You can find it in a second on twitter. so far reactions are very bad.

I'm shocked it leaked over two weeks early.

[Edited 6/7/11 11:17am]

Only a few songs in, but I think the album is a great listen. I don't see any radio friendly songs, but I think I actually really like it.

Based on the few selections I've heard over the last 2 weeks, the no-singing heffa oughta be giving the disc away.

I haven't listened yet, I will later.

This shit is gonna flop harder than Xtina's Bionic.

Layzie said:

I haven't listened yet, I will later.

This shit is gonna flop harder than Xtina's Bionic.

It's being called Beyonic by many on twitter

It's nothing like I expected it to be, its very mid tempo, odd for a summer release.

[Edited 6/7/11 11:35am]

here are some people who heard it responses

2. I'm gonna buy it

"I was here" is beautiful

3.

LOVING "Love on Top" though she oversang a bit.

ETA: She oversang throughout the album. Very Christina Aguilera-esque.

ETA2: The album is different. I appreciate it. No auto-tune. Not sure whether I like it yet. I will say RTW is probably the worst song on the album.

4. You are going to love Countdown. IT has the Boyz II Men sample in it. Its an uptempo song. Lets just say for her being a POP star...its not a POP album. What the rest of her "peers" are doing she did the opposite of what was expected. From what I gather and heard, every song she could release could be a yah or nah with radio. The overall album has a R&B'ish funky -soul vibe to it. Its hardly any dance tracks. Unless you count Countdown, Party, & RTW. I Was Here, Rather Die Young, Love On Top are my FAVORITES! Overall, if you LOVED Dangerously In Love and the I Am side, you will adore 4. In my opinion this is exactly where she needs to be for her age. If you want "radio" hits go to the other kids. But if you want something to vibe too, get your grown up on with a "pop" star, I recommend you get it. Ya'll know I am honest and straight up with my Bey music, but it is a very solid album

5. I think this is Beyonce's best album

I'm loving everything that I've heard so far

6. OMG I LOVE THIS BISH! She stays doing what is least expected of her. Looove the sound of this album. From the old school vibe to the funky african vibe...I love it!

7.

Wow Beyonce Truly experimented with different styles and Genres.
Its different.
Lemme go finish Listening.

8.

Countdown is atrocious, weakest track for sure.

I really like Love On Top and Start Over.

I haven't heard it yet but I'm excited that it's not radio friendly! Everything on the radio is sing songy with kindergarten melodies. Can we get something different please? Radio sucks. I love RTWG because it's not catchy at all. :love

I don't know what it is, but I just do not like her voice anymore! I used to love it! Strange...almost as if her quality has changed .

I LOVE it! It's my fave album from her now. "Run The World (Girls) and "Best Thing I Never Had" are easily the worst songs on the album. Why she chose those as singles I will never know! LOL

I just finished listening to the album and while I'm not in awe, I'm content. '4' is a soul album; reminiscent to the easier-listening early 90s. No auto-tuner...no noisy, sterile synths...no industrial beats...no socio-political pandering with hedonistic "anthems." She put the focus on mood and voice.

I give it a B-.

The only song I truly hated was "Countdown," which started off with seeming promise...but quickly devolved into silliness. It and "Run the World (Girls)" are the weakest songs on the album. Ironically those are the two that seemed like she *might* have been trying to be 'colorful' enough to stand out in this flaky pop scene we're in.

I'm glad Beyonce didn't jump on the euro/electro-pop/dance trend. It would have been very easy for her to try and forget her roots, sell out and record her own rip-off of Madonna's “Express Yourself” or some interchangeable robotic Only Girl In the World/Teenage Dream/Hold It Against Me/We R Who We R crap for skinny jeans wearing emo-hipsters who like that cheesy thump-thump crap, but that would have come back to bite her because she would have lost her core audience.

This electropop dance shit phase – I predict – is going to crash and burn very soon, and when it happens Gaga, Katy, Britney, Rihanna, Taio Cruz, and everyone else who represents this fad genre are going to become commercial pariah’s. Beyonce, meanwhile, won’t because she never really hopped on that bandwagon. So while she might initially struggle this summer and fall for not being bandwagon-y enough, in the end when people look back and cringe at the scene that allowed cartoons like Ke$ha to have radio hits, she won't be part of that backlash.

She kept it real (in the same zone as Dangerously In Love), by and large, and didn't pretend to be what she's not; for that she gets props from me.

NaQu said:

I just finished listening to the album and while I'm not in awe, I'm content. '4' is a soul album; reminiscent to the easier-listening early 90s. No auto-tuner...no noisy, sterile synths...no industrial beats...no socio-political pandering with hedonistic "anthems." She put the focus on mood and voice.

I give it a B-.

The only song I truly hated was "Countdown," which started off with seeming promise...but quickly devolved into silliness. It and "Run the World (Girls)" are the weakest songs on the album. Ironically those are the two that seemed like she *might* have been trying to be 'colorful' enough to stand out in this flaky pop scene we're in.

I'm glad Beyonce didn't jump on the euro/electro-pop/dance trend. It would have been very easy for her to try and forget her roots, sell out and record her own rip-off of Madonna's “Express Yourself” or some interchangeable robotic Only Girl In the World/Teenage Dream/Hold It Against Me/We R Who We R crap for skinny jeans wearing emo-hipsters who like that cheesy thump-thump crap, but that would have come back to bite her because she would have lost her core audience.

This electropop dance shit phase – I predict – is going to crash and burn very soon, and when it happens Gaga, Katy, Britney, Rihanna, Taio Cruz, and everyone else who represents this fad genre are going to become commercial pariah’s. Beyonce, meanwhile, won’t because she never really hopped on that bandwagon. So while she might initially struggle this summer and fall for not being bandwagon-y enough, in the end when people look back and cringe at the scene that allowed cartoons like Ke$ha to have radio hits, she won't be part of that backlash.

She kept it real (in the same zone as Dangerously In Love), by and large, and didn't pretend to be what she's not; for that she gets props from me.

Damn - very well written and spot on review and predictions right here.

Very, very surprising.

ratchetchan said:

Very, very surprising.

Very, very wondering what is suprising? The response to 4, the leaking of 4, ... What is it that is so suprising?

it has 4 decent songs

Party

End of time

Count down (its annoying, something about it seems like a local radio mash up remix, it has so much going on)

Rather Die young

the album is all over the place, its like she is trying to do old school, 90s and 80s, and next minute modern day.

Again the over singing. She thinks singing loud means you have the same power as whitney houston in her prime.

I can't stand her voice anymore.

Over all I give this album a C- its not as bad as I expected, maybe beyonce released her worst songs, so when we heard the album, it wouldn't sound as bad as we were expecting.

This album really only has two hit songs, End of Time and Party.

I was here truly describe what all entertainers want is to be remember for their work after they passed on

[Edited 6/7/11 15:14pm]

NaQu said:

I just finished listening to the album and while I'm not in awe, I'm content. '4' is a soul album; reminiscent to the easier-listening early 90s. No auto-tuner...no noisy, sterile synths...no industrial beats...no socio-political pandering with hedonistic "anthems." She put the focus on mood and voice.

I give it a B-.

The only song I truly hated was "Countdown," which started off with seeming promise...but quickly devolved into silliness. It and "Run the World (Girls)" are the weakest songs on the album. Ironically those are the two that seemed like she *might* have been trying to be 'colorful' enough to stand out in this flaky pop scene we're in.

I'm glad Beyonce didn't jump on the euro/electro-pop/dance trend. It would have been very easy for her to try and forget her roots, sell out and record her own rip-off of Madonna's “Express Yourself” or some interchangeable robotic Only Girl In the World/Teenage Dream/Hold It Against Me/We R Who We R crap for skinny jeans wearing emo-hipsters who like that cheesy thump-thump crap, but that would have come back to bite her because she would have lost her core audience.

This electropop dance shit phase – I predict – is going to crash and burn very soon, and when it happens Gaga, Katy, Britney, Rihanna, Taio Cruz, and everyone else who represents this fad genre are going to become commercial pariah’s. Beyonce, meanwhile, won’t because she never really hopped on that bandwagon. So while she might initially struggle this summer and fall for not being bandwagon-y enough, in the end when people look back and cringe at the scene that allowed cartoons like Ke$ha to have radio hits, she won't be part of that backlash.

She kept it real (in the same zone as Dangerously In Love), by and large, and didn't pretend to be what she's not; for that she gets props from me.

I love that song....LOL. Nah, this is a good review. Very good review. Party is unbelievable. Bey's Harmonic Arrangements are everything. I can hear them all day. I give the album a A or A-, depending on how I feel about RTW. Strong album.....

TotalAlisa said:

it has 4 decent songs

Party

End of time

Count down (its annoying, something about it seems like a local radio mash up remix, it has so much going on)

Rather Die young

the album is all over the place, its like she is trying to do old school, 90s and 80s, and next minute modern day.

Again the over singing. She thinks singing loud means you have the same power as whitney houston in her prime.

I can't stand her voice anymore.

Over all I give this album a C- its not as bad as I expected, maybe beyonce released her worst songs, so when we heard the album, it wouldn't sound as bad as we were expecting.

This album really only has two hit songs, End of Time and Party.

That is her two best songs....

Curtwill1975 said:

TotalAlisa said:

it has 4 decent songs

Party

End of time

Count down (its annoying, something about it seems like a local radio mash up remix, it has so much going on)

Rather Die young

the album is all over the place, its like she is trying to do old school, 90s and 80s, and next minute modern day.

Again the over singing. She thinks singing loud means you have the same power as whitney houston in her prime.

I can't stand her voice anymore.

Over all I give this album a C- its not as bad as I expected, maybe beyonce released her worst songs, so when we heard the album, it wouldn't sound as bad as we were expecting.

This album really only has two hit songs, End of Time and Party.

That is her two best songs....

I'd say that the two hit songs are -

I Care (my favorite so far)

Party

2020 said:

Curtwill1975 said:

That is her two best songs....

I'd say that the two hit songs are -

I Care (my favorite so far)

Party

checking it out now, not surprised that it leaked, u get more press by leaking your record than actually releasing it, street dates are a thing of the past at this point, no one cares about them. Not surprised that the album is unfocused in the reviews from people, she is very much like Prince recording, but at least he grew into other genres, Beyonce has been singing the "bills bills bills" theme and vocal style for almost 15 years now.

not impressed

'I care' is pretty good (even though i don't)

'Party' grows on you after a couple listens (thanks Andre)

Absolutely no threat to Gaga

allsmutaside said:

ratchetchan said:

Very, very surprising.

Very, very wondering what is suprising? The response to 4, the leaking of 4, ... What is it that is so suprising?

The actual album.

lastdecember said:

at least he grew into other genres, Beyonce has been singing the "bills bills bills" theme and vocal style for almost 15 years now.

And you SURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE hear that on this album! YEAH! MM-HMM!

I've had Rather Die Young on repeat all night. I can't wait to see her oerform it.

I Miss You is probably the best thing I've heard from her. love the laid back, moody vibe of the track. very nice.

that, Love on Top & Party are my highlights for the album. I think those tracks alone put this album above all of her previous works.

HAPPYPERSON said:

I will say RTW is probably the worst song on the album.

I couldn't even begin to understand the horror of that song the first few times I heard it.

however, after the Billboard awards & the Oprah performances... if anyone knows how to get to me it's her.

RKJCNE said:

You can find it in a second on twitter. so far reactions are very bad.

I'm shocked it leaked over two weeks early.

[Edited 6/7/11 11:17am]

When the artist's mgmt team arranges for the CD to appear on the internet it is not a leak!

This is just more drummed up publicity for a publicity addicted artist!

HonestMan13 said:

RKJCNE said:

You can find it in a second on twitter. so far reactions are very bad.

I'm shocked it leaked over two weeks early.

[Edited 6/7/11 11:17am]

When the artist's mgmt team arranges for the CD to appear on the internet it is not a leak!

This is just more drummed up publicity for a publicity addicted artist!

I'm highly skeptical that they leaked it, an early leak really hurt Britney's sales.

RKJCNE said:

HonestMan13 said:

When the artist's mgmt team arranges for the CD to appear on the internet it is not a leak!

This is just more drummed up publicity for a publicity addicted artist!

I'm highly skeptical that they leaked it, an early leak really hurt Britney's sales.

I agree. An artist's team may leak a single to see the reaction from music listeners, but I can't see them leaking an entire album.

I listened to it, and in my opinion, it's pretty good. She really took a chance with this album since the rest of the world is still into electro pop. I still think it's gonna flop because of that, but I give her credit for not following the trends this time around. Party, RDY, I care, and miss you are my jams. Love on top is good until the end. Her voice gets very annoying at that point.

I'm really digging "Love on Top" and no I haven't heard the album yet. Probably my favorite song by Bey yet, next to "Me, Myself, and I". She brought it on that cut.

[Edited 6/8/11 12:36pm]