Beyonce - I Am... Sasha Fierce

A concept album, Beyonce shows us her split personality and alter-ego on the 2-disc 'I Am...Sasha Fierce'. At first glance it sounds an interesting idea and a rather daring approach for a pop superstar to be testing, as the singer's latest album is divided into two halves. The first CD ('I Am') focusing on ballads and the second ('Sasha Fierce') showcasing her edgier (and more fun) side - a theme shown by the two contrasting lead singles, 'Single Ladies' and 'If I Were A Boy'.

Gimmicks aside, the sharp divide unfortunately has negative effects and it's a fact that is obvious just three tracks into 'I Am'. Half an hour of slow easy-listening is hard for even the biggest of weepy song lovers to take on, and boredom sets in before you know it.

Tracks like the gospel-coated 'Disappear' are bland in comparison to songs that have made Knowles the star she is today, while 'Broken-Hearted Girl' and 'Satellites' could have been produced on a low budget, so weak and dreary is the backing music. The beats are flat (whenever they bother to use them), the pianos are blatantly created with cheap-sounding music software and there is no memorable chorus or melody, so little to get excited about.

Diversity is what sets 'Sasha Fierce' apart from the first disc and why this half of the album is a fairly entertaining listening experience. Beyonce does her best to please fans of every popular current genre - from the dirty south hip-hop inspired beats of 'Diva', to the electropop and dance synths of 'Radio' (surely a song Rihanna would kill to record) and the electronic-funk of 'Sweet Dreams', the former Destiny's Child star is pulling out every trick in the book - and it works brilliantly.

What 'I Am... Sasha Fierce' is really lacking is a huge hit like 'Crazy In Love' or 'Baby Boy'. We all know Beyonce has the voice and the status to pull off a great record, but here she just doesn't have good enough tunes to set 'I Am... Sasha Fiece' in stone as a classic. It sounds messy in parts, hastily put together and it was a big mistake putting the ballads first - when the high-energy second disc is abruptly over (it's only 6 songs), you're left wanting much, much more.

Overall it's a big disappointment; the first disc could be slung into the trash and there is not enough of the uptempo songs to make this an album you'll want to keep on the iPod.