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.

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