Have you heard?
Singer, and now rapper, Queen Bee, has just released her second studio album, Beware.
The album takes Queen Bee in a different direction from her debut - this time recording a 9-track long hip hop album, again under Residual Records.
Where is the album available?
Initially, Beware was set to release on:
Modern Spartans, inc., Brain Dead Records parent company,
commenting on copyright issues with Queen Bee's "Beware".
SoundCloud also houses Beware, but only the first 5 tracks are available over there, for now.
Because of the complications that arose, Residual Records announced that BandCamp will be the only location that will house the Deluxe Edition of Beware. The Deluxe Edition contains 2 bonus tracks by fan favourites Tri$ha and FranTiK that are only available once the album has been downloaded, and are not available for streaming.
For our review, we will be focusing solely on the Standard Edition, but we will have a section at the end dedicated to the bonus tracks found on the Deluxe Edition. How much does the album cost?
This is Residual Records' first paid release.
Although The Struggle EP and Life Hurts were meant to be paid albums, they were both released for free, exclusive to YouTube over fears that they would not be successful commercially. However, Beware was always intended to be a paid album, and Residual Records followed through on that this time, confident that the album would be a success. Because of this, Beware is priced at a very reasonable £4.99 (British Pound Sterling), and is available globally. Should you only want to purchase a single song from the album, individual songs are priced at £0.99 (British Pound Sterling). If this is out of your price range, the entire album is free for streaming on BandCamp, and will be coming to other locations shortly. Payment is only required to download the album. At the end of our review, we will discuss if we think the album is worth buying or not. Disclaimer
This review is sponsored by Residual Records and Queen Bee, but sponsorships have no impact over our reviews. This review, like all reviews, is completely impartial and contains our honest opinions.
First Impressions
The layout of the album is far better than it use to be.
Residual Records is the first NWC record label to distribute music in this way. Previously, all other record labels have sold music through YouTube videos that require purchase to be viewed. We think Residual Records have just changed the game. Though it seems like the obvious thing to do, it's just never been done before Beware, and we have a feeling it will be done by all NWC record labels in the future - especially for all of Residual Records' future releases. The page setup is very minimalistic and simple, and the album credits are clearly displayed below the play/buy section. Additionally, every track has an 'info' button next to it, allowing the listener to read the credits for that song individually. One song, Ashamed (Pre-Release Version), by The Beast, also contains the track's lyrics, allowing the user to sing along with The Beast. Track 1 The first track, titled Beware, throws the listener right into the album, and serves to set the tone of the first half. The theme of the song is very dark. Almost horrorcore-esq, but not really. The beat is very dark and creepy sounding, and the lyrics could be best described as telling the listener to 'watch their back', because this world is full of "snakes" and "fakes". One of the very first things that stand out, though, are the vocals. Forget what you remember about the sweet-sounding Queen Bee, because this is the new Queen Bee, and her vocals are harsh and to the point! Even though there is still a softness to them, the vocally damaged Queen Bee is gone, and a new one prevails! It will be interesting to see what Queen Bee has to say about her vocal performance and recovery during our Beware Interview (releasing soon). Track 2 The second track is titled Exclusive, and contains a lot of references to Queen Bee's youth, as well as 'bigging herself up'. The beat is very nice. It's more fun and upbeat than Beware was, and the hook is comprised from samples of old hip hop records - a real throwback to the origins of the culture they're representing with this album. What we can't get over, however, is the censorship in the song. We're not entirely sure why, but many of the words and phrases are distorted and censored, seemingly deliberately. It's a shame, because this could easily have been the best song on the album if it weren't for the constant and extreme censorship. It sounds weird, and it isn't even done very well, in our opinion. This is defiantly going to be one of the first questions we ask Queen Bee in our interview. Track 3 The next track is called No Hook. We don't really know why the song is called that, because it does, in fact, contain a hook, even if the hook is just; "No hook just bars, no hook just bars / No hook / No hook just bars, no hook just bars / No hook". Regardless, it's a very nice song with a chill beat. A break from the intense first and second track. Track 4 The fourth track is a little different from the rest. The beat is more modern than the beats on the rest of the album, and the flow and lyrics aren't up to the same level of the other tracks, in our opinion. The song has a single word censored, but it's still clear to make out what it means. We were curious over why the sound is so different, so we looked at the track credits and compared it to the other songs. Despite being titled Que Beast (seemingly a cross between The Beast and Queen Bee), this was the only track that was not written by The Beast, with The Beast being credited as the main writer for every other track. The overall crew involved was smaller, too, with only one Assistant Producer credited. Despite all of this, it was still a very good track, and some of our team thought it was one of the better songs on the track. Track 5 The fifth track is different from all the others, and marks an essential shift in the tone of the album. This song, titled Ashamed (Pre-Release Version), felt almost unfinished. The production value is very high, but it's almost as if it were rushed. Nevertheless, the track is very solid. What is different about this song, though, is that it only contains The Beast, and nobody else is even credited with the making of the song, other than Rujay, who received an engineering credit. The lyrics are somewhat juxtaposed with the beat and vocals. The vocals and beat give off a really sad and depressing feeling, but the lyrics are rather comical, telling the story of a person that poops their pants in school, describing that person's experiences.
It is here that an essential shift in the album is made.
Beware is very much split up into two sides, we feel. The first side (tracks 1-4) is a hardcore hip hop album, and the second side (tracks 6-9) are more soulful, and, with the exception of track 8, would probably be classified as R&B, rather than rap. Overall, this was a good song. The beats of Que Beast and Ashamed (Pre-Release Version) fade into each other seamlessly, but the track still feels a little out of place in the album, especially considering it doesn't even feature Queen Bee herself. in fact, the track isn't even accredited to Queen Bee, it's credited to The Beast. It's almost as if The Beast is just trying to force himself into every nook and cranny of Residual Records. We guess he has the right to do so. He is, after all, the CEO of Black Dog Records, Brain Dead Records and Modern Spartans, inc., but even so... it just seems weird. Track 6 At 02:03, the sixth song is by far the shortest on the album. This is actually quite upsetting, because it's an amazing song, and the hook is extremely catchy. Track 7 Papier-Mâché Heart... what can we say about this song? It's good? It's great? We don't know. Regardless, it's a very song, and the decision to place it right after I'm Q was an amazing decision! Well done on this record! Track 8 The next song is called Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, and it takes a break from the soulful R&B side of the album, and, honestly, we have to say this was a fantastic call! The song really serves to balance out the pacing, and ensure that listeners that aren't a fan of the slower style don't give up on the album right before the end. The beat is very hard, as are the lyrics are vocals. It's very similar to Exclusive, just without all of the pointless censorship. The lyrics almost carry on from Beware, but are more aggressive towards people that are trying to enter the culture without the proper respect for it. We would have to say this is one of the best songs on the entire album, if not the absolute best. Track 9 The final track is called Sidekick, and it details Queen Bee's relationship with one of her ex-partners. Hopefully we'll be able to find out some dirt about their relationship in our interview. Anyway, the song is very well made, and it sound incredible. It feels final. You can tell the album is concluding, but it leaves you wanting more. At this point, we don't think bonus tracks are necessary. The ending feels good as it is. Positives
The lyrics are impeccable. I know we bashed on The Beast pretty hard for Ashamed (Pre-Release Version), but nobody can doubt that he is an impeccable lyricist and Executive Producer. If one were to argue that The Beast was up there lyrically with hip hop's greats, I don't think we would be able to argue with you. It's also nice to see that he can write songs that aren't raps.
The pacing of the album is very good. You feel hyped when Queen Bee wants you to, and you feel chilled out when she wants you to. It's also amazing how The Beast and Queen Bee are able to make the listener feel emotional about things we have no knowledge of. Sidekick is a great example of this. I don't even know who Queen Bee's ex is, only that he or she "left [her] for the side chick" - but that doesn't stop me from almost balling my eyes out. Negatives
The location of the album is a bit awkward.
Most people would have found iTunes or Spotify more practical, but we can't really fault Residual Records for this. It would have just been nice if they could have sorted these issues out before releasing the album. If you listen on a PC or Mac, it's fine, though. It's only mobile listeners that may find it awkward. I know we've said it before, but Ashamed (Pre-Release Version) feels so out of place. It genuinely is a very good track, we're not just not completely sure it fits in well with the rest of the album. Bonus Tracks
We have listened to and analysed both bonus tracks, and honestly, they are very solid.
FranTiK's song comes first, right at the end of the main album, and the transition into it is nice. The song is nothing special, but it's very good. It's probably the best thing we've ever seen from FranTiK before, which says a lot, doesn't it? However, Tri$ha's song is the real star of the show. We know it's what you're all wondering about, really, and it's okay to wonder about it. We sure were, and it completely blew us away. We think it's worth paying £4.99 just for this song, never mind the rest of the album. So is it worth paying to download the album? That's subjective, and we can't make that decision for you. This is just our review, and this is only our opinion, and whether or not you think it's worth downloading completely depends on your individual situation and whether or not you like the songs, and if you have been following Tri$ha's career and recovery as closely as some people have. But if you like it, it's only £4.99 ($6.57), so we would 100% recommend downloading it. Album Information
Total Run Time: 54:45 (60:37)
Number Of Tracks: 9 (11) Release Date: 07/01/2018 Artists: Queen Bee , The Beast , Tri$ha , FranTiK Conclusion
Interest/Retention --> 5/5
Sound Quality --> 5/5 Production --> 5/5 Sound --> 5/5 Lyrics --> 5/5 We give "Life Hurts" by Queen Bee a 10/10!! You can't deny that Residual Records have done an amazing job here. Seriously, we're going to go back and revise all our previous reviews soon, because they have been vastly overestimated. This one... this is a perfect 10. What we found amazing was just how long it is. It really doesn't feel like an hour long album, but is clearly is. Time really flies when you listen to Queen Bee, I guess. Sponsors
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