Queen B’s catalog is just as impressive as anyone else’s.
5. B’Day (2006)
This is easily Beyoncé’s most slept-on album.
Some people forget that Beyoncé used to be a part of a group. Before you say everyone should know that already, mind you, Destiny’s Child’s last album released in 2004, when you’re 20-year-old kid was a whopping 0 years old. I bring this up because I feel like a transition period usually comes with transitioning from a group member to a solo artist. While I think Beyoncé struggled with this in Dangerously In Love, B’Day felt like the album that solidified that she would be a superstar.
B’Day features heart-pumping, sassy R&B dance tracks that are supposed to be played repeatedly. It also features too much Swizz Beatz, a dope-ass Houston anthem with Bun B and Slim Thug, and one of the greatest break-up songs ever in “Irreplaceable.” Overall, I think this album got people to start obsessing over Beyoncé tracks.
Favorite Tracks: “Irreplaceable,” “Upgrade U,” & “Check On It.”
4. RENAISSANCE
I have this strange feeling that people aren’t appreciating what Beyoncé did on “RENASSIANCE” enough.
Beyoncé’s ability to reinvent herself over and over again is incredible. It’s like Tom Brady transforming from a Running back to a Wide Receiver to a Linebacker. Anyhow, I mention this because I believe Beyoncé’s most impressive reinvention came on RENAISSANCE.
Throughout RENAISSANCE, Beyoncé props up women (Particularly black women) in ways I’ve never heard before. She embraces their bodies, personalities, decisions, beliefs, tempers, and statures. She comes across as the ultimate ally.
You are probably used to hearing hip-hop and pop fusions daily; throughout RENAISSANCE, you get concoctions that blend African, runway, R&B, and dance vibes. Most songs on this album practically change faces more than Renee Zellweger. You might feel somber at the beginning of one and end up feeling like you can rule the world.
For those who don’t think this album belongs on this list, here’s a tidbit: It’s by far her most streamed album.
Favorite Tracks: “CUFF IT,” “ENERGY,” “BREAK MY SOUL.”
3. Beyoncé (2014)
Beyoncé found a sound she can fall back on with this album.
I find it strange that no one ever mentions how important this self-titled album is to Beyoncé’s catalog. Before its release, I never felt like she was fully comfortable with the music she was releasing or how it represented the woman she was. However, once you heard “Drunk In Love” with her husband Jay-Z, you knew we were getting a masked-off version of the Texas singer.
Beyoncé mainly stays in an R&B, borderline pop pocket on this album; however, it experiments with the genre in ways we’ve never heard before. Though I wouldn’t say the album has aged very well, one can argue it somewhat revolutionized R&B music.
Favorite Tracks: “Drunk In Love,” “Mine,” and “Flawless.”
2. Lion King: The Gift (2019)
If we count this as a Beyoncé album, it’s clearly her second-best.
Beyoncé has undergone numerous transformations throughout her career as a musician. One of her most bold and unexpected shifts was her venture into Afropop. In The Lion King: The Gift, the Houston-born singer collaborated with Afropop stars like WizKid, Burna Boy, Shatta Wale, and others. What’s remarkable is how seamlessly she integrated into the genre, infusing it with her own style while fully embracing its sound.
Apart from the fantastic African-influenced songs on this album (some of which Beyoncé is not on, such as “JA ARE” and “KEYS TO THE KINGDOM”), there are also some really powerful R&B tracks. I find “BIGGER” to be impactful, “MOOD 4 EVA” to be explosive, and “OTHERSIDE” to be beautiful. Overall, this album feels grandiose, which, as a Nigerian-American, is incredibly cool.
How do I find a version of this album without skits?
Favorite Tracks: “BROWN SKIN GIRL,” “ALREADY,” and “FIND YOUR WAY BACK.”
1. Lemonade (2016)
If someone told me they think “Lemonade” is the best album of all time, my ears wouldn’t flair up at all.
In Lemonade, Beyoncé showcases her versatility, maturity, pettiness, righteousness, and vengefulness. In tracks like “Pray You Catch Me” and “Sandcastles,” she impresses with her voice. At the same time, she embraces a carefree attitude in “Sorry,” rebelliousness in “Freedom,” turbulence in “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” and vulnerability in “Daddy Lessons.” Overall, Lemonade stands as Beyoncé’s magnum opus, a masterpiece that beautifully captures the essence of the multifaceted woman she is.
For all the people who want to blackball Beyoncé for making country music, listen to “Daddy Lessons,” please.
Favorite Tracks: “Sorry,” “All Night” & “Freedom.”
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
