F
Former member 21294
Flawless Remix
Baby Boy
Ring the Alarm
Halo
If people have some taste
Baby Boy
Ring the Alarm
Halo
If people have some taste
***Flawless: The Beyoncé Discography Rate Top 50 (COMPLETE)
- Thread starter RJF
- Start date
Halo
1+1
Schoolin' Life
Flawless Remix
Jealous
Blow
1+1
Schoolin' Life
Flawless Remix
Jealous
Blow
Who hurt you at a young age to warrant this criminal behavior?
33
SCORE: 8.066
Highest Score: 10 x 17 (@First2Run @RetroPhysical @Jersey @Daniel! @allyshone @eccentricsimply @Jam @ThighHighs @scottdisick94 @that boy is a monster @Oceandrive @WarmBlood11 @Sam de Jour @Lost In Japan. @Can't Speak French @ohdenny @aaronhansome)
Lowest Score: 0.5 x 1 (@MrMannacroix)
My Score: 6.5/10
Okay, wait, just hold on a second. I need to explain my score. This track is brilliant, outstanding, everything... but. It suffers massively from all the empty space I hear in it. By that, I mean, space where the original track could slot in and out perfectly and raise it to a 10/10. I mean, Beyoncé's original verses/chorus, the Chimamanda speech. Basically this ends up being pieces of a 10/10 track as opposed to a 10/10 track on its own. Like, the On The Run version is possibly... the best thing Beyoncé has ever put on stage. Chimamanda's speech over the "Run The World" instrumental, "***Flawless" kicking off before morphing into the remix, Nicki coming in to do her thing... before the original track takes back over. It's... outstanding, and this is only a portion of that brilliance.
ericcccc says, "Don’t feel much different about this version." but he gave it a higher score than I did so what is the truth? Meanwhile, constantino is wrong, "It’s not really much of a remix, is it? It’s just ‘***Flawless + [a very good] Nicki verse’. I’m not mad about it but it would be inappropriate for both versions to make it to the top 30/20 because they’re basically the same track." Sis, it's missing about 70% of what makes the original great. Come on. FresherThanYou finds it to be "AMAZING." and Sam de Jour gets the lyrics wrong, making it the second thing he's done wrong on the forum this week, "Nicki BB eating diamond fangs, barbarian, RAAAAAAAH. A fucking moment." but Remyky22 agrees with the general sentiment, "Nicki's verse is fire."
CasuallyCrazed needs to lighten up a bit, "This may make the gays go off, but Nicki’s rap is cheap and mindless. Ivanka Trump does not need or deserve a shoutout in a Beyonce song, thanks." It's a great line though? joe_alouder serves an opinion that is... not flawless at all, "Everyone is fucking lit on this. Plus it's slightly better paced than the original version." Pacing is its exact problem! IMHO gets it a little more, "It by no means replaces the brilliance of the original but it's a fun diversion should you ever want to switch it up." and ThighHighs can be found outside Trump Towers, "ONIKAAAAA. The first time I listened to this I was shocked by Beyonce's verse and APPALLED by Nicki's. I could not BELIEVE Nicki came through like THAT on Bey's song. She absolutely kills it. Beyonce more than holds her own, though. It's hard to remember a time before this remix popped up, when we only had ***Flawless."
We'll close with Jersey, who gave this full marks. Perhaps it was vertigo and not a billion dollars on the elevator. "ABSOLUTE FIRE. START TO FINISH. This makes me thirsty for a collaborative album between the hunties. I also love that this remains B's only time of ever bringing up the elevator incident."
(Every single link I did above is awful.)
I'm not going to even bother putting myself through the tedium of finding active links to Tidal event performances where Beyoncé is doing her husband a favour and Nicki is going for Employee Of The Month for actually turning up, but it was definitely performed during On The Run Tour in Paris. With aplomb, I might add.
SCORE: 8.066
Highest Score: 10 x 17 (@First2Run @RetroPhysical @Jersey @Daniel! @allyshone @eccentricsimply @Jam @ThighHighs @scottdisick94 @that boy is a monster @Oceandrive @WarmBlood11 @Sam de Jour @Lost In Japan. @Can't Speak French @ohdenny @aaronhansome)
Lowest Score: 0.5 x 1 (@MrMannacroix)
My Score: 6.5/10
Okay, wait, just hold on a second. I need to explain my score. This track is brilliant, outstanding, everything... but. It suffers massively from all the empty space I hear in it. By that, I mean, space where the original track could slot in and out perfectly and raise it to a 10/10. I mean, Beyoncé's original verses/chorus, the Chimamanda speech. Basically this ends up being pieces of a 10/10 track as opposed to a 10/10 track on its own. Like, the On The Run version is possibly... the best thing Beyoncé has ever put on stage. Chimamanda's speech over the "Run The World" instrumental, "***Flawless" kicking off before morphing into the remix, Nicki coming in to do her thing... before the original track takes back over. It's... outstanding, and this is only a portion of that brilliance.
ericcccc says, "Don’t feel much different about this version." but he gave it a higher score than I did so what is the truth? Meanwhile, constantino is wrong, "It’s not really much of a remix, is it? It’s just ‘***Flawless + [a very good] Nicki verse’. I’m not mad about it but it would be inappropriate for both versions to make it to the top 30/20 because they’re basically the same track." Sis, it's missing about 70% of what makes the original great. Come on. FresherThanYou finds it to be "AMAZING." and Sam de Jour gets the lyrics wrong, making it the second thing he's done wrong on the forum this week, "Nicki BB eating diamond fangs, barbarian, RAAAAAAAH. A fucking moment." but Remyky22 agrees with the general sentiment, "Nicki's verse is fire."
CasuallyCrazed needs to lighten up a bit, "This may make the gays go off, but Nicki’s rap is cheap and mindless. Ivanka Trump does not need or deserve a shoutout in a Beyonce song, thanks." It's a great line though? joe_alouder serves an opinion that is... not flawless at all, "Everyone is fucking lit on this. Plus it's slightly better paced than the original version." Pacing is its exact problem! IMHO gets it a little more, "It by no means replaces the brilliance of the original but it's a fun diversion should you ever want to switch it up." and ThighHighs can be found outside Trump Towers, "ONIKAAAAA. The first time I listened to this I was shocked by Beyonce's verse and APPALLED by Nicki's. I could not BELIEVE Nicki came through like THAT on Bey's song. She absolutely kills it. Beyonce more than holds her own, though. It's hard to remember a time before this remix popped up, when we only had ***Flawless."
We'll close with Jersey, who gave this full marks. Perhaps it was vertigo and not a billion dollars on the elevator. "ABSOLUTE FIRE. START TO FINISH. This makes me thirsty for a collaborative album between the hunties. I also love that this remains B's only time of ever bringing up the elevator incident."
(Every single link I did above is awful.)
I'm not going to even bother putting myself through the tedium of finding active links to Tidal event performances where Beyoncé is doing her husband a favour and Nicki is going for Employee Of The Month for actually turning up, but it was definitely performed during On The Run Tour in Paris. With aplomb, I might add.
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I hate B's extra lines on it, Nicki's are okay but nothing amazing. Much prefer the original.
Original next.
The original version is definitely better, but that isn't because Nicki's part in the remix. Actually, that part is amazing and I absolutely love the collaboration between them. But what ruins the remix for me is the "I wake up looking this good, and I wouldn't change it if I could. And you can say what you want, I'm the shit" part. It's a way too basic lyrics for Beyoncé. It's like Meghan Trainor style.
32
SCORE: 8.094
11/10 x 1
@BeingBoring (FUCK. Sis, that username and this 11/10 choice...)
Highest Score: 10 x 14 (@P'NutButter @K94 @Itty Bitty Piggy @munro @Rogue @supersoon @PLUTO @AllGagaLike @eccentricsimply @scottdisick94 @WarmBlood11 @Sam de Jour @Lost In Japan. @ohdenny)
Lowest Score: 1 x 2 (@send photo @Sprockrooster)
My Score: 8/10
And with that, "Sweet Dreams" becomes the highest rated song on I Am... Sasha Fierce. An electro-pop song being popular on Popjustice? Ground breaking. Are we shocked at this leaving right now or, with everything that Beyoncé has come to be, does it maybe feel a little derivative and correct for it to go now? Deceptively simple sounding when the reality is that anyone but Beyoncé struggles to ever do this justice. Its impact has kind of lessened over the years and it was eventually bested by “XO”, but it had me catching the spirit both times I’ve seen it live, so I can’t do it that dirty. The performance at Glastonbury is particularly spellbinding. She needs to maybe retire its role as set closer though. Come on, sis. Finish with a bop for a change.
We'll kick off with munro, who gave it full marks, "An amazing song that’ll obviously be the staple closer for her shows forever." Jesus fucking Christ I hope not. AllGagaLike says, "When i listen to this song I BELIEVE that Beyonce is a DIVA." How do you feel when you listen to "Diva" though? Oceandrive was actually one of the lowest scorers for the track (4/10) and had this to say, "The song that gets the white folk shook." It certainly did in Glasgow at my tour date. Remyky22 says that "I like the verses, but the chorus is a bit too Ryan Tedder for my taste," Well, he did write it, sis... "especially because he recycled it way too many times." Meanwhile, CasuallyCrazed gives me ammo for the list of performances at the end of the write up, "Everyone knows this is basic Ryan Tedder by the numbers, but I prefer this version over "Already Gone”. The Hope for Haiti performance features some of the most beautiful vocals of her career."
"Give me this sped up Glee style or not at all." How about you get neither and leave Glee in 2011 where it belongs, ohnostalgia? "Yes, this is beyond played out at this point but it's an undeniably well-crafted Tedder-ballad, second only to Bleeding Love in its epic endurance." says shapy ape IMHO as he only gives it a 7/10 despite such commentary. K94 makes a great point as he overscores, "Absolute CLASSIC. That second verse just gets me." Mmm I'll admit, her delivery of "Hit me like a ray of sun..." always sends shivers down my spine. ThighHighs joins the legion of us who have no use for it in day to day life but will drop to our knees and PRAY when Beyoncé closes her shows with it, " A really incredible song. I listened to it just now and it really is incredible. I think years of fatigue have led me to underrate this one. I always say that I'm sick of her closing her shows with it, but I'll be damned if I wasn't letting her snatch my soul during the Mrs. Carter and Formation World Tours."
ericcccc thinks this has dated (it hasn't really) and blames the rather non-existent synths. What? "So good. I wish there weren’t synths in the song. It could have easily sounded timeless without them, but now it so obviously dates the track. Oh well." Sis, the synths are like, the last thing people think of when listening to "Halo". They're usually thinking of how bad they sound singing along to it. Meanwhile, send photo not only tells us how he feels with his score, he straight up just tells us, "I seriously hate Halo. I’m so sorry." To be honest, this was the right time for it to go anyway. dodoriazarbon joins me in being absolutely snatched at Hampden Park this summer, "One I again could never hear again and be ok, but was stunning live." As was everyone singing as we left Golden Circle. Oh, you weren't in the Golden Circle? eccentricsimply gets nostalgic, not ohnostalgia, "I remember dancing this song once, it's honestly all sorts of amazing." Did your college recreate the video to this one too?
STOP FUCKING EVERYTHING. Sprockrooster was actually the lowest scorer for this. What?! " I love the gospel-intro, but aside from that Kelly Clarkson's Already Gone excels in all other aspects. It would have been helpful if Beyoncé did not enunciate some words ('sound', halo-OwO') so weirdly." Sis... that's singing. What she's doing is singing. It's called singing. constantino also brings up the product of that rather unfortunate incident with Ryan Tedder, "Sorry, but I’m 100% #TeamAlreadyGone in this debate. As wonderful and queen-y Beysus is, I don’t think she can pull off ~relatable emotion~ like Kelly can. This is ~huge~, but it doesn’t have the impact it is supposed to, I feel. The video is pretty tho." Here's the tea though: both songs are kind of average, tawdry nonsense and not worth all the drama they caused. joe_alouder finds it to be a blessing, "Still a gorgeous song. It's just really uplifting."
As mentioned above, the song has basically become the staple finale during Beyoncé's setlists. It has closed her last three tours over the last seven years, suffered numerous inferior covers, and even got a weird slasher-horror-alien alternate video that quite frankly, didn't make a single bit of fucking sense.
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
He must've skipped Heaven on Self-Titled.
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
I realized he meant like Kelly afterwards, so I dunno if that helps or not.
eccentricsimply
Staff member
they/them
Thank fuck Halo isnot the highest from I Am... Sasha Fierce. I could have dealt with pretty much everything in this rate. BUT NOT THAT.
'Halo' may be overplayed but it's still an outstanding song, lyrically and vocally. Most people's faves would kill for it.
F
Former member 21294
Two done,two left.This round is going swimmingly so far.
It's not a good night for Bey's ballad linchpins...
31
SCORE: 8.127
11/10 x 1
@FresherThanYou
Highest Score: 10 x 12 (@Oceandrive @Petty Mayonnaise @Jersey @Pinkie @aaronhansome @Push @push the button @AlmightyAloud @that boy is a monster @Terminus @WarmBlood11 @Sam de Jour)
Lowest Score: 2 x 1 (@Sprockrooster)
My Score: 7/10
This is so difficult to score. On the one hand, I feel like it doesn’t really do much with its running time and the melody in the verses is so boring and repetitive. On the other hand-
*attempts closing ad-libs from the live version, makes a fool of self, catches the father, son, the holy ghost, and all in between, bursts blood vessels, punctures lung, ruptures spleen, melts vital organs, turns to ash*
...so I really don’t know. Let’s go with a rather diplomatic 7/10 and move on. Live version is outstanding though. Queen of reverb.
We'll kick things off with K94, who rightfully catches the spirit, "Post-Lemonade would have performed this better as 4 Beyonce is a bit shrill and shouty. However, there’s something very likeable about it and the live version is a religious experience." munro respectfully drops it down low, and solemnly picks it up slow, "This song serves absolute sex, the simple instrumental is so amazing." Sam de Jour, on the other hand, describes his hook up last night, "Raw and emotional and fucking great." Well good for you, sis. Oceandrive awards this full marks and adds, "Even if this wasn't a good song I would've given it a 10 because it represents light at the end of the tunnel after Sasha Fierce." SCREAM. "As it happens, it's stunning. One of the finest ballads in her career. I would give my left arm to have a studio version of the live arrangement and vocal that she uses." ohnostalgia keeps it short and sweet with, "Quietly devastating."
IMHO doesn't talk about having his face melted off by her ad libs so I'm not sure I care what he has to say despite him giving it the same score I did, "Bey gives an impassioned, bravura vocal performance here, obvs, and the gauzy, Prince-esque guitars are a nice touch but it's neither one thing nor the other for me, it either needed to be more inimate or bigger and more stadium-sized but instead it falls awkwardly between minimalist songwriting and overblown production." ericcccc tries to make me do his job for him and I WON'T HAVE IT YOU FUCKING HEAR ME, "[insert joke about algebra here]" NO. Jersey goes off a tangent... get it... a tangent... maths... oh dear, "So simple and yet so fucking effective. The basic lyrics used to be a bother but with the vocal performance she serves, it's hard to find a fault here. Also, hey amazing guitar solo in the middle-8! Pure emotions displayed through instruments. Only B."
ThighHighs speaks for many, I'm sure, "I remember when I first heard this song, I DESPISED it. I thought that the math gimmick was dumb and the "YOU/TWO" high pitched parts were bizarre. How the tides have turned, as it is now one of my favorites. She absolutely murders this song in a live setting, and it's enough to make even me weepy." Yeah, I wasn't that big a fan of it in 2011 either, but like a lot of 4, it's weirdly enduring. Meanwhile, Rogue needs a maths tutor, "Unpopular opinion alert – I hate this song. I find it tuneless, screechy and about a minute too long. It will undoubtedly do well in this rate then." Well, No.31 isn't bad going at all for this one, I think. CasuallyCrazed is more complimentary than he normally is, which is a nice change, "Such a brave, bold opener. That growling vocal slays me every time." eccentricsimply labels it, " So beautiful, so pure." which I read in the tone of this GIF, for some reason, and joe_alouder labels it as an, "Epic opening." I thought we already covered Sam's hook up?
Let's get to the answer of this equation in the form of FresherThanYou, who gave this their 11/10, " My favourite ever Beyonce ballad. It's not her biggest, but it's her best. The live delivery of this song has become one of my favourite things she's ever done. Gives me goosebumps." And with that, 1+1= Done.
Oh, let's just post the Glastonbury performance and forget about the video where it looks like someone's lubed her up to go spelunking in sewers, shall we? We shall.
31
SCORE: 8.127
11/10 x 1
@FresherThanYou
Highest Score: 10 x 12 (@Oceandrive @Petty Mayonnaise @Jersey @Pinkie @aaronhansome @Push @push the button @AlmightyAloud @that boy is a monster @Terminus @WarmBlood11 @Sam de Jour)
Lowest Score: 2 x 1 (@Sprockrooster)
My Score: 7/10
This is so difficult to score. On the one hand, I feel like it doesn’t really do much with its running time and the melody in the verses is so boring and repetitive. On the other hand-
*attempts closing ad-libs from the live version, makes a fool of self, catches the father, son, the holy ghost, and all in between, bursts blood vessels, punctures lung, ruptures spleen, melts vital organs, turns to ash*
...so I really don’t know. Let’s go with a rather diplomatic 7/10 and move on. Live version is outstanding though. Queen of reverb.
We'll kick things off with K94, who rightfully catches the spirit, "Post-Lemonade would have performed this better as 4 Beyonce is a bit shrill and shouty. However, there’s something very likeable about it and the live version is a religious experience." munro respectfully drops it down low, and solemnly picks it up slow, "This song serves absolute sex, the simple instrumental is so amazing." Sam de Jour, on the other hand, describes his hook up last night, "Raw and emotional and fucking great." Well good for you, sis. Oceandrive awards this full marks and adds, "Even if this wasn't a good song I would've given it a 10 because it represents light at the end of the tunnel after Sasha Fierce." SCREAM. "As it happens, it's stunning. One of the finest ballads in her career. I would give my left arm to have a studio version of the live arrangement and vocal that she uses." ohnostalgia keeps it short and sweet with, "Quietly devastating."
IMHO doesn't talk about having his face melted off by her ad libs so I'm not sure I care what he has to say despite him giving it the same score I did, "Bey gives an impassioned, bravura vocal performance here, obvs, and the gauzy, Prince-esque guitars are a nice touch but it's neither one thing nor the other for me, it either needed to be more inimate or bigger and more stadium-sized but instead it falls awkwardly between minimalist songwriting and overblown production." ericcccc tries to make me do his job for him and I WON'T HAVE IT YOU FUCKING HEAR ME, "[insert joke about algebra here]" NO. Jersey goes off a tangent... get it... a tangent... maths... oh dear, "So simple and yet so fucking effective. The basic lyrics used to be a bother but with the vocal performance she serves, it's hard to find a fault here. Also, hey amazing guitar solo in the middle-8! Pure emotions displayed through instruments. Only B."
ThighHighs speaks for many, I'm sure, "I remember when I first heard this song, I DESPISED it. I thought that the math gimmick was dumb and the "YOU/TWO" high pitched parts were bizarre. How the tides have turned, as it is now one of my favorites. She absolutely murders this song in a live setting, and it's enough to make even me weepy." Yeah, I wasn't that big a fan of it in 2011 either, but like a lot of 4, it's weirdly enduring. Meanwhile, Rogue needs a maths tutor, "Unpopular opinion alert – I hate this song. I find it tuneless, screechy and about a minute too long. It will undoubtedly do well in this rate then." Well, No.31 isn't bad going at all for this one, I think. CasuallyCrazed is more complimentary than he normally is, which is a nice change, "Such a brave, bold opener. That growling vocal slays me every time." eccentricsimply labels it, " So beautiful, so pure." which I read in the tone of this GIF, for some reason, and joe_alouder labels it as an, "Epic opening." I thought we already covered Sam's hook up?
Let's get to the answer of this equation in the form of FresherThanYou, who gave this their 11/10, " My favourite ever Beyonce ballad. It's not her biggest, but it's her best. The live delivery of this song has become one of my favourite things she's ever done. Gives me goosebumps." And with that, 1+1= Done.
Oh, let's just post the Glastonbury performance and forget about the video where it looks like someone's lubed her up to go spelunking in sewers, shall we? We shall.