Here's to the Good Times critique

Recently, my interest in country music has been on the rise, and I think it has to do with the country pop fusion genre that is occurring, and Florida Georgia Line's Here's to the Good Times is no exception to that. This album is full of songs to make any pop lover see a side to country music they never have before. "Cruise" and "Get Your Shine On" are the perfect road trip, top down car trip songs in my opinion. They still stay true to the country aspect with their lyrics, but the beat is more up-temp and just makes you want to belt out the song. The album also captures the essence of summer and is all around just a feel good album. I am very familiar with this album, considering my recent interest in country music. However, I haven't heard of this band until this album because like Emily said in her album review, this album's purpose was purely to popularize the band- and it did just that. Now, Florida Georgia Line is a well known country band because it managed to mix in pop elements that make their music appealing to the pop culture.

AUDIENCE FOR MY ALBUM REVIEW REDO

WHOOPS! sorry, I confused this week's blog post with last week's blog post. So, last week I already answered the question about my intended audience; however now that I am in the midst of writing my outline, I think I can answer this question more in depth. So for my album review I chose, I am... Sasha Fierce because it shows Beyonce's dual personality and was really an outbreak album for Beyonce's solo career. Already in my research, I have found different perspectives and opinions on Beyonce's approach to this album and the expression of her different personas. Some agrue the split album enhanced Beyonce's message, while other's believe it weakened the album and took away from the actual music.
However, the audience for my album will be the same audience that Beyonce allures; young mostly female listeners because of her use of pop in tracks such as "Run The World (Girls)". My imaginary audience will mostly be my own generation because we are Beyonce's biggest fan base and are most intrigued in her work and what she does. My generation clearly adores pop, so their love for this album is undeniable. To be honest, Beyonce is the one celebrity I would spend my time reading an article or album review on, and I think I had speak for most of her fans when I say that. However, since this is such a meaningful album for Beyonce regarding her image, I think it may draw a more older and professional audience as well.

My album review audience

Since beyonce is classified as a pop music artist, my general audience for this album review will be mostly female young adults. This generation loves the mix of upbeat hip hop and smooth R&B elements that Beyonce includes in her album. Especially in 4 and I Am... Sasha Fierce,  Beyonce incorporates her sassiness and classiness in her tracks. There is a reason Beyonce has such a loyal following, and that is because her music relates to such a wide audience. They will be reading my album review because it is always interesting to see Beyonce's message behind her lyrics and why her album is put together the way it is. Beyonce is such an admired celebrity, that anyone would be dying to know what work really goes into making an album, thematically and much more.

"Ring the Alarm" Critique

While, I personally cannot resist buying any of Beyonce's songs in iTunes, one song I can live without is "Ring the Alarm. The song is found on Beyonce's album B-day released in 2006 and is about a woman who feels threatened, and is unwilling to allow another woman into her ex lover/ lover's life. "Ring the Alarm" is R&B but also has punk rock influences, which I do not enjoy because it makes the song very intense. For example, the introduction features a blazing siren, which creates an aggressive, harsh tone; this is unlike the smooth Beyonce music is am used to. The song is definetly different than Beyonce's usual work, because in "Ring the Alarm" she comes off as a psychotic ex- girlfriend, while the reason I praise Beyonce so much is because she portrays a strong female figure through her songs. She sings with so much quavering intensity, and especially the music video implies she is crazy. In the video she is being held down my guards and truly seems like a "jealousy- crazed ex". The reason I do not like this song is because the angry tone is not the Beyonce I am used to and the Beyonce I praise. The Beyonce I love is seen in songs like "Run The World" and "Listen" where she conveys a message of female power and class through smooth and enjoyable tones and beats. The musical performance is not "clean" and it usually gives me a headache, especially with the siren in the introduction. This track honestly just bothers me and is aggravating to listen to.

Generic conventions of Beyonce

What are the generic convention of Beyonce's music? Well, that is hard to define and narrow down because Beyonce's work covers such a wide range. When I think of Beyonce's music, the first words that come to mind are soulful and catchy. These generic conventions help categorize her into the R&B genre of music. Her music is passionate and expressive, yet very much in the "pop" realm of music. Her dynamic sound ranges from upbeat to slow and soothing, yet the basic Beyonce working are recognizable in all her tracks. She fuses together popular, catchy tunes with meaningful lyrics that create music that you cannot help but jam out to. The instrumentation in her music is similar. She incorporates drum rhythms 
Knowles' voice is versatile; she is capable of exploring power ballads, soul, rock belting, operatic flourishes, and hip hop. Her range and power are evident in all of her music as well. Although, she is such a diverse artist, her basic conventions are all the same, typing together her music. She emerges as a R&B pop artist for her amalgamation of soulfulness and catchiness in her music. 

Concerns regarding critical analysis

Concerns:
1. Am I too general in my statements regarding my critical analysis/ do I support my claims well enough
2. Do I have a clear point per paragraph, and do I make that point and relate it back to my thesis?
3. Does my paper logically flow together ?
4. Do my points and thesis make sense? Are they supported well enough?

Article response

The two articles I was assigned to read for this assignment allowed me to see Beyonce in a new light. My first article "At Last...? Michelle Obama, Beyonce Race & History", analyzed Beyonce's role as the performer at Obama's inauguration ball and what that meant for this country. My other article, "All That You Can't Leave Behind" examines the politics of black women's pop music culture through the works of Mary J. Blige and Beyonce in relation to the Gulf Coast catastrophe- Hurricane Katrina. These two articles worked well together and were actually easy to compare and create a thesis from because they both show how Beyonce is more than just a popular musician, but how she serves a greater role as an American icon. In both articles she is compared to a strong black women which also indicates her emergence as the trademark of American womanhood.

Given two lengthly articles, at first it was difficult to extract the themes and thesis of each article. I was not sure exactly what I was reading for. Was I looking for the main argument, how they relate, their faults? However, after finishing I was able to draw comparisons on how each author discusses Beyonce's role in our pop culture. Both articles praise her control over the image she presents and the pride she takes in her roots. Also each author argues that Beyonce serves as a symbol of the strength of our country and all that is good.

The two articles allowed me to see Beyonce as a national icon. In a society filled with celebrities being controlled by social media and pop culture, Beyonce controls it.