As one of the biggest artists to emerge in the past 15 years, Beyoncé Knowles is inhabiting a hemisphere where greatness is just considered good enough, and sometimes fans' expectations border on the unreasonable.

So B'Day, which comes on the heels of her quadruple-platinum solo debut Dangerously in Love — which won her five Grammy Awards in 2004 — has a tough act to follow.

The album's lead cut "Deja Vu," a dynamite hybrid of soul and hip-hop, has already come under fire as being a less effective pairing with boyfriend Jay-Z than their last collaboration, the blockbuster single "Crazy in Love." Despite the criticism, the track has been filling dance floors and hit #1 on two of Billboard's singles charts.

But what about the rest of B'Day?

Well, it's obvious that hanging out with the Jiggaman's rap-world friends has rubbed off on Beyoncé: B'Day is a sonically harder, decidedly more street LP than Dangerously in Love. B has chalked that shift up to Deena Jones, her fierce character in the upcoming film "Dreamgirls." Beyoncé drew inspiration from the assertive siren, who knows when to play to her man's ego to get what she wants (see "Beyonce Slimming Down And 'Completely Becoming Deena' ").

"You need a real woman in your life, that's a good look," she sings on "Upgrade You," the album's second collaboration with Jay-Z. "Take care of home and still fly, that's a good look." Swizz Beatz co-produced and T.I. also recorded a verse for the song, but it did not make the cut. She later adds, "I can do for you like Martin did for the people/ It's very seldom you're blessed to find your equal, still play my part and let you take the lead role."

On "Suga Mama," where producer Rich Harrison dips the beat in '70s funk and sprinkles in a little '80s go-go flavor, Beyoncé holds back nothing — she's totally sprung and doesn't mind if she has to trick some dough to keep her man happy. She even tells the guy to come sit on her lap. "It's so good to the point that I'll do anything just to keep you home," she proclaims. "Tell me what you want me to buy, my accountant's waiting on the phone."

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