It seems like only yesterday that we were subjected to the full on force of (Run The World) Girls, and truth be told, it only seemed to have fully 'arrived' with that jaw-droppingly amazing performance from the Billboard Awards.
But never one to rest on her laurels, Beyonce is already up and releasing a new single, entitled 1+1. (Yes, that's definitely '1+1', not One Plus One or any other maths/grammar variation on the matter...)
This is definitely more in If I Were A Boy territitory - all slow, chilled and ringing with guitar. And yes, Beyonce's vocal absolutely dominates as always
Then it all goes into an epic Pink Floyd-esque guitar solo. First thoughts: OH MY GOD... Is this actually happening? Beyonce sounding like Pink Floyd. It's bizarre, random, but so amazing. And I can tell that this will be a real grower too, just like Run The World was.
But then, all the best Beyonce singles always are.
A show-stopping TV performance is hard to pull off. Just ask any popstar worth their salt. It takes time, dedication, commitment, ingenuity, money... the list goes on and on.
These days, it's so often a case of us having seen it all before, that it takes a lot to wow us. CGI movies in the cinema, incredible technology at our fingertips, and the likes of Lady Gaga pushing forward the boundaries of what is considered the norm for pop music. So when it comes to making the most of that all-important TV performance slot you've been given, you sure as hell had best work it to its best.
Take Beyonce's latest single, Run The World (Girls) - both critical and commercial success for it has been pretty mixed here in the UK. Personally, while being as divided as the next person when I first heard it, it came to grow immensely on me. But there's a magic to making a song click with people, and a performance like the one Beyonce delivered at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards is one such moment.
For starters, when your big moment in the spotlight comes attached with a two minute prelude stuffed full with some of the biggest names in the world, you know you're on to something special. Hell, this makes the X Factor intros look like small potatoes. Here, everyone's lining up to sing Beyonce's praises... Lady Gaga, Bono, Actual Michelle Obama! It is testament to Beyonce's all-encompassing appeal and mega-success that these celebs are so forthcoming with their kind words. 'High persuasion can build a nation,' sings Beyonce in the track's chorus, but Beyonce's own personal nation is already there, towering above everyone else. She doesn't need to persuade anyone, they're already converted - all this in regards to Beyonce, the persona of course; the jury's still out on the song...
So what does she go and do? Pull out a breathtaking routine featuring what seems like hundreds of dancers and a hi-tech graphic wall that turns her into some kind of video-game character. The genius on display here is palpable. Beyonce kicks butt, quite literally; sending her dancers sprawling onto the floor after decimating them with a red pole. Beyond amazing.
This is Beyonce's nation - her world, her dreams; made real for all of us. I don't know about you, but I want in.
Silky smooth soul vocals and an infectious piano hook. With endorsements from US TV series, not only is this track a fitting anthem to the recession age, but it's a great pop tune too. Real class.
The diva is back. Sampling Major Lazer's Pon De Floor, after a series of early versions of the track released, On Air/On Sale was triumphant once again, propelling Beyonce's come-back single straight into the charts. Fierce, feisty and one hell of a future club smash, Beyonce's firing on all cylinders here.
A return to the big, uplifting mood of One Day Like This for the arty rockers. After a stunning performance of the track on Comic Relief, the band release the song with new b-side Buffalo Ghosts... do buffalo's have ghosts? Do they haunt the still-alive buffalo's?
Britney Spears - Till The World Ends (The Femme Fatale Remix)
All the Britney you want, with added Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj. Now there's a dream party line-up. This extended re-tweak packs a real punch. What with Nicki now formally confirmed as the support act for Britney's tour, it's easy to imagine we could see a live version of this mix in the near future too. Exciting times.
