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I Am...Sasha Fierce
by Beyonce

Beyonce reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 61 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.2 out of 10
based on 19 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 99 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

The third solo album for the ex-Destiny's Child singer features songs attributed to her alter ego Sasha Fierce.

LABEL: Sony
RELEASE DATE: 18 November 2008
DISCS: 2 disc
GENRE(S): R&B, Soul, Pop

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

83
Entertainment Weekly
I Am...Sasha Fierce does offer two compelling sides of the singer.
Read Full Review
75
The Phoenix
My advice is to skip directly to disc two, though I'm happy to report that the typically melismatic Mrs. Jigga shows a shocking degree of vocal restraint on the ballads.
Read Full Review
70
Rolling Stone
Though some of the slow songs have thoroughly memorable tunes, the lyrics are full of bland self-affirmation and saggy lines....But the "Sasha" disc boasts Beyonce's most adventurous music yet.
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70
Vibe
Ironically, it’s the more tame (and nameless) persona that’s the most intriguing, commanding and sexual.
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70
Hartford Courant
The ballads are nice enough, in a syrupy, overwrought way. But slamming dance songs have always been Beyoncé's strength, so it's no surprise that the "Sasha Fierce" half of the album is the better showing.
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70
Billboard
It's the classic, more timeless R&B songs on the I Am portion of the album that seem like a much-welcomed stretch for the singer.
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70
Boston Globe
For the most part, it works well and sounds fresh.
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67
The Onion (A.V. Club)
The two halves wouldn't necessarily sound better shuffled together--both are pretty uneven.
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60
Slant Magazine
I Am...Sasha Fierce is an admirable vie for artistic credibility (and for a last-ditch revival of the long-player format) but one that is muddled by the fact that the album is being offered in two configurations.
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60
The Guardian
It's not just that the music on I Am ... is boring--although, aside from the growling guitars and tumbling drums of That's Why You're Beautiful, it is. It's that there is something underwhelming about the whole project.
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60
Hot Press
Beyonce still proves that she's an all-around good performer even though her attempt to branch out into an alter ego fails a little.
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57
Pitchfork
While this LP is more painstaking than B'Day, the extra effort dulls any emotional wallop; "B'Day," in all its hectic glory, offered a much more vivid peek into the elusive mind of Beyoncé than Sasha Fierce, which often reads more like projection than reality.
Read Full Review
50
All Music Guide
Beyonce's third solo studio album is as concise as 2006's B'day, but it is divided into two discs as a way to emphasize the singer's distinct personalities. It's a gimmick, of course--a flimsy one.
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40
Observer Music Monthly
But OutKast's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" aside, it's debatable whether there has been call for a double album since "Sign O' the Times" in 1987, and this is clearly another case for the prosecution.
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40
Dot Music
It's more a rescinded lesson in demographics, with disc one seemingly aimed at airbrushing out the last vestiges of Knowles' credibility in favour of a procession of lame pop ballads in a Shakira or even Shania Twain-ish mould.
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40
Spin
Sasha is an intriguing but diluted direction.
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40
NOW Magazine
Unfortunately, the “deluxe edition” is bloated with filler, and the shorter “standard edition” omits some of the more creative songs instead of dropping the duds.
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35
Paste Magazine
On the first disc (I Am), Knowles comes off helpless and as emotionally closed as ever....The Sasha Fierce side is more like it. Here, Knowles works her confident, fun alter-ego. Still, she overdoes it on 'Diva.'
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30
cokemachineglow
I am...amused. But it’s sort of like the horrific fascination of seeing a train wreck.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this album is 7.2 (out of 10) based on 99 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Shanna D. gave it a9:
I feel that it is definitely her best album thus far! U have 2 cds to fit the mood ur in! I think that ppl who say the I am.. CD is boring, has to in no doubt be very young- Unfortunately that includes the majority of her fan base. But the ppl in the 25 and up age range should definitely appreciate the maturity and growth of this album!

Dreama M. gave it a3:
I used to like Beyonce. Now I have very negative feelings about her motives with this record and do not feel I could support her again. The standard edition is garbage. The deluxe is okay. I am so glad that I was able to listen before I purchased it. But you noticed how they had the standard edition and deluxe edition mixed in together for listening on the myspace page, so you don't have a clear idea as to the fact that the standard one is lacking...everything. They were blended together as if they were all one record. The only really good songs are If I Were A Boy and Halo, which she didn't even write. She stole the first one. What a joke. This was a gimmick and strictly about fooling everyone into buying the deluxe. With the economy the way it is, they figured, everyone will buy the $8.99 standard edition to save money, and the diehard fans likely will. Once they realize it's garbage and get that "where's the rest of it" feeling from the record (they arranged it that way), they will go out and get the deluxe, thereby ultimately spending at least $24 on her. Beyonce, you are rich enough. Why rip off your loyal fans, especially in these hard times? It's not even about making good music, its about making money by any means necessary. That is very wrong and I will never support you again. I downloaded the few songs I liked because you won't be ripping me off. I saw past the gimmick and so have many others, but unfortunately not enough. This is the beginning of your downfall as an artist. You have shown your true colors. You've gotten complacent, thinking you can release garbage and your stans will buy it anyway, and they will. But you have to live with lying and cheating to make your millions. Your loyal fans will support you because they love your past work. They can help make you rich with this (whatever it is that you are trying passing off as music). I won't help them.

Nyah gave it a10:
It's easy to see that Beyonce has got a lot of hits on the Sasha Fierce side. Anyone of those songs could be a single. On the I Am side, we haven't heard Beyonce in this context before, so it takes some getting used to. But when you really start to listen to that side, you see how excellent it truly is. My favorites on that side are If I Were a Boy, Halo, Broken Hearted Girl, Smash Into You and That's Why You're Beautiful. Those songs are all so beautiful and would be massive hits. If people don't understand the greatness of those songs now, they soon will. I applaud Beyonce for her creativity and risk-taking. That's what makes her one of our greatest artists.

t h gave it a5:
This cd is sub par. The slow jams were nice but nothing really memorable as so with the fierce side. Dont doubt that she will still go platinum because of her name. I can see this been re- released to get those sales up.

Avery W. gave it a2:
Nice try. Sometimes Beyonce's shallowness is so thorough it's almost like depth.

Missy M. gave it a5:
The ballads went to European for me. Changing the disc is a waste of time for me. I am still a fan but I honestly only like 4 songs on the album. 1 from Disc one and 3 from Disc 2. Stick with you..Disc 2...

Max G. gave it a9:
I think that this album is something she put a lot of effort into because there are catchy songs all over the album. She has obviously also grown vocally.

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