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I Am… Sasha Fierce is the third studio album by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé. It was released on November 18, 2008, by Columbia Records. It is classified as a dual disc album; the first disc I Am... incorporates slow and mid-tempo R&B ballads and pop songs, while the second disc Sasha Fierce, named after Beyoncé's alter ego, contains more uptempo danceable songs which cross from Euro to electropop. A deluxe edition of the album was released simultaneously with its standard edition in international markets in November and December 2008.

Beyoncé was inspired by her husband Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, who helped her to broaden her horizons. Musically, 'I Am...' drew inspiration from folk and alternative songs and acoustic guitar and the contemporary ballads on this disc were produced, written and recorded by Beyoncé along with Kenneth Edmonds, Tricky Stewart and Terius Nash, Toby Gad and Ryan Tedder while 'Sasha Fierce', being the fresh modern sound of the alter ego, utilizes production and songwriting from Rodney Jerkins, Sean Garrett, Solange, Rico Love and Jim Jonsin. Critics received the album with mixed to positive reviews with many of them stating that the collection might have been better served if Beyoncé had edited it down to one disc. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 482,000 units in its first week. I Am... Sasha Fierce has proven commercially successful, earning at least 14 platinum certifications, each from a different country and reaching top-ten in charts around the world. The album charted from 2008 to 2010 in several charts around the world. In celebration of the album's numerous achievements, a remix album with videography, a platinum edition along with a re-issue deluxe edition as well as an EP titled I Am... Sasha Fierce - The Bonus Tracks were made available towards the end of 2009.

The two lead singles from I Am... Sasha Fierce, "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", were both international hits. The first song topped the charts in over eight countries, and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, while the second was able to peak inside the top ten in the charts of major musical markets, while becoming her fifth number one hit on the Hot 100 chart. "Diva" and "Ego" were released as US-Only singles while "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams" were promoted internationally as the third and fourth single respectively. "Broken-Hearted Girl" was serviced internationally as the fifth single though it was not officially released in neither the United States nor the Netherlands. "Video Phone" was released in November 2009 with a remixed version featuring pop singer Lady Gaga and the last single, being Why Don't You Love Me got a proper digital release in the United Kingdom in August 2010.

To date, total worldwide sales are well over 7 million units and as of July 2010 the digital tracks from the album in the US have sold more than 12.3 million of units. The album garnered eight nominations at the 52nd Grammy Awards, and eventually won five Grammys, including Best Contemporary R&B Album. It also won a 2009 Soul Train Award for Album of the Year. I Am... Sasha Fierce was promoted with live performances around the world including X Factor in the UK and the final episode of TRL in addition to the global, I Am... Tour.

Production and development

Knowles began recording her third studio album in 2007. She revealed to MTV Asia that the album was recorded in almost one year; the most time she had spent on an album since her first records with Destiny's Child. Beyoncé stated that she was inspired by her husband Jay-Z and especially by Etta James, who helped her to broaden her horizons. She described James as someone who expressed herself and who was bold. This inspired Knowles to do a lot of things musically and that, according to her, no one else was doing right then.

When Beyoncé started recording the double album, she told herself that she had to grow and become more mature as an artist. Even though she had been successful and fortunate, she still wanted to be challenged, nervous and anxious about all the things that make her career exciting. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2007 to 2008 at several recording studios, including 2nd Floor Studios in Orlando, Patchwerk Studios, Bangledesh Studios, Soapbox Studios, Silent Sound Studios, and Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, Chung King Studios, Electric Lady Studios, Roc The Mic Studios, and Strawberrybee Productions in New York, GAD Studios in (Ibiza), Spain, Mansfield Studios and The Campground in Los Angeles, South Beat Studios in Miami Beach, and The Boom Boom Room in Burbank. Producers and songwriters having collaborated with Beyoncé on the album include Kenneth Edmonds, Stargate, Tricky Stewart, Terius Nash, Rodney Jerkins, Sean Garrett, Solange, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love and Ryan Tedder. Beyoncé also collaborated with some writers and producers that she hadn’t worked with in the past, including producer Toby Gad on "If I Were A Boy" and UK songwriter Amanda Ghost on "Disappear" which reminded her of "The Beatles". Knowles said that at least three songs were recorded daily. Knowles brought in the biggest names in the music industry and over the course of eight months, she had co-written and co-produced over 70 songs which had been recorded for the album. Beyonce told that most of the songs turned out to be about love. Finally, only ten tracks were selected to be placed on the Standard Edition of I Am...Sasha Fierce while seven additional tracks were chosen to make the final cut for the Deluxe Edition of the album. Beyoncé stated that songs from established hitmakers like "The Neptunes" and "Danjahandz" did not make the cut.

For 'I Am...', Knowles was also influenced by folk and alternative songs and acoustic guitar which are all different from what she usually sings. Beyoncé produced, wrote and recorded a carefully crafted selection of contemporary ballads along with Kenneth Edmonds, Tricky Stewart and Terius Nash, Toby Gad and Ryan Tedder. These ballads were said to combine the best elements of pop and soul music, while simultaneously expanding the possibilities of both genres. For instance, "If I Were a Boy" is different from Knowles's previous songs." She wanted to try something fresh because people have strong expectations. The singer explained that the song is broad but she had to try it because she remembered that Aretha Franklin said that a great singer can sing anything and make it her own." Additionally, Beyoncé worked with Amanda Ghost to re-write the Schubert "Ave Maria". On November 8, 2008, Ghost told Daily Telegraph that both Beyoncé and herself were inspired by their respective recent marriages and eventually they had both come up the aisle to that song. Moreover, the songwriter explained the lyric showcases about the relationship of Beyoncé and her husband. They also co-wrote "Disappear" in London itself before starting with "Ave Maria". Beyonce stated that she loves singing ballads because she feels like the music and the emotion in the story is told much better.

Coming to the "Sasha Fierce" disc, the singer described the disc as a collection of songs that she is usually known for and that she loves as much as her more intimate side. "Sasha Fierce" utilizes production and songwriting from Rodney Jerkins, Sean Garrett, Solange, Rico Love and Jim Jonsin. The fresh modern sound of the alter ego is typified by Bangladesh production. "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is described as anthem of personal empowerment. Beyoncé further said that the up-tempo song called "Radio" basically talks about her childhood which she spent in her house itself, developping an strengthening love for music as she was growing. The only producer-songwriter duo to make both sides of the album is Tricky Stewart and The Dream who worked on "Smash Into You" from the "I Am…" side and the lead-in track on the "Sasha Fierce" disc, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)".

"I really wanted people to get to know what I love and to introduce them to different types of music. I started out, obviously, in Destiny's Child singing R&B, and I still love it. So I had to make sure I still had those grooves on the album.

In the months leading up to the release of the album, Beyoncé released a statement on her official website to give certain details about the nature of her upcoming album and about what could be expected from it. She said: "I am in a different place right now and I want people to see the many sides of me. The music is upbeat for the dance, fun side and it is reflective, passionate and serious for the personal side. I have taken risks here. I am not afraid and my music will explain it all. There is no label or tag on my sound. It's me and I am so excited to share it with the world on November 18." Making comparisons to a magazine, Knowles further elaborated that the record was a double album and that it had two covers. Concerning the album, Beyoncé's father-manager, Mathew Knowles said: "We thought outside of the box and did something different" As a concluding sentence, Beyoncé said that lyrically, I Am... Sasha Fierce is her best album till date and that she selected every song with deep thought before putting it on the record. while her label described her work as "her most personal, reflective and revelatory collection to-date."

Composition

Musical style and lyrics

In a Billboard magazine interview, Knowles further described the two sides of the album: "... One side has songs that are more mainstream and another has my more traditional R&B songs for my fans who've been there the whole time. Some of it sounds like Barbra Streisand, Karen Carpenter and The Beatles around the 1970s." Knowles later explained on The Oprah Winfrey Show that the difference between I Am... Sasha Fierce and Knowles's earlier solo albums is that it includes more ballads. The second disc, Sasha Fierce contains consistent electro influences, which are displayed in songs like "Radio" and "Sweet Dreams". Outlets and the media noted that the album is not streamlined like her previous albums and that it bares little resemblance to the retro-soul inflected B'Day. Instead, it is a two-disc set designed to reflect two conflicting sides of Beyoncé's musical personality. For instance, Bill Lamb in its review to the album commented about the songs on "Sasha Fierce": "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" is a throwback to B'Day's "Get Me Bodied". Furthermore, Andy Kellman of Allmusic said in its review that "Diva" resembles B'Day's "Freakum Dress" or "Ring the Alarm" in terms of audacity. Some critics described the ballads on "I Am..." as moody and the uptempo numbers on "Sasha Fierce" as propulsive dance-floor fillers. Entertainment Weekly noted how the choice of releasing two singles (one from each disc) to precede the album demonstrated the contrast between her two conflicting personae.

"I'm a human being. I cry. I'm very passionate and sensitive. My feelings get hurt. I get scared and nervous like everyone else. And I wanted to show that about myself. "It is about love. I'm a woman, I'm married, and this portion of my life is all in the album. It's a lot more personal. I'm very private and I don't talk about a lot of things, but there are certain songs that are on the album that are very personal. It's my diary. It's my story... I still have my album of fun songs."

"If I Were a Boy" is the first taste of "I Am ..." and it stands as the only song on either disc that Beyoncé didn't co-write. BC Jean, who wrote most of the song's lyrics, took inspiration in writing "If I Were a Boy" from a bad break-up. Beyonce further elaborated that the song is not a traditional R&B song. She wanted to try something new with stronger lyrics. Meanwhile critics compared the other lead single, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" to Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". The song soon got the title of an anthem of female empowerment. Knowles explained that the concept behind the song was simply to give women courage and confidence before putting a ring on their finger and to finally move on. "Halo" composed by Ryan Tedder and Evan Bogart was for Knowles but was almost recorded by Leona Lewis due the delay in Knowles telling Tedder that she wanted to record the song. In an interview with HitQuarters, Bogart said one of the original inspirations for the song was the singer Ray LaMontagne. Andy Kellman of Allmusic noted "Diva", a variation on Lil Wayne's "A Milli", is the only track that bore ressemblance to "Freakum Dress" or "Ring the Alarm" in terms of audacity. According to Billboard, "Ego" combines elements of both sides of Knowles's musical personality and sounds like an homage to old-school R&B midtempo jams." On the other hand, "Sweet Dreams" was critically acclaimed for sounding very similar Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' and for its electro-pop sound. Some critics even went on saying that it sounds like the cousin of Rihanna's 'Disturbia'". "Disappear" consists of sweet guitar-picking and delicate harmonies. "Broken-Hearted Girl" is a R&B-pop song beginning as a piano-and-vocal ballad, and then transcending into a minimalist beat.

According to Chris Willman of Yahoo!, "Video Phone" has lyrics that are a reference to "celebration of Skype sex and putting on a solo show, on camera, for a guy you just met at the club". "Radio" is an uptempo song that generates influences of '80s synthpop, Europop, and techno. The song explores the relationship between Beyoncé and her love for the songs played on the radio when she was young girl. The album also contains several reworked songs including "Smash into You", which was previously recorded by Jon McLaughlin as "Smack into You". The song was retooled and re-recorded by Beyoncé, earning her minimal song writing credits for changing "Smack" into "Smash". It was subsequently used for the closing credits of the 2009 film Obsessed, a film in which the Knowles had the lead role. "That's Why You're Beautiful" was said to be strangely ressembling the melancholy sides of early-'90s indie rock bands like "Tsunami" and "Versus". "Hello" comes off like another ballad that populate the first part of the album and contains "Jerry Maguire" line "You had me at hello" as part of its chorus. The Platinum edition of the album included a cover version by Knowles of the 1979 Billy Joel song "Honesty". However, not all of the songs were attributed to just 'Sasha Fierce'. For instance, "Ego", "Why Don't You Love Me" and "Scared of Lonely" were noted as being in between the album's two halves. According to VH1, these resemble Sasha musically, but thematically and lyrically, they are vulnerable like Beyoncé.

Sasha Fierce

The album formally introduces Knowles' alter-ego Sasha Fierce. Knowles said that Sasha was born during the making of her 2003 hit single "Crazy in Love". In an interview with People magazine, Beyoncé affirmed that her alter-ego is strictly for the stage, with the editor describing Sasha Fierce as the singer's sensual, aggressive alter ego. She later told MTV: "Half the record, I Am..., is about who I am underneath all the makeup, underneath the lights and underneath all the exciting star drama. And Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I'm working and when I'm onstage. The double album allows me to take more risks and really step out of myself, or shall I say, step more into myself, and reveal a side of me that only people who know me see." Later interviewed by Marie Claire, she revealed that she feels possessed by her alter-ego on stage: "I've created an alter ego: things I do when performing I would never do normally. I reveal things about myself that I wouldn’t do in an interview. I have out-of-body experiences . If I cut my leg, if I fall, I don’t even feel it. I’m so fearless, I'm not aware of my face or my body".

Release

The Deluxe edition of the album was released simultaneously with the Standard edition. Mathew Knowles held a listening party for the album in New York on October 22, 2008. Prior to the album's release date, the entire album was premiered on November 11, 2008 through Knowles' MySpace account. To correspond with the double album's release, Columbia Records created a teaser website for Sasha Fierce.

"I'm in a very good place right now. I'm very happy. I'm growing up, and I'm really comfortable with myself. I'm getting wiser and smarter. ... I know that people see celebrities, and they seem like they're so perfect — they seem like their life is so great, and they have money and fame. But I'm a human being. I cry. I'm very passionate and sensitive. My feelings get hurt. I get scared and nervous like everyone else. And I wanted to show that about myself. It's about love. That's what this album is all about."

In May 2009, Knowles appeared at MTV to talk about her upcoming single "Ego". She seized the opportunity to elaborate a bit about the album, telling that: "One of the great things about the album is that it's so diverse." Later on June 16, 2009, Above and Beyoncé: Video Collection & Dance Mixes was released. This CD/DVD release included dance remixes to the singles of the album (as well as the "Ego" remix with rapper Kanye West) and the videos previously released for these singles. Finally the Platinum edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce was released in a list of selected countries in November 2009, featuring a CD and a DVD.

The Deluxe edition of the album was re-issued in the United States on November 23, 2009 including all of the previously released songs along with additional new songs "Poison" and "Why Don't You Love Me", as well as the remix of "Video Phone" with Lady Gaga. An EP titled I Am...Sasha Fierce - The Bonus Tracks was released on November 23, 2009 in several countries featuring these new tracks.

Following the album's digital release, "Ave Maria" débuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 150 on November 29, 2008. Knowles also covered a version of the song "Honesty" (a 1979 song by Billy Joel) and included it as a bonus track for the Platinum Edition of the album. It gained some attention in Japan where it charted at number 79 in 2009. Knowles also performed the song on her I Am... Tour (in Korea only) and it eventually charted at number 2 on the Korean Singles Chart on week ending January 17, 2010. "Radio" was released in Netherlands only instead of "Broken-Hearted Girl" in September 2009. It was used in different Dutch television commercials to promote local radio stations, and thus peaked at number 14 on the Dutch Top 40 due to strong digital downloads. After the release of the EP - I Am...Sasha Fierce - The Bonus Tracks in Korea, a new song featured on the extended play, "Poison" became very popular over there and reached the top position of the Korean Singles Chart on week ending February 7, 2010.

Singles

• "If I Were a Boy" peaked at three on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped eight charts worldwide and reached top ten in many other charts.

• "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" was the second lead single and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Knowles' fifth number-one single and was also successful in other international markets, peaking in top ten positions around the world. The singles were certified 2× platinum and 4× platinum respectively by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Additionally, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won three Grammy Awards at the 52nd Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

• "Diva" was released as a US-only single and peaked at nineteen on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Knowles' twelfth top twenty single and at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was certified Gold by RIAA.

• "Halo" was serviced internationally and peaked at number five in the US and again proved to be commercially successful reaching top ten around the world. It also won a Grammy for the Best Female Pop Vocal and was certified 2× platinum in early 2010 by the RIAA.

• "Ego" was a US-only single released on May 19, 2009, and subsequently came up with a remix featuring additional vocals from Kanye West. It peaked at thirty-nine the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was certified Gold by RIAA.

• "Sweet Dreams" reached top ten in most countries though it did top the New Zealand Singles chart and was certified platinum in the United States.

• "" the seventh single, reached the top forty in charts around the world, despite never being certified nor released in the United States.

• "Video Phone" was released as the eighth single from the album with a music video and digital download release taking form of an extended remix featuring American electropop artist, Lady Gaga. Like it's predecessor, it reached top forty in countries around the world, peaked at number 65 in the US. and is Knowles' fourteenth number-one on the US Dance Club Chart. In February 2010, a bonus track from the album's multiple re-releases

• "Why Don't You Love Me" climbed up the US Hot Dance Club Songs, eventually taking the top spot and becoming Knowles' thirteenth number-one dance hit. On May 4, 2010 a full-length music video appeared online. The song got a proper digital release in he United Kingdom on August 27, 2010. On September 13, 2010, "Why Don't You Love Me" peaked at number 51 on the UK Singles and at number 14 on its R&B chart.

As of July 2010, the digital tracks from the album have sold a combined total of 12,305,000 units in the United States.

Commercial performance

I Am... Sasha Fierce made its first debut at number five on Japan's Oricon international albums chart and subsequently moved to the top spot on the chart, becoming Knowles' third number-one album in that country. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 482,000 units in its first week and giving Knowles her third consecutive number one album in the US. Eventually, Knowles became the third female artist of this decade to have her first three albums debut at the top spot of the US Billboard 200 albums chart. According to Billboard it was the tenth best selling album of 2008. The album so far received a 2× platinum certification by RIAA. As of January 2010, the album has sold more around 2,800,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan. After the 52nd Grammy Awards cereomony where Beyoncé set a record for female artists by winning six trophies in one night, I Am ... Sasha Fierce moved up 21 spots from number 35 to number 14 selling around 32,200 copies for an increase of 101%. I Am...Sasha Fierce spent a longevity 81 weeks inside the US Billboard 200 chart from December 2008 to June 2010,

In the UK, the album debuted at number ten on November 29, 2008, becoming Knowles' lowest-debuting album despite having higher first week sales than her previous album, B'Day. Following Knowles' performance at the 2008 The X Factor finale with winner Alexandra Burke, the album moved up to number nine on December 27, 2008. Due to the success of its singles in the UK and especially due to the success of "Sweet Dreams", I Am...Sasha Fierce rose from number five to its highest peak of number two in its 39th week on the chart (August 16, 2009). The release of the Platinum edition helped to further increase its sales as the album surged from number 53 to eight on November 14, 2009 (On its 51st week on the chart). On January 22, 2010, the album was certified 4× platinum by BPI.As of September 2010, the album had spent 96 consecutive weeks on the chart (top 100) with 75 weeks in the main top 40 chart as from November 2, 2008 to May 10, 2010, before dropping out of the top 100, for the first time, on September 26, 2010. In Ireland, I Am... Sasha Fierce debuted at number three, making it Knowles's second top three album in that country. After the commercial success of the two lead singles "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and announcement of the tour, the album went on to top the Irish charts for two consecutive weeks in early January 2009, giving Knowles her second Irish number-one album. The album remained in the top 25 for 75 consecutive weeks from November 20, 2008, to April 22, 2010, becoming one of the most successful albums of all time in Ireland, despite being certified only 2× Platinum due to a very early audition. However, it managed to re-enter the top 25 moving from number 35 to number 21 on July 1, 2010 and was last seen on the chart on August 5, 2010 after having spent 90 consecutive weeks on the chart, counting 77 weeks in the top 25.

In Australia, I Am... Sasha Fierce debuted at number nine in late November 2008, and peaked at number eight in early January 2009. However, following the success of singles "Sweet Dreams" and "Broken-Hearted Girl", the album rebounded to a new peak of three on two separate occasions in October 2009 and was certified 3× Platinum on November 23, 2009. The album fell out of the main top 50 chart on May 10, 2010, after having spent an impressive 76 consecutive weeks on the top 50 albums chart. However, it made a remarkable comeback in the main top 50 chart on June 7, 2010, jumping from number 76 to number 25, and spent five further weeks in the top 50 before falling out of the main top 50 chart on July 12, 2010. Overall, I Am...Sasha Fierce charted for 81 weeks in the top 50 from November 24, 2008 to July 5, 2010 and for 89 consecutive weeks in the top 100 from November 24, 2008 to August 8, 2010. In New Zealand, the album debuted at number 16 in late November 2008 and initially peaked at number six in early March 2009. Growing popularity of its singles, especially "Sweet Dreams", pushed the album up to a new peak of three on September 21, 2009. The album was certified Platinum on April 26, 2009, (after twenty-three weeks on the chart) shipping over 15,000 copies to retailers and spent 61 non-consecutive weeks on the chart from November 24, 2008, to April 5, 2010. In Spain, the album debuted and peaked at number 7 on November 26, 2008, and was certified Platinum for shipment of over 60,000 copies on October 26, 2009. It was last seen in the chart on September 1, 2010 after having spent 82 non-consecutive weeks in the top 100. The album went on to be certified Diamond in Brazil. With this achievement, Beyoncé was described as a "sales phenomenon" by Alexandre Schiavo. With 182 thousand copies sold between January and October 2009, I Am ... Sasha Fierce ranked third among the most sold albums in the country.

After the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony, I Am... Sasha Fierce either remarkably ascended several albums charts or re-entered others and set new peaks in countries such as Switzerland, Austria and Portugal in February 2010. As of September 2010, shipment has reached over seven million copies worldwide and sales are at over 6.7 million copies.

I Am... Tour

To promote the album, Knowles embarked on a worldwide tour with several performances. Knowles' I Am... Tour kicked off in Edmonton, Canada on March 26, 2009, in support of the album. The European leg of the tour started on April 26, 2009, in Zagreb, Croatia and ended on June 9, 2009, in London, England. On June 21, 2009, she began the third leg of the tour in the United States and finished in August with a 4-day stint at Encore Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. Starting on September 15, 2009, the fourth leg began in Melbourne, Australia and finished on September 24 in Perth, Australia. Knowles then went on performing in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the United Kingdom, before finishing the 2009 portion of the tour on November 24 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The tour had its final leg in 2010, visiting Latin America. Starting on February 4, 2010, in Florianópolis, Brazil, she visited five other places before ending in Trinidad on February 18, 2010. According to Pollstar, the tour earned $17.2 million between January 1, and June 30, 2010, which added onto her total of $86 million for her first 93 concerts in 2009, brings the tour total to $103.2 million for the 97 shows. While Knowles was on tour, she played at a Las Vegas residency at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas. Titled I Am... Yours, the August 2, 2009, show was recorded and later released as a DVD, audio CD and television special in late November 2009.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	(B)
Entertainment Weekly	(B+)
The Guardian
Pitchfork Media	(5.7/10)
PopMatters	(6/10)
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine
USA Today
The Village Voice	(favorable)

Upon its release, I Am... Sasha Fierce received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 62, based on 22 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "The strength of I Am…Sasha Fierce is its individual songs—not good enough to make for an album that's greater than the sum of its parts, but a testament to Beyoncé as one of today's most reliable singles artists", but noted "the real disparity is her inability to reconcile the adult-contemporary schmaltz of I Am with the more modern, edgy sounds of Sasha Fierce". Stacey Anderson of Spin wrote that the album's first disc suffers from "underwhelming purr" and called its second disc "an intriguing but diluted direction". The Observer's Adam Mattera gave it 2 out of 5 stars and noted both discs for lacking depth, stating "Disc 1 is too busy chasing radio formats to expose any genuine soul ... The Sasha side cuts straight to business with the single-minded 'Radio'... and a succession of independent woman anthems such as 'Single Ladies' and 'Diva', which will no doubt inspire drag queens the world over but leave most others bemused". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman viewed its double-disc "gimmick" as "flimsy" and favored its second disc's "decent, if easily forgettable, upbeat pop". He expressed that on its I Am... disc, "Beyoncé feels each line to the fullest extent, which almost rescues the set's staidness". Mariel Concepcion of Billboard viewed that "it's the classic, more timeless R&B songs on the portion of the album that seem like a much-welcomed stretch for the singer." Amy Linden of Vibe stated "Ironically, it's the more tame (and nameless) persona that's the most intriguing, commanding and sexual. ... Beyoncé sounds relaxed, confident and, if for no other reason than the fact that you can't hear her trying, hits the mark". Matos Michaelangelo of The A.V. Club gave the album a B− rating even though he said that "The two halves wouldn't necessarily sound better shuffled together—both are pretty uneven." Bill Lamb of About.com gave it 4 stars out 5 and stated "I Am... Sasha Fierce is an impressive effort and concept. However, it falls somewhat short of the bracing quality of her previous album B'Day. Yet, this is not an album to be missed."

In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B rating and named it "dud of the month", indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought. At the upper level it may merely be overrated, disappointing, or dull. Down below it may be contemptible". Christgau described its "split-personality bit" as "deeply vapid" and wrote that "there are three good songs on this 11-track artifact". Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the album 3 stars out of 5 and viewed its content as impersonal. Jonah Weiner of Blender it 3 out of 5 stars and stated "Beyoncé is still a beauty-shop feminist, quick with the smack-downs, and she still describes the rattling rush of love with preternatural poise". Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal viewed it as a regression from her previous album B'Day and stated "Nobody wins the Beyoncé vs. Sasha battle-- often, the listener loses". Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone noted that its slow songs are "full of bland self-affirmation and saggy lines", but wrote that "the 'Sasha' disc boasts Beyoncé's most adventurous music yet". Colin McGuire of PopMatters called the album "a little rough around the edges at times" and viewed its Sasha Fierce disc as "a far more compelling trip down dance-lane". The Village Voice's Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond found its I Am... disc incohesive, but stated "Sasha Fierce suffers no such identity crisis. Brassy, big-headed, confrontational, and witty, each incendiary track challenges you to leave your inhibitions at coat-check". Daniel Brockman of The Phoenix gave the album 3 stars out of 4 and recommended to "skip directly to disc two". Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly wrote that the album offers "two compelling sides" of Knowles and stated "The collection might have been better served had she edited it down to one disc, rather than belabor what ultimately seems like a marketing gimmick. And while fans will surely speculate, there's little in the lyrics that feels more revealing than previous emotional fire-starters such as 2006's 'Ring the Alarm'".

The album was ranked number 12 on the list of Best Albums of the Decade in Rolling Stone's Reader's Poll. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly ranked I Am…Sasha Fierce at number two on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 10 Best Albums of 2008, stating that "'If I Were a Boy' and 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)' are undoubtedly album highlights; still, the surprise here is how consistently satisfying the rest of it is — even the less showy tracks blossom on repeated listening. It also won a 2009 Soul Train Award for Album of the Year. The album and its singles earned Knowles eight Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year. It ultimatedly won Best Contemporary R&B Album.

Track listing

Standard edition

Deluxe edition

2009 deluxe edition

Platinum edition

In September 2009, an enhanced two-disc version of the album was released, its first disc featuring 16 tracks from the original version with four bonus audio tracks, and its second disc, a DVD containing all eight of Beyonce's videos from I Am... Sasha Fierce with "behind the scenes" features of her video shoots documentary.

Bonus tracks EP

Notes

• The deluxe edition on iTunes contains the videos for "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)".
• On iTunes Spain and Mexico, the album was released with a bonus track, "Si Yo Fuera un Chico" (the Spanish version of "If I Were a Boy"), whilst the Mexican physical edition included it as a bonus track.
• At Wal-Mart, both digital versions, and at least some copies of both physical versions, included MP3 recordings of "Déjà Vu", "Me, Myself and I", "Irreplaceable", and "At Last" made for the retailer's "Soundcheck" series.

Personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.

Managerial

Performance credits

Visuals and imagery

Instruments

Technical and production

Charts, certifications and succession

Procession and succession

Awards and nominations

Award procession and succession

Release history

2008

2009

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External links

• Official website
• I Am... Sasha Fierce at Discogs
• I Am... Sasha Fierce at Metacritic

• Pages with empty short description
• Use mdy dates from August 2010
• 2008 albums
• Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins
• Albums produced by Jim Jonsin
• Albums produced by Sean Garrett
• Albums produced by Stargate
• Albums produced by Toby Gad
• Albums produced by Tricky Stewart
• Beyoncé Knowles albums
• Columbia Records albums
• Concept albums