Moving away from the brittle, Amerie-funk that made her last album B'Day an acquired taste, recent leak (and possible upcoming release teaser) "Beautiful Nitemare" finds Beyonce venturing down more of a dance-pop path. Does that mean that she's reducing her trademark widescreen yowls to a near-whispered purr a la Janet or Ciara? Of course not; as always, she beats the track into submission with her juggernaut pipes.

At best an ultra-polished filler tune, Jigga's better half still gives it her all as far as the songwriting and vocal performance goes, filling in the holes of it's somewhat generic, spaced out beat with sultry wishes that the fantasy man existing solely in her dreams could find some way to materialize by her side in real life.

It's nothing too extraordinary, but after a few listens, "Beautiful Nitemare" will start to stick in your brain. Damn, even her C-material bears the potential to be a hit record. No wonder she's one of the most hated-on figures in R&B.



DL: "Beautiful Nitemare" (YFH)