It's been six long years since Mrs. Knowles-Carter has graced the world with a truly focused, solo album, and we here at channel.WAV have been anxiously waiting new music from the queen. Needless to say, we were excited to get our review to the masses and synthesize this latest masterwork. Joining us for our most recent installation in our Staff Inspection series is close friend of the blog, Justin Wright!
The opening salvo...
Ritter: Everyone gimme a “fuck yeah” when they’re read[y]. Or just a "yes"
Slone: Yes
Botts: I'm read
Wright:
Fuck yeah
Ritter: Alright, who has heard this already, and who is listening for the first time? Also, the album cover is growing on me so much
Slone: I listened to it with you and one other time. And a very disco album cover over a house album by Beyoncé is in fact pretty gay.
Botts: First listen, but horseman of what apocalypse?
Ritter: This is my seventh or eighth listen I think. The most recent being with my dad, shoutout Papa Ritter. Can’t wait to see people hop on the horses around Lexington and try to recreate the album cover.
Slone: Oh god
Wright: Lmfao, the end times for real
On opening tracks, "I'M THAT GIRL" and "COZY"...
Wright: She always loves to give us these smooth intro tracks that launch us into the vibe. Reminiscent of "Pray You Catch Me".
Ritter: I’ve been noticing that Lemonade set a trend of albums giving us mellow intros and a hype track right after. Most recent, Kendrick and Tyler copied the style
Slone: I don’t think this will surpass Lemonade for me but it’s definitely better if you’re looking for “bangerz”
Wright: I think vídeo album part of Lemonade will never be surpassed. But as far as the theme and vibe of the album, I think this one takes it for me. It’s just pure joy all the way through
I love "COZY" so much. The TS Madison feature is phenomenal too. Like, she starts off basically saying that blackness and queerness are one in the same
Botts: "COZY" is nice 👍 👍
On cultural phenomenon, "ALIEN SUPERSTAR"...
Wright: Giving us a little Gaga vibe
Slone: "ALIEN SUPERSTAR" is the song that I’ve most gravitated to for whatever reason
Ritter: "ALIEN SUPERSTAR" is the most interesting and so experimental for her. If I could vogue I would be trying during this track
Wright: Very soft and feminine vogue
Botts: Did she take shots at Jay-Z or am I reading between the lyrics too much?
I'm one of one, I'm number one, I'm the only one
Don't even waste your time trying to compete with me (don't do it)
Wright: I think that’s maybe more towards the general populace who try to say things about her
Also love how she had 45 seconds left and completely switched up the song. And of course peep the “I’m too sexy for my shirt…” sample. What a cool way to interpolate it
On "CUFF IT"...
Ritter: "CUFF IT" was my dad’s fave for those wondering
Slone: But cuff it also gets love from me for the Nile Rodgers of it all
Wright: Also very black skating rink vibes, like "Blow".
Ritter: "Blow" supremacy!
On Kelis, edits, and "ENERGY"...
Wright: Love the transition
Ritter: I liked this song better with the Kelis sample :/ But that transition is pretty seamless this way
Wright: Yes I miss the "lalas"
Slone: This is my first listen post-edits
Wright: Were there more edits besides the Kelis sample?
Slone: She took out the word "sp*z"
Ritter: Which song was that in I never even learned
Slone: "HEATED"?
Ritter: I'm gonna trust ya on it
On possible Song of the Summer, "BREAK MY SOUL"...
Slone: THE TRANSITION TO "BREAK MY SOUL" IS UNTOUCHABLE
Wright: Without a doubt
Slone: God fucking damn it it’s so hype
Botts: So far break my soul is my vibe, it’s like classy "fuck corporate" but, "alas, enjoy mid-late American Eagle" vibes.
Ritter: This is so true:
Wright: Did y’all get a chance to listen to the Madonna remix?
Slone: I didn’t know that exists, but that's exciting.
Wright: Came out over the weekend, it's excellent
Ritter: "BREAK MY SOUL" is so fun, gotta hear the Madonna remix ASAP.
Slone: Exciting to hear that Madonna put out something and called it a remix instead of just plagiarizing like she usually does lol
Wright: Oh, we are firing shots tonight!
Slone: I love Madonna so so so much but it’s a real problem lol
Wright: You are absolutely correct
On "CHURCH GIRL"...
Wright: The entire album really hits as we are further through the pandemic, dealing with the shitty decision out country makes and our impending climate disaster world. Also this is my favorite song, as the resident Black church girl
Ritter: I was gonna say this song was made just for you Justin
Wright: I’ve listened to the Clark sisters my entire life. They are like the pinnacle of not only gospel music but have given so much to music as a whole. So for her to add Twinkie here at the beginning legit made me she’s a few tears when I first heard it. Reminds me of home in the best possible way. And that’s hard to do
“You can be my daddy if you want to!”
Ritter: "With the tig ol bitties!"
Wright: “Mis be the cash cuz it ain’t ya face” that’s a Jay-Z diss
Slone: Lolllllllllllllll
Ritter: Woof hahahaha
Wright:
Correct me if I’m wrong…?
Slone: There is nothing to correct
On "PLASTIC ON THE SOFA"...
Ritter: This song is my fave I think
Wright: On the first listen I wasn’t feeling it as much. But it’s seriously grown on me
Slone: It’s a vibe song with phenomenal production. Has that ethereal vocal layering that I’m a sucker for
Wright: Have you noticed she gives it to us majorly every album: "Otherside", "Love Drought", "Drunk in Love", "1+1", "Disappear", "Naughty Girl".
Slone: She knows it works but has the restraint to not rely on it
Ritter: Reminds me of… Frank [Ocean]?? Dare I say??
Slone: I can see how you’d make that connection
Wright: Doesn’t he have a credit in this album somewhere?
Ritter: I’ll have to look but I’m not sure
On "VIRGO'S GROOVE"...
Botts: This is my groove. I’m a Virgo and approve. Like I’d cruise around on GTA to this on repeat.
Wright: Love this layering here 🙌🏾
Botts: Can we get an album of just astrological groove?
On "MOVE" and Jones vs. Gaga...
Wright: I audibly yelped when I heard grace Jones the first time. She notoriously doesn’t like any of the music girls. Hates Lady Gaga. And the backbeat is very West African Afrobeats
Ritter: I had no knowledge of this wow
Slone: She said lady Gaga doesn’t have a soul lol
Ritter: WHAT lolllll
Slone: “Gaga came to me, and I just could not find a soul,” Jones told Smith. “I come from church — maybe that has something to do with it. I like to get to the soul of a person. I just didn’t feel a soul.”
Wright: Scathing!
Slone: What is most interesting to me about this album is just how seamless these transitions are, while she simultaneously switches up the sound several times mid song. As a person whose ideal song is just “the same loop for 3.5 minutes,” it forces me to step out of my comfort zone and pay attention because I don’t even know when the song has changed most of the time lol
On "HEATED" and Aubrey...
Wright: This is such a Chicago ballroom song, one of my top 3 on the album
Ritter: If you could guess one song on the album was written by Drake, which would it be?
Botts: I’d pray none of them
Slone: I haven’t found any lyrics about dating high schoolers. I give him passing marks for the first few albums but I will not dwell
Botts: [Referencing the final verse] This was the part written by Drake lol
Wright: Yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yaya!
Ritter: It was indeed "HEATED" making it the best Drake song from Honestly, Nevermind that didn’t even make the album
Wright: One of the three Drake songs I like lol
On "THIQUE", "ALL UP IN YOUR MIND", and "AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM"...
Ritter: Btw, I love "THIQUE"
Wright: This the type of song to blast riding down the street in a coupe de ville. Can you imagine the hydraulics bouncing in time to the rhythm
Slone:
Stare at it long enough and it’ll be on the beat eventually
[Talking about ALL UP IN YOUR MIND]
Wright: This song is so FKA Twigs
Ritter: It is mesmerizing, the car and this song.
[Talking about AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM]
Wright: What’s the sample on this song?
Slone: "Cocaine" by Kilo Ali
Ritter: This is the first listen I’ve really paid a lot of attention to the samples
Slone: I’m reading the credits as we go, I didn’t just know that lol
Ritter: I was impressed lol
On the concluding two tracks...
Ritter: We’re nearing the end of the album so I’ll ask: this is advertised as “act 1”, what are everyone’s predictions or thoughts of what the following acts will be?
Slone: I don’t anticipate the following acts will sound like this one, because as great as this is, doing it 3 times would be redundant. I would expect each will have its own distinctive sound
Ritter: So you think the acts are for sure music?
Slone: I do, although, I guess she could be using "Renaissance" in the sense of “Renaissance man” and could be saying “I can stomp on whatever the fuck I want”. I’ve put no thought into this until right now
Wright: I would like music. But I wonder if the next will be a visual of some sort. And then idk what a third would be?
Slone: If she wants to do a full on disco album, I will not be mad at it, and I almost feel like that would be the logical act 2
Wright: I'd LOVE that
Ritter: This Donna Summer sample is gorgeous. Act 2 should be nothing but Donna Summer samples. I'm here for it
Slone: Just cover MacArthur Park, Beyoncé. Give the people what they want.
Aaron's interlude...
Botts: Here’s a funny and absurdity: I’ve been taking photos of my teeth for an audition while listening to this album. Just thought you all should know
Ritter: What the fuck bro
Slone: Aaron teeth pics dropping when
Botts: Just wanted you all to know. That I metaphorically spread my buttcheeks as Mike Hauncho:
Slone: Aaron will post teeth pics for every comment on this article
Botts: Bet.
I’m not getting this audition. My teeth look like shit
Our final thoughts...
Ritter: Final thoughts on the album? Will Aaron get his audition?
Wright: I’ve been listening through the lens of unrelenting black joy as a daily practice. It’s such a prescient album especially with her lyrics that are so fiercely protective of peace, soul work, and joy. Two of my fave lines:
“I'm gon' let go of this body, I'm gonna love on me // Nobody can judge me but me, I was born free”
“You know you got church in the morning (the morning) // But you're doin' God's work, you're goin' in”
And from "HEATED":
“Fine, fine, fi-fine, fi-fine, fine, fine // Liberated, living like we ain't got time”
I wonder what it means to consider it as an expulsion of grief. Okay academic brain turned off now
Botts: I like how it’s one of the few bright spots in a world of darkness. Like people can make nukes but they can’t drop bombs like Beyoncé
Ritter: I said this in an article last week kind of, but my biggest takeaway is that huge artists are finally free in 2022 to take risks and have them pay off (not you Drake). And in turn, inspiring younger artists to do the same. I think it’s a really exciting time for music, and that’s part of why I’m drawn to this album so much lately. We could’ve easily gotten DAMN. 2 or Lemonade 2 but instead they both respectively stepped out of radio comfort zones and forced new conversation around music and Black music and Black music culture in particular. I want more of it.
Slone: They kind of went in opposite directions too: Beyoncé’s last album was extremely personal and this one is more global, Kendrick’s last album was more global and the new one is extremely personal.
Wright: What if she gave us a survey/history of Black music across three albums?
Slone: That was kind of the thought that I had, I would love to hear her try a whole album of, like, old school Motown type stuff.
Editor's note: while typing up this transcript, the following leak appeared on Beyoncé's website:
Unconfirmed if this date or title is true, but you can bet your butt you'll hear from us first.
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I love this format so much. Keep doing these! Show me those chompers Aaron 🦷
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