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The Bottom Line

Beyonce scaled new heights with the coherence of her last album B'Day and the stunning worldwide smash single "Irreplaceable." However, it looks like Beyonce has set her personal bar even higher if this lead single for the I Am... project is any indication. "If I Were a Boy" is her greatest achievement yet, and that is certainly saying something.

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Pros

• Stunning lyrics

• Beyonce's best vocal performance yet

Cons

• No negatives here

Description

• Written by Britney Carlson and Toby Gad
• Produced by Toby Gad and Beyonce Knowles
• Released by Columbia Records October 2008

Guide Review - Beyonce - "If I Were a Boy"

Beyonce sits at the very top among today's pop divas, so when it is time for a new project, the stakes are high. For "If I Were a Boy," the lead pop release from her upcoming third solo album I Am..., she turned to songwriter/producer Toby Gad, co-writer of Fergie's stellar "Big Girls Don't Cry." The result is Beyonce's best effort yet. The song is one which fits perfectly into her growing repertoire and features a stellar vocal performance.

The lyrics are both a lament for misunderstanding between the genders and an indictment of the male side of relationships. It's a perfect follow up to the independent attitude of B'Day and lays the groundwork for another exploration of what it means to be a woman in the world today on I Am... The pain of experience is palpable counter-balanced somewhat by a sense of hope that progress can still be made.

Beyonce's controlled but emotional vocal performance is the stuff of which award-winning records are made. "Irreplaceable" was defeated when nominated for the Record of the Year Grammy. It's quite possible that "If I Were a Boy" could bring the trophy home. This is a song and recording for the ages.