Recently in Beyonce Category

One of music's biggest stars has gifted us with one of this summer's biggest albums: yeah, you might say Beyoncé's 4 is a pretty big deal. We politely suggest you listen to it immediately, perhaps while sifting through our Beyoncé-related fanfare. First, Rhapsody Pop Editor Rachel Devitt takes an in-depth look at 4,offers up a greatest-hits playlist reaching all the way back to Destiny's Child, and celebrates pop's girl-power proclivities, from Salt-N-Pepa to The Spice Girls. Speaking of Destiny's Child, Rhapsody Hip-Hop Editor Mosi Reeves takes a closer look at turn-of-the-century R&B girl groups from DC to TLC to SWV, and breaks downs the DNA of Dangerously in Love, B's much-beloved 2003 solo debut. Time to fall crazy in love all over again.

	Does 4 stand among B's best? We take an in-depth look.			The Best of Beyoncé: a career-spanning playlist celebrating her biggest hits
	R&B Girl Groups: Destiny's Child, TLC, SWV and other sultry sirens			Source Material: Dangerously in Love: The key components of her killer 2003 debut
	Girl-Power Pop: Beyoncé, Salt-N-Pepa, and other girls who run the world			Senior Year: 2002 Cheerleaders: "Crazy in Love" and other floor-routine staples

When we think of Beyoncé 's Dangerously in Love, we remember the hits. "Crazy In Love," with its brassy horn licks (courtesy of The Chi-Lites' "Are You My Woman [Tell Me So]") and funky go-go rhythms, is one of the best singles of the past decade. "Naughty Girl" oozed an aggressive sexuality that seemed more visceral than the pre-packaged showgirl struts of her previous group, Destiny's Child. And "Baby Boy" was right in tune with the dancehall revival and synonymous club anthems like Lumidee's "Never Leave You (Uh Ooh, Uh Ooh)" and Elephant Man's "Pon De River, Pon De Bank."

But Dangerously was split between those celebrated numbers and nearly a dozen torch songs. It's not an easy transition. The singles arrived early and ended quickly, and Beyoncé spent the rest of the hour on melodramatic love tunes like "Yes," "Speechless" and "Signs," the latter coyly referencing her love affair with Jay-Z: "I was in love with a Sagittarius/ He blew my mind." Some of the ballads, particularly "Me, Myself and I," aren't bad, and they gave her a chance to demonstrate her incredible, octave-scaling voice. But the uptempo songs were so incredible that they left us wanting more.

Sisters With Voices. Total. Destiny's Child. You didn't need a lyric sheet to get the point with the legion of R&B girl groups who dominated urban pop music in the 1990s. It was plain to hear, from the coquettishly sexual lyrics to their sassy, irreverent tones and lovely multipart harmonies. Sadly, music critics tended to give them cursory attention, instead devoting their time to untangling rap music that often required a degree in regional slang to understand. And following the breakup of Destiny's Child and the quick dissolution of Danity Kane, the R&B girl-group phenomenon seems like it's over. Perhaps there can only be one diva in today's gladiatorial Fame Matrix, leaving little room for sisterhood.

"Run the World (Girls)" may mark the first time Beyoncé has ever assembled an actual army of ladies to stage a pop-culture gender coup, but she's always claimed a powerful position for girls with her music. Bey's been on a girl-power trip for a long time, from Destiny's Child's strong sister anthems (see "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Independent Women Pt. 1") to the tables-turning "Suga Mama," from the "A Milli" answer song "Diva" to the Fosse-fied kiss-off "Single Ladies." As fiercely original as they are, however, those female-focused cuts are also steeped in a long history of girl-power pop: mainstream-friendly tunes that make you wiggle your booty and maybe think critically about what it means to do so.

After three solo albums and a full tour of duty in Destiny's Child, Beyoncé Knowles has earned the right to experiment. And that's just what her new record, 4, is: a bold, risky test of the parameters of pop stardom in 2011. Eschewing current dance trends (and really, club-ready tracks in general), she spends most of the album growling through gut-punching slow and mid-tempo jams steeped in solid-gold '70s soul, '80s R&B and rock, and even some New Jack Swing. To put it another way, if everyone else has gone robo-disco retro, Beyoncé's excavating a different throwback reserve, albeit one from an overlapping period: synthy horns, chunky keys and a whole lot of Prince-ly high drama. And while not all of it is somber, rain-against-my-window waxing about heartbreak, most of the tracks here — and even several of the up-tempo cuts — are pretty introspective. Or at least, that's what they're supposed to be.

Ready? OK! Picture it: it's 2002-ish. You're a senior and totally, like, the hottest girl in school. Oh, and you're a cheerleader. Duh! Life is pretty sweet: you get to wear super-short skirts to school, you're dating the point guard, and Bring It On (and the sequel!) just came out, so everyone is, like, totally into cheerleaders right now. (As if they weren't already!) And? Bonus! The pop music of the day is totally awesome for killer floor routines: big, dance-pop beats (perfect for pom ripples!), and sexy (but not too sexy) lyrics performed by hot boys and girls who look like (or at least as good as) cheerleaders. (Britney! Beyonce! JT!) And don't forget the remixes! Imagine each massive pop hit like it was sandwiched into one of those Starburst-filled, basket-toss-friendly, completely obnoxious mega-mixes. Bring. It. On! Whether you were a cheerleader or just dreamed about being (or dating) one — or even if you, like, totally loathed the pom-pom zombies — you're gonna want to practice your spread-eagle for this one. S-E-N-I-O-R-S! Seniors! Seniors! Are the Best!


Click here to listen to the entire playlist: Senior Year 2002: Cheerleader Floor Routine Soundtracks.

Gay men and female pop stars have always had a special relationship. For decades, the latter have spoken to (and sometimes for) a demographic that has endured a great deal of prejudice and abuse, providing a mainstream voice (or at least outlet) for those who historically have had none in mainstream society. To adore a particular diva has been, at times, a means of building community, articulating a dangerous desire or simply making friends. But gay men also have plenty to offer their beloved divas: long renowned as tastemakers and trendsetters, gay men have increasingly become a sought-after demographic for the pop diva, more than one of whom has the Friends of Dorothy (and, especially, their dance clubs) to thank for her latest hit or, sometimes, her entire career.

Many a pop diva, therefore, has specifically sought to woo the gay male demographic. She may embrace big dance-pop beats or pen a flat-out coming-out anthem. She may submit to clubby remixes or preview her latest song in an LGBT club. And lately, thanks in part to Lady Gaga and the disco divas who inspired her, the pop chanteuse may also find it not only possible, but necessary, to make her romance with gay men known to society as a whole.