It’s been three years since Beyonce released a solo album but thanks to Destiny’s Child, movies, a clothing line and cosmetic endorsements Beyonce Knowles hasn’t been out of the spotlight for one minute. B'Day opens up with the high energy big band song “Déjà vu.” It’s clear with this first song that Beyonce is taking her fans on a different ride—which is a good thing. In many ways, she is a modern musical chameleon changing her style up rather than offering her fans the same thing.

Beyonce talks about real things that women think about on B’Day. “Suga Mama” has a real funky 70’s soul sound to it and the live instruments really bring life into the song. The first line of the song is, “Damn that was so good I want to buy him a short set,” between the title and the first line the theme of this song speaks for itself. In “Upgrade You,” Beyonce sings about how sometimes a woman can expose a man to new things and have a positive influence on him. In “Ring The Alarm,” Beyonce addresses the other woman and sings about all of the benefits the other woman would reap if the main chick steps aside. This is one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. This reviewer can appreciate Beyonce’s aggressive side.

“B’Day” is primarily filled with up-tempo songs. “Irreplaceable” and “Resentment” are the slower tempo songs on the album. “Irreplaceable” which is more like a pop ballad something you might expect from Jessica Simpson more than Beyonce. “Resentment” tries to be an old school Aretha Franklin type of ballad.

Some of the songs clearly could have been left as bonus tracks, such as “Green Light.” Not saying it’s a bad song, it just doesn’t do much to enhance the album even though the music is great.

The only guest artist on the album is rapper Jay-Z who is featured on “Déjà vu,” and “Upgrade You.”

I can listen to this album. I enjoy it much more than I enjoyed Dangerously In Love. It’s clear Beyonce was inspired by Prince and many other modern contemporaries. The live instrument and big band sounds set’s B’Day apart from everything else out there.

4 SEPTEMBER 2006

Some celebs like to take the day off on their birthday, but not Beyonce Knowles. The hard-working superstar, who turns 25 on Monday, has jetted in to Japan to launch her second solo album. The gorgeous singer looked radiant as she attended a press conference in Tokyo on Sunday to promote her new album B'Day. And as usual she set flashbulbs popping as she walked past crowds of fans and reporters in a simple but stunning cream dress accessorised with a gold handbag and fresh, caramel-hued highlights in her hair.

She has plenty of reason to celebrate this year after topping the charts once again with her single Deja Vu, which features boyfriend of four years Jay-Z. She has also finished filming her first starring role in the musical Dreamgirls and recently scooped the best R&B video title at the MTV awards for her hit Check On It.

And the Grammy-winning birthday girl may have more excitement in store in the next few months. She is reportedly set to marry her multi-millionaire rapper beau in November on a Caribbean island.

Where are Eminem and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog when you need them?
Despite Shakira's ever-gyrating hips, Justin Timberlake's 'SexyBack' and the obscured image of a naked midget, Thursday's MTV Video Music Awards had about as much spontaneity as an episode of 'Cribs.'
'You didn't bring the thunder. You didn't bring anything,' host Jack Black, looking at himself in his dressing room mirror, said during one skit, unintentionally summing up the evening.
Pink's parody of bubble-headed pop tarts, 'Stupid Girls,' won for best pop video; Beyonce took home a trophy for her booty-shaking 'Check On It'; British crooner James Blunt won best male video for his 'Beautiful'; and Fall Out Boy won the viewer's choice award for their clip 'Dance, Dance.'
But nobody but a video choreographer's mother watches this show for the awards. Fans watch for the eye-popping moments: FCC-flaunting skits, nearly naked starlets, foul-mouthed rockers and rappers and those embarassingly bad dance numbers.
They do NOT watch for lectures from former Vice President Al Gore on global warming. When does the phrase 'here's a photo of a glacier melting' ever fit into an awards show?
Somewhere along the way, the MTV Awards seemed to have morphed into the Grammys. Christina Aguilera, who previously shocked our senses as the dirty Xtina, looked downright classy as she performed a low-key ballad. And there were no malfunctions whatsoever during Timberlake's perfunctory show kickoff.
'This show has been lame farts for the past 20 years,' Black said before he took the stage Thursday night for his opening sketch. 'And I'm going to light the match!'
Instead, Black continued a trend. He had a promising bit that poked fun at the show's increasingly staid reputation. Painting himself as the man to inject life back into the VMAs, he took to the stage in a moonman outfit _ which caught fire.
But Black's shtick quickly got old. Even Lil' Kim, who once appeared at the VMAs wearing a pasty on one breast, failed to get the party started. Recently released from prison after serving time for perjury, she stripped off an orange jail suit to reveal ... something that resembled a funky business suit. Hillary Clinton has worn more revealing outfits.
Though the MTV Awards have never lacked star power _ last year, Diddy acted as host and stars ranging from Eva Longoria to Jessica Simpson and then-hubby Nick Lachey squeezed themselves into the spotlight _ that trademark water-cooler MTV moment hasn't materialized recently (like Eminem punching out a puppet).
This year, the disturbing trend of normalcy continued. Shakira and Wyclef Jean performed a colorful but rote performance of her smash 'Hips Don't Lie'; Ludacris and Pharrell posed their way through 'Showstopper.' Not even Britney Spears Kevin Federline could strike a spark.
There was just one profanity-laced acceptance speech, courtesy of the rock group AFI, whose frontman accepted the award for best group video by saying: 'We just won a moonman _ I am getting so trashed tonight!'
The night's hottest new couple, new buddies 50 Cent and LL Cool J, introduced one of the awards. But 50, perhaps with no more foes to beef with, was almost Zen-like onstage and offering no fun disses to excite the crowd.
The lack of outrageousness almost made you long back to the days when Michael Jackson was making out with Lisa Marie Presley _ that was creepy, but at least it kept us talking.
Beyonce got some points for at least trying to do something that resembled a show-stopper. Singing her call-to-arms, the anti-cheating single 'Ring the Alarm,' she appeared on stage wearing a sexy trench coat and a searing gaze.
But while her voice was in perfect form, the performance was disjointed, and the out-of-place dance number in the middle seemed to rip off the choreography from Janet Jackson's 'Rhythm Nation' almost 20 years earlier.
Still, she managed to keep things interesting _ which could hardly be said for the rest of the evening. At one