It sounds like a joke, right? And not an especially good one. But Beyonce isn’t kidding. She really has adopted a laughably bad alter ego to serve as part of the title of her new album, the former Destiny’s Child lead singer’s third solo set. Why? Well, it’s not exactly clear. The official reason is to put still more distance between Beyonce’s public and private personas. Ultimately though, what adopting the alter ego ”Sasha Fierce” does at this stage is put distance between Beyonce’s publicly professed happiness and the dark, unstable messages conveyed in her lyrics.
In promoting the new album, Beyonce says, ”I’m in a very good place right now, I’m very happy.” Mrs. Jay-Z also notes that the album can be viewed as her diary. Further, she notes that the main goal is to write songs that inspire her female fans, or at least make them relate to her.
But woe unto them if they’re single. That frothy new single of hers is all the rage in clubland, on YouTube, and even earned a Saturday Night Live spoof. ”Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” has a ”Crazy in Love” headiness about it, and you can’t resist its musical appeal. But lyrically, it has to rank as one of the most un-affirming ‘’single” anthems ever, as Beyonce leads a chorus telling the whole world she’s only single because her man didn’t ask for her hand in marriage. Total dependence on another for one’s happiness is nothing to lead a chorus in song about — much less pretend its some kind of female-empowerment anthem. This is decidedly not ”Independent Women, Part III.” And doesn’t it seem strange that a recently married singer is talking about being single, anyway?
Last month, Michelle Williams released her third solo set. You probably missed Williams’ first two albums, since they were gospel affairs, quietly released while Destiny’s Child was still together and ruling the pop charts. Now that the trio is no longer, Williams seems to have reasoned that gospel is no way to maintain a career chartered by the Destiny’s Child juggernaut. So Unexpected is a completely secular set, and one that she says is inspired by her love of club music and dancing. It’s a love lacking in passion.
Williams, who has also starred in Aida on Broadway and in the touring version of The Color Purple, has a pretty, bright voice, but lacks Beyonce’s pizzazz. Most of the songs on Unexpected are as subtle and smooth as she seems to be — perfectly pleasant and winsome, but they don’t pop and provoke in the Destiny’s Child mold. There are several songs that could or should be hits. ”Thank You” is hardly the sweet ballad it sounds like, and all the better for it. ”I want to thank you, for losing me,” Williams coos to her ex. ”I almost loved you forever, never would have found someone better.” Both ”Stop This Car” and the title track are moody mid-tempo hip-hop-styled songs that show real sparks of heat.
Unfortunately, Williams is too cool and too timid on too many other songs here, including current single ”The Greatest,” which plays it safe in the shallow end of the pop pool. You might call that unexpected from a Destiny’s Child alum, true. It’s just not the kind of surprise you hope for.
Michelle Williams has revealed that the girls at her school used to beat her up regularly.
The former Destiny’s Child singer says she was called names, made fun of and hit.
‘I still don’t know why I was singled out,’ she tells You. ‘I can only assume it was because my mother dressed me nicely and I was smart and applied myself at school.
‘The girls were the worst. They would call me names, hit me and threaten to kill me.
‘Once I was beaten so badly that the school arranged for a patrol person to walk me home every day.’
But Michelle, 28, is glad she was different to the kids that tormented her.
‘Now they have multiple children, probably by multiple fathers, and some of them have been in prison,’ she says.
‘I’m blessed I didn’t follow that curve.’
Michelle Williams hosted a birthday party for celebrity hairdresser Ursula Stephen at the L’Oreal Professional Products Institute yesterday in New York City. Ursula Stephen is best know for the edgy hairstyles Rihanna has been rockin’.
Michelle attended the 2008 World Music Awards held in Monte Carlo, Monaco on November 9. I have updated the gallery with some HQ photos from the arrival.
Michelle attended the 2008 World Music Awards held in Monte Carlo, Monaco on November 9. I have added photos from the arrival. Michelle looks so funny in some of them.
Michelle attended the 2008 World Music Awards held in Monte Carlo, Monaco on November 9. I have added the first batch of photos. The first batch of photos are photos from inside the show.
Michelle was featuring in the october version of You. Wonderful Sofia has once again provided us with some wonderful scans from the magazine.
I have also added the photoshoot from the magazine. The shoot was taken by Fiona Freund in 2008.
I have a question for your guys, Have michelle been at the 3rd Annual Black Girls Rock! Awards on november 2?I don’t think the person, who should be Michelle, looks like my babygirl. What do you think?
