Beyonce rejects 50 songs for long-delayed album
Credit: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
If you're wondering why the latest Beyonce album is nowhere to be seen or heard, producer Diplo has the 411.
The producer revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that two songs he hoped would make it onto the next Beyonce album ended up getting scrapped. Beyonce is reportedly being very selective about the songs that will make it onto the record, and her indecision has further set back the album, a project that is already rumored to be running months behind schedule.
The 31-year-old singer is believed to have auditioned more than 50 songs for her hotly-anticipated fifth studio album but has passed on every single one, according to a source for THR. This is rumored to include songs written by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, The-Dream, Sia, Diane Warren and Ne-Yo, who said in June that Beyonce was "still trying to figure out" a direction for the album.
Beyonce's label, the Sony-owned Columbia, had planned for new Beyonce music to be released in the spring, but that plan quickly fell by the wayside, and now it looks as though a fall release date might not even be possible given the number of setbacks. Much of Columbia's plans for its fourth-quarter revolved around Beyonce, whose album was expected to capitalize on her massively-successful Mrs. Carter World Tour. In addition, Columbia had hoped the album would be out in time to compete against upcoming high-profile releases from Universal Music's Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
Of course, it was never really Columbia's plan to send Beyonce around the world on an ambitious eight-month tour -- a decision that has cost the singer valuable studio time, despite raking in roughly $55.6 million in profits over 36 shows. Outside of “Grown Woman,” the tour features no new material, and as a result, the label is getting increasingly anxious, as they can't afford another underperforming record from the singer.
In 2011, Columbia released 4, Beyonce's fourth studio album, which she recorded around the globe while accompanying husband Jay Z and partner Kanye West on their Watch the Throne sessions. Beyonce was given almost complete control over the project, yet the album ended up being her lowest seller, at 1.4 million copies. More troubling still, the record failed to produce a massive pop hit on the scale of "Single Ladies," which spent four weeks at #1. Tom Poleman, president of national programming platforms at Clear Channel, said that they're keeping their fingers crossed for "another 'Single Ladies,'" stating, "Anticipation is high and expectations are, too."
A rep for the singer told THR that "there was never an album release date" slated for Beyonce, but that the singer is currently working on new music in between multitasking her multiple business ventures.