base talk 1 Decade Ago: Beyoncé surprise drops her self-titled album. Thoughts on it today?

[Gorjesspazze9]

She did what a Main Pop Girl is supposed to do. Singlehandedly Transform the game. Nobody can deny that. Making suprise drops mainstream is probably the most iconic thing in pop culture music post 2013

[RIKI232]

A CULTURAL RESET 

[Bears01]

A complete and utter pop culture collapse. She WAS the moment and had the music industry absolutely shook. The album is still phenomenal to this day 

[LVP]

I remember exactly the day it was released. I was on Erasmus in Czechia. I woke up and saw the notification from Facebook and it felt surreal. iTunes what not so popular in Central Europe back then so this was my first album I bought there immediately cause I was like “I’m not gonna waste time to search a working download link”. I was listening to it and watching it all day with my at-that-time-boyfriend (a doctor) and I was so proud that I stan someone who run the game. 
 

recently I’ve been listening to it more not even realising that the tenth anniversary is coming. And in my opinion this album has not aged and No Angel is still my jam. Jealous is number 2. 
 

So much had happened in my life since that moment (fun fact now I’m also dating a doctor) but it doesn’t feel like a decade for me.

[SoJro101]

I was preparing to submit a paper at midnight - Saw an initial link just after midnight, but ignored it cause ain't no way. In retrospect, it has to be one of my favorite pop-culture moments ever. I'm obviously biased as a fan, but what a statement that was. Especially after following her for so many years, and everything that she'd experienced with 4 (leaking a month before, the "underperformance", the sound being "outside the mainstream", being compared to the new pop girls that were emerging with a more commercially viable sound). For her to come back with ST was truly a sight to see - you really had to be there. It genuinely can't be understated how much of a moment this was. Everyone wins when artist like Beyonce takes these risk, it legit changes the formula for everyone. I hope other MPG's take note and take their own risk once they reach that level in their careers. 

[Lovett]

3 hours ago, Love4Janet said:

Considering most of the conversation surrounding the album is about the way it was released and not its content even ten years later... 

 

A bad album then and now. Lemonade too, while we're at it

The way you just consistently have the worst takes.  She really gets you pressed.

[TeemoR]

Not a great album and didn't age well. Did have a lot of conversation back then with the surprise drop, but not sure how it shifted the industry since nobody followed that formula since (surprise release with music videos for all songs). 

[Triton]

Mine, Partition, Jealous are the holy trinity. 

[Kimi]

Honestly great album but tbh the visual part of it didn't age well. I rewatched everything today and didn't realise how low budget and uninteresting some of them are, being packaged together created aura of epicness but separately Pretty Hurts, Ghost, Haunted, Blow, Partition, Jelaous, Rocket and Mine are more or less good but the rest? Crickets.

[ImsoLOUD]

game changing and her best album yet 

[Diet Pepsi]

could’ve been a skipless album if that awful Flawless remix got scrapped

[hallucinate]

truly an amazing album

[Shelter]

52 minutes ago, TeemoR said:

Not a great album and didn't age well. Did have a lot of conversation back then with the surprise drop, but not sure how it shifted the industry since nobody followed that formula since (surprise release with music videos for all songs). 

Better than that album that came a month before  

[State of Grace.]

It certainly was a moment in herstory but 4, Lem, and Renaissance obliterate it for me tbh. I rarely ever feel the urge to listen to ST outside of a few faves.

 

Also the way she went from a video for every song to no videos at all nn

Edited December 14, 2023 by State of Grace.

[Pink Matter]

Still holds up for me  . I think I put this behind Renny and 4 but above Lem.

[Alex]

Everything shifted

[Chris]

Her best studio album ever.

[period sis]

Seeing the OldTRL haters were Monsters and Brit-army... and how nothing has changed 10 years later! 

I see it still stings how their releases that respective year were overshadowed 

[Stepfon]

A reset of the culture & music industry, should have won AOTY. 

[Chris]

23 hours ago, Devin said:

haunted, blow, mine, partition, jealous, flawless remix >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Add No Angel, remove the Flawless remix, and those are my top six, cousin.

 

 

Having a top five is not enough for me.

[Chris]

4 hours ago, Lovett said:

The way you just consistently have the worst takes.  She really gets you pressed.

Well what do you expect with that username?

 

[Sergi91]

I will never forget the months/weeks leading to the album release. 
 

Someone posted a photo from inside a F.Y.E. store that they found a product placement of a future Beyonce album so most music insiders online  knew an album was coming but no one knew when. 
 

She was on tour with the Mrs Carter Tour and was spotted filming something but there was no audio for people to hear if it was for music videos. 
 

Then bang! That Thursday night I went to iTunes and noticed Beyonce banners Everywhere!!!!! I freaked out  and quickly called my best friend to let him know ITunes accidentally leaked her new album on a Thursday night/Friday early morning  

[Blackout2006]

Her best album

[Kristie Kuwa]

Tracks that aged the best imho:

Yonce/Partition

Mine

Rocket -> if you are into RnB

No Angel -> Alt RnB excellence

Drunk In Love to an extent

[BraveNewSeth]

This was in my Queen Bey trinity until Renaissance dropped but it’s still such a good album.