #39 in Spin's 'The Top 40 Albums Of 2011' -- "[A]n album of '70-inspired soul and funk tunes alongside baby-making ballads." Entertainment Weekly (p.72) - "Vocally, she's never sounded better -- throaty and precise....The terrific 'End of Time' seethes with off-balance harmonies..." -- Grade: B Uncut (p.79) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he final third is full of the tribal stomp of M.I.A. and Missy Elliott....Overall, 4 is a very strong record indeed." Q (Magazine) (p.105) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Best Thing I Never Had' delivers a fabulously breezy kick in the groin to he who dared wrong-do her..." Paste (magazine) - "Even when grabbing a fistful of vitriol on 'Best You Never Had,' a boiling throw-down of invective and bitterness, it's her voice that stands out strong and clear, exploring the potential of the delivery." Pitchfork (Website) - "'1+1' is that rare wonder: a wedding song that pleases but doesn't pander..."

Beyonce reportedly delivered over 70 songs to Columbia for her fourth solo studio album. The dozen that made the cut, combined with their sequencing, make it plain that straightforward crossover-dance singles and cohesion were not priorities. Taking it in at once is mystifying, even when little attention is paid to the lyrics. The opening “1+1,” a sparse and placid vocal showcase, fades in with a somber guitar line, throws up occasional and brief spikes in energy, and slowly recedes. It’s the kind of song one would expect to hear during an album’s second half, certainly not as the opener -- not with the (fittingly) slight sonics and heavy lines like “Just when I ball up my fist, I realize I’m laying right next to you, baby.” Three additional ballads follow. Each one features its own set of collaborators and contrasts both sonically and lyrically. “I Care” rolls in on pensive percussion and low-profile synthesizer drones, surging during a cathartic chorus. “I Miss You,” alluringly bleak and hushed, is a codependent confessional. The only one that’s rote, “Best Thing I Never Had” is a bombastic kiss-off saved by Beyonce’s ability to plow through it. From there, the album restlessly bounces between tempos and moods: a desperate midtempo chest thumper, a couple cyborg marching-band dancefloor tracks, an ecstatic early-‘90s throwback, yet more ballads. What’s most surprising is that a song titled “Party,” co-produced by Kanye West with a guest verse from Andre 3000, quickly settles into a low-watt groove and remains there. Wildcard interludes and a Euro-pop party-anthem cash-in would be the only ways to make the album more scattered, but the strength of most of the material, propelled by Beyonce’s characteristically acrobatic vocal skills, eases the trouble of sifting through the disjointed assortment. No one but one of the most talented and accomplished singers -- one with 16 Grammys, nothing left to prove, and every desired collaborator at her disposal -- could have made this album. ~ Andy Kellman

数々の記録と共に歴史を築いてきたスーパー・ディーヴァが、自分にとって特別な意味があるという数字を冠した新作を完成。先行カット"Run The Worlds(Girls)"ではメジャー/レイザーのフロア・ヒット"Pon De Floor"をスウィッチと共同プロデュースし。本人も＜近未来的なビートで異文化と時代をかけ合わせたスリリングなサウンド＞と語るように、大胆なネタ使いをサラリとやってのけちゃうお転婆ぶりにときめいた。とはいえアルバム全体は、充電期間を経たせいか伸び伸びと歌い上げるソウルフルなナンバーで占められていて、カニエ&アンドレ3000との粋なアーナン・チューンからベイビーフェイスやダイアン・ウォーレンとのビッグ・バラードまで、ディーヴァの余裕ぶりを解き放った大作となっている。
bounce (C)池田貴洋