54 minutes ago, Pepo said:

Still an impressive feat either way. 

 

Unlike those albums 4 had no trendy smash hits attached to it whatsoever, yet it managed to score a hymn and her greatest classic ever, ergo Run The World and Love On Top. 

Even Best Snooze I Ever Had has 300M+ streams lol 

 

4 will keep on rising, I’m sure 

Party, Countdown, Run the World, Best Thing I Never Had, Love on Top omg

 

Some of her best bops 

It also was her transition era to critical acclaim for everything that followed in the 2010s

 

 

in my top three with renny and lemons

 

i care, i miss you, party, schoolin life, countdown, love on top, dance for you, oh my ****** god she devoured a classic 

My second favorite album. 

her 4th best album.  

4 really was that magical moment in her career, it showed her growth as a woman, as an artist, as a vocalist.

You can hear elements of everything she has done before, either elevated, done in a more grown way or just innovation in general

 

Songs like 1+1 and I Care which already are magical in studio, but showcase her voice as an instrument in the best way possible.

More pop driven ballads like Start Over, I Was Here and Best Thing I Never Had to remind the GP of the veins of Irreplaceable, Halo among others.

Going back to her R&B roots and inspirations/people/sounds that inspire her with songs like Love On Top, I Miss You, Party, Dance For You, Lay Up Under Me, Schoolin Life and Rather Die Young but in a grown and sophisticated way

And more experimental songs like Run The World, End of Time and Countdown which built on innovation while also magically fitting well in her discography up till that point.

 

The built up of the album always felt like it was meant as the yin to the yang of B'Day. Where B'Day built more on aggressive, uptempo etc. it also highlighted her influences, vocals and the perfect basis for her showmanship for a second solo era, with the main frame of the album being uptempo with songs like Resentment, Irreplaceable and Flaws And All rounding it out and being the focus to show off a different side. Where 4 is more tender, soft and has songs like End of Time and RTW to balance it out. Both albums root in organic sounds that are  crafted to translate in a live environment, both also rooted in different influences, but also weirdly enough very complimentary.

 

A fantastic album that (mostly) aged like the finest of wines. Exquisite production, soulful vocals and a soundscape that was miles ahead of what everyone was doing in 2011.

 

There are couple of generic moments where Sasha Fierce returns (BTINH, Dreaming, I Was Here ), but everything else is God-tier R&B.

End of Time deserves what LOT has and I'm bitter about that. 

The release of this album was such a special moment. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was out joyriding, blasting it all across town that afternoon. It's aging like a fine wine.