I Am...Sasha Fierce
by Beyoncé
  • Record Label: Sony
  • Release Date: Nov 18, 2008
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 24
  3. Negative: 2 out of 24
  1. AllMusic
    50
    Beyonce's third solo studio album is as concise as 2006's B'day, but it is divided into two discs as a way to emphasize the singer's distinct personalities. It's a gimmick, of course--a flimsy one.
  2. Blender
    60
    What’s revealed is...well, what we’re used to. Beyonce is still a beauty-shop feminist, quick with the smack-downs, and she still describes the rattling rush of love with preternatural poise.
  3. Dot Music
    40
    It's more a rescinded lesson in demographics, with disc one seemingly aimed at airbrushing out the last vestiges of Knowles' credibility in favour of a procession of lame pop ballads in a Shakira or even Shania Twain-ish mould.
  5. Hot Press
    60
    Beyonce still proves that she's an all-around good performer even though her attempt to branch out into an alter ego fails a little.
  6. NOW Magazine
    40
    Unfortunately, the "deluxe edition" is bloated with filler, and the shorter "standard edition" omits some of the more creative songs instead of dropping the duds.
  7. Observer Music Monthly
    40
    But OutKast's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" aside, it's debatable whether there has been call for a double album since "Sign O' the Times" in 1987, and this is clearly another case for the prosecution.
  8. Pitchfork
    57
    While this LP is more painstaking than B'Day, the extra effort dulls any emotional wallop; "B'Day," in all its hectic glory, offered a much more vivid peek into the elusive mind of Beyoncé than Sasha Fierce, which often reads more like projection than reality.
  9. PopMatters
    60
    I Am… Sasha Fierce had an opportunity to be a great record. Instead, it's merely good. And for a diva such as Beyoncé, that's not entirely acceptable.
  10. Slant Magazine
    60
    I Am...Sasha Fierce is an admirable vie for artistic credibility (and for a last-ditch revival of the long-player format) but one that is muddled by the fact that the album is being offered in two configurations.
  11. Spin
    40
    Sasha is an intriguing but diluted direction.
  12. Sputnikmusic
    Mar 2, 2011
    50
    While an interesting concept, neither CD contains enough strong material to match up to either of her previous releases, and at times, the constant barrage of R&B cliches and adult-contemporary production make it sound like Beyonce is rapidly transforming from hot, hip pop goddess to your standard bored diva.
  13. The Guardian
    60
    It's not just that the music on I Am ... is boring--although, aside from the growling guitars and tumbling drums of That's Why You're Beautiful, it is. It's that there is something underwhelming about the whole project.

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Most Discussed Album of 2008
11
#11 Most Shared Album of 2008

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 714 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 533 out of 714
  2. Mixed: 80 out of 714
  3. Negative: 101 out of 714
  1. Ido
    Sep 3, 2011
    10
    Amazing album. The "I Am" side is perfect, there is no one with voice like the one she has.
    Halo is one of the most beautiful songs that I ever heard.
  2. Plamen
    Aug 6, 2012
    10
    Really diverse and cohesive. The 'I Am...' side is filled with sensual, meaningful and emotional ballads where Beyoncé reveals all herReally diverse and cohesive. The 'I Am...' side is filled with sensual, meaningful and emotional ballads where Beyoncé reveals all her fears and insecurities. The 'Sasha Fierce' side, which is filled with fierce uptempos, shows us the other side of Beyoncé - her alter ego Sasha Fierce.… Full Review »
  3. darryltrini
    Jun 10, 2011
    10
    I Am... Sasha Fierce is one of the best pop/r&b albums in recent years. She is really a living legend. She has the entire package. She is oneI Am... Sasha Fierce is one of the best pop/r&b albums in recent years. She is really a living legend. She has the entire package. She is one of the very few to give you vulnerability, as evident in songs like "Satellites," "Scared of Lonely," "Smash Into You," among others, and at the same time give you sassy and commanding Beyoncé, that we all love, or should I say Sasha Fierce? Overall this album is EPIC. Her best to date. Standout tracks: Halo, Smash Into You, If I Were a Boy, Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), Sweet Dreams, Ave Maria.… Full Review »
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