Music / I Am... Sasha Fierce

This is just one of this album's many album covers.

I try to reach you
I can almost feel you
You're nearly here
And then you disappear

— Disappear

I Am… Sasha Fierce is the third album by American singer Beyoncé, released on November 12, 2008.

This album features two discs each aiming to capture different sides of Beyoncé. The first half—I Am...—contains ballads that are softer, romantic, and/or more introspective. The second half—Sasha Fierce—is comprised of dancier and more upbeat tracks that encapsulate the essence of her stage persona for which the album is named.

The album produced nine singles: "If I Were a Boy," "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Diva," "Halo," "Ego," "Sweet Dreams," "Broken-Hearted Girl," "Video Phone," and "Why Don't You Love Me." Some of these songs went on to become some of Beyoncé's biggest hits. "Single Ladies" spent a non-consecutive four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and its accompanying music video helped to spark one of the first major internet dance crazes in the late 2000s; "Halo" became one of Beyoncé's best-selling songs as well as her first to reach a billion views on YouTube; and "Diva" has become a staple in the singer's concert setlists since its parent album's release.

I Am... Sasha Fierce received seven Grammy Award nominations at the 2010 ceremony: Album of the Year, Best Contemporary R&B Album, Record of the Year for "Halo," Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Halo," Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for the remix of "Ego" with Kanye West. She managed to take home every award for "Single Ladies" as well as Best Pop Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album. "Single Ladies"'s win for Song of the Year remains Beyoncé's only in one of the major four categories.

In promotion of this album, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... Tour (2009-10).

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Tracklist (standard edition)

Disc 1: I Am…

1. ”If I Were A Boy”
2. ”Halo”
3. ”Disappear”
4. ”Broken-Hearted Girl”
5. ”Ave Maria”
6. ”Satellites”

Disc 2: Sasha Fierce

1. ”Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
2. ”Radio”
3. ”Diva”
4. ”Sweet Dreams”
5. ”Video Phone”

Singles

1. "If I Were A Boy"
2. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
3. "Diva"
4. "Halo"
5. "Ego"*
6. "Sweet Dreams"
7. "Broken-Hearted Girl"
8. "Video Phone"
9. "Why Don't You Love Me"*

* denotes a track that was featured on a deluxe version of the album.

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I trope like this ‘cause I can back it up!

• The '50s: “Why Don’t You Love Me”’s music video evokes this time period from the housewife roleplay, dated camera quality, and the '50s Hair reminiscent of Bettie Page.
• Bonus Material: Eleven songs made the standard release of the album. The bonus tracks featured on the re-releases expanded the tracklist to a whopping twenty tracks.
• Distinct Double Album: Fittingly so, as the album’s main gimmick is drawing on the two sides of Beyoncé’s persona: her normal self and Sasha Fierce.
• Fear Song: In “Scared of Lonely,” Beyoncé sings of her fear of the loneliness of singlehood.
• Grief Song: "Halo" has become this. Beyoncé has performed this in tribute of Michael Jackson, the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
• Guardian Angel: In “Halo,” Beyoncé tells her lover that he is this for her.
• Hates Being Alone: "Scared of Lonely."
  I'm scared of lonely
  And I'm scared of being the only
  Shadow I see along the wall
  And I'm scared the only heartbeat
  I hear beating is my own
• Mood Whiplash: The I Am... side leaves off on "Satellites," a soft love ballad. Sasha Fierce picks up where the previous disc left off with the boisterous mega-hit "Single Ladies."
  • It happens again within the deluxe edition(s) of Sasha Fierce. The vivacious and confident "Ego" is immediately followed by "Scared of Lonely," a song where Beyoncé is pleading for reassurance from her partner.
• New Sound Album: A departure from her usual R&B stylings, this album serves as her one and only truly pop album. This album follows the trends of its time, leaning into more simple and electronic sounds. Since this album was released, she has been much less formulaic and much more experimental with her music.
• Radio Song: Track 2 of Sasha Fierce.
• Updated Re-release: This album had multiple rereleases that expanded the album’s tracklist.
• A Wild Rapper Appears!: Kanye West is featured on the “Ego” remix.
  • Funnily enough, this is her first album to not feature at least one collaboration with husband Jay-Z.