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Beyonce marks her 25th birthday with a gutsy, upbeat foray into grown-up territory with B-Day. The set will probably stand the test of time as the album where the pop princess cast off the silk robe and got down and dirty with the common folks.

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The glossy pop-driven vocals have been sacrificed for outright soul wailing on the electrifying "Ring The Alarm," while the transcendent "Irreplaceable" (written by Ne-Yo) should convince the haters that Beyonce has what it takes to remain in this business for a long time. In fact, fans expecting the formulaic vocal delivery displayed on Dangerously In Love and throughout Destiny's Child's reign may be shocked by the Houston native's brazen departure from the safe to the harrowing, from the pristine to the gritty.

Beyonce could easily sail on the ocean of her mega-stardom, not rocking the boat, continuing to dole out what works with an "if it ain't broke..." attitude. Instead she takes chances here - lyrically and vocally - which earn her props with her peers and fans.

As the sophomore set documents what obviously is a return to her Houston roots, Beyonce does it like a true Texan, big, co-producing and co-writing this sophomore release, being totally in control while sometimes seemingly over the edge. While some tracks act as filler (read the Neptunes' produced “Green Light”), the majority of this set satisfies and makes one anticipate what's next.

Download:  "Ring The Alarm" "Deju Vu" "Irreplaceable" "Get Me Bodied" 

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