The debut album from Critics’ Choice winner Emeli Sande more than meets expectation

Since her appearance on Later With Jools Holland in September 2011, Emeli Sandé has been one to watch on the British music scene. After being named as the recipient of the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2012 BRIT Awards- a title won previously by such acts as Adele and Florence + the Machine- expectations were high for her first studio release “Our Version of Events,” which was released this past Monday.

Sandé’s album mixes everything from dance to hip-hop, with a single thread of continuity provided by her mesmerizing vocals. Opening with her hit debut single “Heaven,” and closing with “Read All About It (Pt. III)- a continuation of her chart-topping collaboration with Professor Green- “Our Version of Events” sees Sandé tackling well-worn themes of heartbreak, regret and new beginnings in ways which feel authentic, and refreshingly uncontrived.

Lending itself to this authenticity is the fact that Sandé either wrote or co-wrote every single track on the album, demonstrating that she was not intimidated by the contributions of established artists such as Alicia Keys, with whom Sandé worked on the album’s penultimate track, “Hope.”

Admittedly, Sandé’s debut will suffer in some circles, in light of its repeated exploration of lost love and mending hearts. Following what has come to be dubbed as the Year of Adele, Sandé’s repeated exploration of emotions stemming from lost love might cause one or two spectators to yawn.

However, after listening to the record in its entirety, there is no denying that she has produced something of significant merit. This is achieved by the way in which Sandé embeds many of her personal experiences into her lyrics. In “Maybe,” for example, she sings about the final days of a previous relationship:

When we first moved in together/Couldn’t keep hands off each other
Now we’re lying back to back/And silence in the black
We use to laugh until we cried/You would look at me and smile
Now we hardly say hello/And feelings never show

But it is in “Clown” that this album hits its peak. A stripped-back number, “Clown” lets Sandé’s voice shine as she lays bare the disrespect she has endured at the hands of an unnamed individual. Whether the average listener was exposed to Sandé through the feel-good- albeit formulaic- dance hit “Heaven,” or through her supporting role on Professor Green’s aforementioned track, “Clown” dispels any doubt over whether she can captivate her audience. On this track, she captivates- and then some.

It was a genius move by Sandé to close the album with her melodic, sweeping variation of “Read All About It.” Perhaps following in the footsteps of collaborator Alicia Keys, who released her own broken-down version of Jay-Z’s hit song Empire State of Mind, Sandé takes full possession and breathes new life into Green’s over-played track, leaving the listener reeling from her confident, no-holds-barred lyrical message.

With all the promise that this debut offering has to offer, it will be an exciting year for Sandé, beginning with her much-anticipated appearance at next Tuesday’s BRIT Awards, during which she will both perform and take to the stage to accept her Critics’ Choice Award. With an additional nomination in the category of British Breakthrough Artist, it would appear that “Our Version of Events” is a delicious and thoroughly enchanting taste of what is to come from this young performer.

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According to Beyoncé’s debut single Girls Run The World from her latest album 4: “My persuasion can build a nation. Endless power our love we can devour. You’ll do anything for me” – the album hit stores June 28.

This anthem was the lead single from Beyoncé’s latest solo album 4. The song samples “Pon De Floor” by Major Lazer and has been met with mixed feelings. The radio doesn’t seem to be picking it up as a summer hit. Some feel this song is controversial because it sends messages of false hope; this song has a nice beat and interesting dance pieces in the music video.

“It’s definitely riskier than something a bit more…simple,” Beyoncé told Billboard.com of the single. “I just heard the track and loved that it was so different: it felt a bit African, a bit electronic and futuristic. It reminded me of what I love, which is mixing different cultures and eras — things that typically don’t go together — to create a new sound.”

Despite ridicule, 4 is doing well, it debuted at #1 last week on the Billboard albums chart, and most likely will remain there a 2nd week.

“You’ve got to remember that Beyoncé, being typical Beyoncé, her albums generally are anchored by really big hits; this album doesn’t have those hits yet,” Us Weekly senior music editor Ian Drew told MTV News. “It’s not to say that it won’t. There are some very strong songs on the album, but they have not been released yet. There are those songs on it, but they have not come out yet and they haven’t struck yet. Beyoncé is coming out at a time when radio is very crowded.”

4 is definitely different from Beyoncé’s first solo albums. This album focuses more on her vocals and shows she is growing and experiencing life, like any newly married 29-year-old woman. You can hear this in the lyrics of some songs, “When I think of the time I almost loved you/ You showed your ass and I saw the real you,” Best Thing I Never Had the second single off the album 4.

4 is an inspired title, Beyoncé gave her fans the credit with coming up with it. In addition to it being her favorite number. “It’s the day I was born. My mother’s birthday, and a lot of my friends’ birthdays are on the fourth . . . April 4th (or 4/4) is my wedding date,” Beyoncé explained.
More than 60 songs were recorded for this album.

This past year Beyoncé ditched her father as her manger and is currently managing herself. “I’ve only parted ways with my father on a business level. He is my father for life and I love my dad dearly. I am grateful for everything he has taught me.” Beyoncé said in a statement.

Her father, Matthew Knowles oversaw all aspects of Beyoncé career, from music to movies to fashion and more, he was there from the beginning, Destiny’s Child to her solo career, Beyoncé’s publicist stated.

“At this point, I really know who I am, and don’t feel like I have to put myself in a box. I’m not afraid of taking risks – no one can define me,” Beyoncé said.

4 is a deep, soulful album, some of the tracks are very romantic, dealing with being in love, to getting your heartbroken.

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