Beyoncé
"I Am … Sasha Fierce"
Released: Nov. 18, 2008
Genre: R&B, Pop

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Beyoncé creates two different discs on this album, one that is beautiful musically but lacking lyrically and the other that is extremely different and has some tracks that are hard to listen to.

ALL OF US have an alter ego, some persona that we put up to fool people and make us seem better than we really are.

This persona is always polished, punctual, and nearly always prepared for the next thing down the road.

But on the inside we have our own feelings, which show who we really are. Deeper and more intense, our real self can be profound but is not always shown outright.

Beyoncé Knowles in her new album, "I Am … Sasha Fierce," shows us both parts of her personality.

Right after her marriage to rapper Jay-Z, the ex-Destiny’s Child singer decided that she had to take her career in a new direction to transform as an artist. She then chose to create two different parts of an album.

"I Am … Sasha Fierce" was born.

Ying-yang descriptions of her artistic personality, the two discs are exact mirror opposites.

The first disc, which Beyoncé calls "I Am...," features a collection of R&B and soul pieces in which she sings from her inner personality. The songs show a lot of emotion coming from Beyoncé and are really beautiful.

This disc includes Beyoncé’s hit single, "If I Were A Boy," an emotional account of how she is tormented by the men in her life and how she could be a better boyfriend than they ever could.

The other piece is credited to Beyoncé’s stage personality, "Sasha Fierce," a fiery, sensual, and outspoken celebrity. Opposite of the seriousness and emotional tug in the first disc, "Sasha Fierce" unleashes an explosion of pop and hip-hop songs.

Contrary to Beyoncé’s single for "I Am …," her single for the second disc, "Single Ladies," is a self-empowering song about how all the guys who just let her go are now regretting it.

Comparing the two discs is difficult, but if I had to pick just one to listen to, I think I would have to go with "I Am...," just for the reason that the production is so good. Also it is more difficult to create a group of songs that invoke emotion like "If I Were A Boy" does, than it is to follow a formula to get a hit single.

But luckily for you, Beyoncé is giving you both in one package.

Beyoncé's lyrics on the first disc have a similar theme — how her man really affected her and either left, stopped caring, or broke up with her. Lyrics like “Everywhere I'm looking now/ I'm surrounded by your embrace/ Baby I can see your halo/ You know you're my saving grace” show how serious and motivated she is on this disc.

Her ideas on "I Am …" are a little repetitive, but I think that's because she put more effort into the powerful music than into the themes.

On the second disc, however, she reveals a surprising and not altogether attractive persona. I'm surprised that "Sasha Fierce" was written by the same woman who wrote the affectionate lyrics of "I Am …."

With lines from "Video Phone" like "What?/ You want me naked?/ If you liking this position/ You can tape it on ya video phone," the second disc presents a definite change in tone — indeed, in morals.

Beyoncé sounds on this disc more influenced by the likes of Rihanna and Lil' Kim than by what has made her a great artist so far.

The world fell in love with Beyoncé for her proud, beautiful, and soulful sound and appearance. With these tracks on the second disc, she sounds more like a sexed-up Lil Wayne groupie. She is showing a side of her that I have never seen before.

In these songs, she seems much more influenced by hubby Jay-Z trying to give her that powerful kind of swagger. But no matter how hard anyone tries to remake her, Beyoncé will never convincingly be one of those type of girls. She has way too much pride in herself to change like that.

This album should teach Beyoncé what she really is good at, making amazingly powerful songs that provoke emotion. Stay away from Jay and his friends as much as possible. We fell in love with the old you; we don’t want you to change.

Overall, this album has its ups and downs, but in the end it has some hot tracks on both sides that are definitely worth getting. In the future, Beyoncé should get back to the form she had when she made her debut album, "Dangerously In Love," which was by far her best.

She has amazing talent that barely anyone can match, and it shines through on some of these tracks, but it's not even close to what she can put on the table.