Dreamgirl Beyonce

Serendipity must be at work in everything Beyoncé Knowles does or she must have simply been born so gifted and unable to do any wrong. One of the most beautiful women of our time, she went from stand-out member of the talented trio Destiny’s Child to phenomenal solo performer and actress without missing a beat.

At this point in her career and at the age of only 25, she has another big-selling album with B-Day and stars in one of the most-coveted roles in a musical film, Deena in Dreamgirls. She is also looking at possible Golden Globes and Academy Awards trophies to add to her shelf of Grammys for her work in the movie and for Listen, her original song in the soundtrack.

Wow! is all I can say to that. Beyoncé has become the biggest-selling female pop act of the moment and is showing every indication of leaving all others in the competition biting the dust. I still see no hint of seeing her turn into an icon like Diana Ross did in the ’70s or Madonna in the ’80s as yet. But Beyoncé is already on track, hitwise and we can just let time and fans decide on the icon part.

Success like Beyoncé’s invites carping not only from rivals but from those who find no logical explanation to what she has been blessed with. This is what happened to B-day, which she released last September to celebrate her 25th birthday. Several critics very unkindly dissed the album and maybe because of that, reaction to the songs including those from her fans was initially lukewarm. But why is the album now a confirmed hit?

They said the first single Déjà vu with rapper- boyfriend Jay-Z has no hook but the chemistry between them is undeniable and they do sound good together. She does better with the seductive Get Me Bodied, which grows on the listener. A rare turn is the guitar-based Suga Mama where she experiments with a country beat. Also with Jay-Z, Upgrade U with a simple backing track and strong lyrics – a DJ’s dream tune.

Probably influenced by the vocal histrionics required by Dreamgirls, Beyoncé gets into a shouting binge with Ring the Alarm. The meaning of Kitty Kat is not very clear but I marvel at the fun way she layered sounds over the piano in the background. Freakum Dress has a strange title but actually has a serious message. Musically, Green Light with the Latin drums, is the sexiest of the tracks. Check on It with Slim Thug is the most hip-hop of all.

This is not only because I do prefer ballads to hip-hop but cuts I like best are Irreplaceable, Resentment and Listen from Dreamgirls. They are well-written songs about romantic relationships and Beyoncé now has the right dramatic chops to perform them beautifully.

But B-day is not really about what each cut says. What is most impressive about it is how Beyoncé as producer, writer and performer came up with a coherent whole. She anchors each song on a powerful beat and layers on infectious rhythms laced with club music, chants, a country guitar and other sounds. This girl went to the studio and put this package together and I marvel at what she accomplished.

I think I should also add that Beyoncé’s singing in B-day is at its most powerful and expressive. The girl really seems to have everything.

Simply the best

Also powerful and expressive are the performances in the Dreamgirls soundtrack. I credit the musical with having started the birit mania because of the song And I am Telling You I’m Not Going which girls love doing in singing contests everywhere. American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson does an excellent version here. Beyoncé and the third dream girl Anika Noni Rose also do very well and I can say the same thing of Jamie Foxx.

But what I find most exciting are numbers featuring Eddie Murphy. Here is proof of how versatile the talented guy is. Listening to him reminds me of the impact Richard Gere had on the public when he starred in Chicago. And Murphy, whom people seem to have forgotten has a great singing voice, does even better here. His tracks, Cadillac Car, Jimmy’s Rap and Fake Your Way to the Top are simply the best.