Column: This one's for you, Baby Blue

Although Beyoncé is one of the most influential rhythm and blues and pop music superstars, her most recent album, “4,” has had little exposure.

After it was released in June 2011, most of “4”’s popularity came with news that Beyoncé was pregnant, and the marketing for the album seemed to follow this pregnancy.

Two months after dropping the album, Beyoncé performed one of the singles, “Love On Top,” at the MTV Video Music Awards. When the song started, Beyoncé told the crowd, “I want you to stand up on your feet. I want you to feel the love that’s growing
inside of me.”

She then performed a lively rendition of the song and concluded by taking off her blazer, showing off her baby bump and driving the crowd, including Kanye West and Jay-Z, wild.

The video soon went viral and increased the song’s popularity.

Two months after the performance, the music video for “Countdown” was released. The video is vibrant, entertaining and, simply put, awesome.

Beyoncé’s love song to Jay-Z is equipped with an upbeat tempo, staccato horn and catchy phrases that instantly get stuck in your head.

The video and song also express the excitement of her then baby-to-be, with clever lyrics such as “I’m trying to make us three from a two / he’s still the one.”

“Countdown,” along with other singles, including “Party” and “End of Time,” beg to be played on repeat.

Their great hooks and catchy melodies make the songs some of the best pop music of the year. However, other songs on the album are so dull and repetitious that they are not even worth a listen. There is a lack of cohesive flow in the album, which takes away from the overall quality of the work.

The baby-influenced music has not ended for Beyoncé and Jay-Z. On Jan. 7, Beyoncé gave birth to Blue Ivy Carter, and less than a week later, Jay-Z released “Glory,” featuring the cries of baby Blue.

Blue is billed on the single as “B.I.C.” and is the youngest person to be on a Billboard chart.

With Beyoncé as a mom and Jay-Z as a father, it’s no surprise that baby Blue has already made music history.

It has been an exciting year for her parents, and one can only hope that Blue continues to be an inspiration for them and takes advantage of the fact that she probably has the best lullabies in the world.

— bafinkel@indiana.edu