Dangerously in Love (CD - 2003)

Contains a hidden track following "Gift From Virgo."

Personnel: Beyonce Knowles, Luther Vandross, Sean Paul (vocals); Jay-Z, Big Boi, Missy Elliott, Sleepy Brown (rap vocals); Nat Adderley, Jr. (arranger, electric piano); Skip Anderson (arranger, keyboards, programming); Focus, Rich Harrison (various instruments); Dan Workman, Phil Hamilton, John "Jab" Brousard (guitar); Byron Miller (bass); Ivan Hampden (drums); Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Cissy Houston, Tawatha Agee, Brenda White-King, Candace Thomas (background vocals).

Producers include: Beyonce Knowles, Rich Harrison, Scott Storch, Focus, Bryce Wilson.

DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. "Dangerously In Love" won for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. "The Closer I Get To You" won for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals. "Crazy In Love" won for Best R&B Song and for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The song was also nominated for Record of the Year.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Personnel: Dan Workman, John Broussard , Phil Hamilton (guitar); Nat Adderley, Jr. (electric piano); Skip Anderson (keyboards, programming); Ivan Hampden (drums); Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Cissy Houston, Brenda White-King, Candace Thomas, Tawatha Agee (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Dexter Simmons; Scott Kieklak; Ray Bardani; Tony Maserati.

Recording information: Baseline Studios, NY; COE.BE.3 Studios, Stone Mountain, GA; Patchwerk Studios, Atlanta, GA; Right Track Studios, New York, NY; Soho Studios, New York, NY; Sony Studios, New York, NY; South Beach Studios, Miami, FL; Stankonia Studios, Atlanta, GA; Sugar Hill Studios, Houston, TX; The Enterprise, Burbank, CA; The Hit Factory, New York, NY.

Photographer: Markus Klinko.

Arrangers: Skip Anderson; Mark Batson; Nat Adderley, Jr.

Beyoncé Knowles was always presented as the star of Destiny's Child -- which probably shouldn't be a big surprise since her father managed the group. So it was a natural step for her to step into the diva spotlight with a solo album in 2003, particularly since it followed on the heels of her co-starring role in Mike Myers' 2002 comedy hit, Austin Powers in Goldmember. Still, a singer takes a risk when going solo, as there's no guarantee that her/his star will still shine as bright when there's nobody to reflect upon. Plus, Survivor often sounded labored, as Knowles struggled to sound real. The Knowles clan -- Beyoncé and her father Mathew, that is (regrettably, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool is no relation) -- were apparently aware of these two pitfalls since they pull off a nifty trick of making her debut album, Dangerously in Love, appeal to a broad audience while making it sound relatively easy. Sometimes that ease can translate into carelessness (at least with regard to the final stretch of the album), with a prolonged sequence of ballads that get stuck in their own treacle, capped off by the unbearably mawkish closer, "Gift from Virgo," where she wishes her unborn child and her husband to be like her daddy. (Mind you, she's not pregnant or married, she's just planning ahead, although she gets tripped up in her wishes since there's "no one else like my daddy.") Although these are a little formless -- and perhaps would have been more digestible if spread throughout the record -- they are impeccably produced and showcase Knowles' new relaxed and smooth delivery, which is a most welcome development after the overworked Survivor. Knowles doesn't save this voice just for the ballads -- she sounds assured and sexy on the dance numbers, particularly when she has a male counterpart, as on the deliriously catchy "Crazy in Love" with her man Jay-Z or on "Baby Boy" with 2003's dancehall superstar, Sean Paul. These are the moments when Dangerously in Love not only works, but sounds like Knowles has fulfilled her potential and risen to the top of the pack of contemporary R&B divas. It's just too bad that momentum is not sustained throughout the rest of the record. About halfway through, around the astrological ode "Signs" with Missy Elliott, it starts crawling through its ballads and, while listenable, it's not as exciting as the first part of the record. Still, the first half is good enough to make Dangerously in Love one of the best mainstream urban R&B records released in 2003, and makes a strong case that Knowles might be better off fulfilling this destiny instead of reuniting with Destiny. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Besides deft, pitch-perfect hit songs, the talented if volatile Destiny's Child was remarkable for its unpredictability, not always a defining characteristic of mainstream R&B. While there was certainly a formula at play in the songs, the structure was subtly unstable, never following standard progressions. Yet most of their singles flew to the top of both the pop and R&B charts. While DC was generally a collective, Beyonce Knowles clearly emerged as the most high-profile member, even before major turns on the big screen, signaling anticipation for her debut album, DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE.

Beyonce's opening salvo should disappoint neither her fans nor the general public, as it features skillful songwriting balancing innovation and abundant hooks. DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE starts with a flourish, as the omnipresent Jay-Z brashly introduces the feverishly catchy, brass-fueled dance cut "Crazy In Love," followed by three more lush club-bangers, including a typically inviting guest toast by Sean Paul and some tongue-twisters from Outkast's Big Boi. From there, the soulstress shifts into ballad mode, the starkest moment coming with "Yes," beautifully reminiscent of the DC sound. On DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE, Beyonce both remains true to her past success while forging intriguing new ground. minimize