I Am... Sasha Fierce [Platinum Edition]

Personnel: Kanye West, Rico Love, Beyoncé Knowles (vocals); Ian Dench (guitar); Donald Hayes (saxophone); Dontae Winslow (trumpet); Philip Margiziotis (horns); Steven "Steven J." Jordan, Jens Gad (drums).
Audio Mixers: Dave Pensado; Dan Naim; Jim Caruana; Mark "Spike" Stent; Rodney Jerkins; Jim Jonsin; Wayne Wilkins.
Recording information: 2nd Floor Studios, Orlando, FL; Bangladesh Studios, Atlanta, GA; Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY; GAD Studios, Ibiza, Spain; Germano Studios, New York, NY; Mansfield Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Music World Studios, Houston, TX; Na Cena Studios, San Paulo, CA; Patchwerk Studios, Atlanta, GA; Roc The Mic Studios, New York, NY; Silent Sound Studios, Atlanta, GA; South Beat Studios, Miami Beach, FL; Southbeach Studios, Miami, FL; Strawberrybee Productions, New York, NY; The Boom Boom Room, Burbank, CA; The Campground, Los Angeles, CA; Tree Sound Studios, Atlanta, GA.
Directors: Ed Burke; Adria Petty; Jake Nava; Sophie Muller; Melina Matsoukas; Phillip Andelman; Frank Gatson.
Photographer: Peter Lindbergh.
Unknown Contributor Role: Lisa Logan.
Arrangers: Ryan Tedder; Toby Gad.
I AM. SASHA FIERCE represents another change of pace for Beyoncé. Unlike the relatively streamlined, retro-soul inflected B'DAY, I AM... is a sprawling two-disc set designed to reflect two conflicting sides of Beyoncé's musical personality. The first disc sports reflective, sometimes moody ballads, while the second, attributed to Beyoncé's brash alter ego, Sasha Fierce, is loaded with propulsive dance-floor fillers. Except for this stylistic divide, I AM. pays only nominal attention to its supposed concept, focusing instead on a set of excellent, radio-ready songs--neatly avoiding the possibility of I AM. becoming some sort of Chris Gaines-style conceptual disaster. Though the second disc, which boasts the synth-drenched lead single, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," is more immediately gratifying, the impeccably produced ballads of the first disc represent a vast improvement on the often awkward torch songs that weighed down Beyoncé's first solo record.