Ask Beyonce
what she wants people to
hear when they listen to
Dangerously In Love, her
debut solo album, and the
multi-platinum-selling pop/urban
recording artist answers,
"My range. I want them
to hear all of the musical
influences from hip-hop
to rock to jazz, there's
even a Shuggie Otis sample.
I want them to really hearthe
talent. I know that folks
love me as a pop star. Now
I want them to understand
me as an artist."
That they will. Musically
challenging and lyrically
honest, Dangerously In Love
is more than just a solo
CD from a superstar. It
is everything you'd expect
from Beyonce and more than
you could have hoped for.
Another side of someone
we've loved for years, Dangerously
In Love is equally divided
between seductive mid-tempos,
lush ballads and fiery club
bangers, providing a sharp
focus on who Beyonce is
right now: as a performer,
as a woman, and as a creative
force to be reckoned with.
The vibe is more mature,
more playful, more deeply
passionate and sexually
aggressive. Dangerously
In Love is the sound of
a grown woman clearly staking
her claim in the world and,
in the process, redefining
expectations of who she
is.
A 21-year-old Houston native,
Beyonce Knowles is a founding
member and chief songwriter
of Destiny's Child, one
of the biggest selling female
acts of all time. With many
of the group's hit songs
co-written and co-produced
by Beyonce, Destiny's Child
has sold more than 33 million
records worldwide. When
Beyonce won the 2001 ASCAP
Pop Songwriter Of The Year
Award, she became the first
African-American woman --
and the second woman ever
-- to receive that honor.
Led by founding members
Beyonce Knowles and Kelly
Rowland, Destiny's Child
burst on the scene in 1997
with their multi-platinum
single, "No, No, No,"
from their self-titled album.
That success was dwarfed
when Destiny's Child's The
Writing's On The Wall was
released in 1999. The album
would go on to sell more
than 10 million copies worldwide,
driven in part by three
Top 10 hits: "Jumpin,
Jumpin," "Say
My Name" and "Bills,
Bills, Bills," which
spent 9 weeks at #1 on the
Billboard RandB singles
chart.
A year after Michelle Williams
joined Destiny's Child in
2000, the group recorded
Survivor, which debuted
at #1 on the Billboard 200
album chart. Survivor was
certified double platinum
four weeks after its release
and has gone on to sell
more than nine million copies
worldwide. In 2001 Destiny's
Child took home two Grammy
awards: Best RandB song
("Say My Name")
and Best RandB performance
by a Duo or Group ("Say
My Name"). Destiny's
Child has won numerous other
awards, among them Billboard
Artist of the year, NAACP
Image Awards, American Music
Awards, Nickelodeon Kid's
Choice and The Sammy Davis
Jr. Award for Entertainer
of the Year at the Soul
Train Awards. The group
has toured worldwide and
performed at many high profile
events including The Michael
Jackson 30th Anniversary
Concert Special and the
Concert For New York City.
Given the fact that the
general public is so familiar
with chart-topping songs
such as "Say My Name,"
"Independent Woman,
Part I" and "Survivor,"
it's fair to enquire how
Dangerously In Love differs
from a Destiny's Child project.
"Naturally the songs
on my album are going to
share some similarities,"
Beyonce admits. "But
this time because I only
had to write for myself,
my songs are much more personal.
I also wanted beats that
were harder and to be able
to collaborate with other
people. Basically this record
was a chance for me to grow
as a writer and a singer.
There are more ballads.
The vocals aren't as precisely
produced and because it's
just me, there aren't as
many harmonies. The experience
was very liberating and
therapeutic. I felt free,
because I could go into
the studio and talk about
whatever I wanted, but in
many ways it was actually
harder to be on my own creatively.
I depend so much on Destiny's
Child (Kelly Rowland and
Michelle Williams) to tell
me if they like something
or not. I'm so critical
of myself that it's scary
to have to depend on your
own instincts."
Helping Beyonce trust those
instincts are an impressive
array of musical collaborators,
among them Missy Elliot,
Jay-Z, Sean Paul, Mark Batson,
Mario Winans, D-Roy and
Mr. B, OutKast's Big Boi,
Rich Harrison, Fanatic,
Scott Storch, and the legendary
Luther Vandross on "The
Closer I Get To You."
Beyonce shares co-executive
producer credits on Dangerously
In Love with her father
and manager Mathew Knowles.
She took an active role
in all aspects of the album:
from writing and choosing
material to producing, mastering
and mixing the tracks. Beyonce
pays tribute to her father
on the hidden bonus track,
"Daddy," which
was produced by Beyonce
and Mark Batson.
The sexy first single,
"Crazy In Love,"
featuring Jay-Z, was co-produced
by Beyonce and Rich Harrison.
Jay-Z returns the favor
for Beyonce's part on his
hit "Bonnie and Clyde
03." With a beat that
Beyonce says is "so
hard it makes your heart
hurt!," "Crazy
In Love" is about that
moment when you realize
you're falling into love
and looking crazy but you
simply don't care. The abandon
continues on "Speechless,"
produced by Fanatic. "As
soon as I heard the track
it inspired me," she
admits. "It's very
sexy, very sensual. The
sort of ballad that I've
never done before. This
song is definitely a population
increaser!"
Laced with an Arabic ambience,
fused with a ghetto-fied
edge and encompassing a
sample from Donna Summer's
"Love to Love You Baby,"
"Naughty Girl"
is uptempo and party perfect:
a sexy fantasy about having
that one night where you
lose all your inhibitions,
head to theclub and work
it like a naughty girl.
"Many of the songs
on the album examine aspects
of relationships, and this
is one element."
Also sexy is the dancehall-Arabic
flavored "Baby Boy,"
featuring the red hot Sean
Paul. "I knew Sean
had to be on my album because
I love his approach,"
she says. "'Baby Boy'
is another song about a
fantasy and it's one of
my favorites."
Such unabashed and upfront
emotions might come as a
surprise to long time fans
but make no mistake, Dangerously
In Love isn't a rejection
of DC's sound. "I love
Destiny's Child and I am
a member of the group, "she
asserts. "We haven't
broken up. We're going to
continue to tour and record
and be a group. We've recorded
a song, 'I Know,' for "The
Fighting Temptations"
soundtrack. We all decided
a long time back to explore
solo projects and I'm the
third member of the group
to release my own record.
Things like working apart
keep the fire going and
keep the fans eager for
you. I'm not trying to get
away from DC or the legacy
we have. I just wanted to
show a different approach
and the growth I've experienced.
"
That growth is evident
in Beyonce's burgeoning
acting career. In 2001 she
starred in MTV's "Carmen."
In 2002 she appeared as
Foxy Cleopatra in "Austin
Powers in Goldmember."
This year she will co-star
with Cuba Gooding Jr. in
"The Fighting Temptations."
She has two more features
currently in production
and can also be seen on
the small screen in a series
of Spike Lee-directed commercials
for Pepsi-Cola. She is also
the spokesperson for L'Oreal.