We continue the new RELOAD series. Inspired by Shan & I dropping way too many songs on Facebook in hopes of bringing light to lost classics, forgotten favourites or just to express the desire and need for those who haven’t to hear a particular song.

Today we roll back to 2003, Beyonce’s debut album Dangerously in Love. A 15 track album filled with R&B bangers (‘Crazy In Love’, ‘Naughty Girl’, ‘Baby Boy’), smooth mid-tempos (‘Me, Myself & I’) and beautiful ballads (‘Yes’, ‘Speechless’, ‘Dangerously In Love’) – her first foray into solo super stardom.

More specifically we focus on the album track ‘Be With U’ – a swagged out mid-tempo packed with an elusively funky baseline, sexy claps and of course Knowles’ trademark powerhouse voice. The thing about this song I love the most – her adlibs. From the very beginning, to the build up – her vocals are seductive and titillating. Not to mention, lyrically she’s not shy – “come in my room and turn off the lights”. Yeah.

Beyonce sounds best when she’s singing R&B. Listen to Destiny’s Child’s The Writing’s on the Wall, listen to songs like ‘Crazy Feelings’ off Missy Elliott’s second album Da Real World – her vocals suit darker tones, sexier melodies. We know she can sing anything, that’s the perk of being one of the best singers in the world and we know she does pop really well – BUT I really miss Bey singing like this. Don’t you?

Her follow up album Bday was a solid album too, underrated. I Am… was painfully lackluster in my opinion. Generic, soulless and generally uninspired. The best songs on that album were the ones that sounded ‘urban’. We know Bey can sing anything, that’s the perk of being one of the best singers in the world. She does Pop well and I understand why she’s doing it – however, it’s not what she does best. So, I post this song in hopes that somehow she will feel my vibes, understand my intention and realise that this is what she should be doing.

Ha. I kid. I just really wanted to bring this song to your attention for a minute. It’s bloody good.

P.s Please note, this isn’t the live video I wanted to use. THIS IS – but it’s not embeddable. #parr.

New feature. Inspired by Speeakz and I dropping far too many links on the Facebooks in an effort to haplessly relive audio-glory bygones and school these picknies of today with our unappreciated scholarly swag. (Anyone seen ‘High Fidelity’? We’re mad Rob Gordon’ish.)

Thus we’ve decided to transfer this quarter-life-crisis scheme over to PinBoard Blog; if you see a ‘Reload’ in the post title be forewarned you’re in the firing line of the finest, most knowledgeable gun-fingering, faux-disc jockey, terminators exercising their vanity for the good of mankind’s ear-holes. (Word life, we do complain in private about how much we wish we’d become DJs- not berating our current roles mind you- but ya know what I mean right?)

It shall be one song, strictly gems, no restriction on genre, from whenever, to drop whenever. Let the tar-coating of memory lane drip.

Today, we’ll initiate proceeding with Hi-Tek’s 2001 jam featuring (whatever happened to) Jonell, ‘Round & Round’ off that Hi-Teknology. The ‘whatever happened to…?’ factor may arise frequently as we do some of these. Lest we forget. Never that fam. Thou shalt live on in our old cassettes and CD re-writables.

As 2010 morphs into 2011, a salute to our generation! (Bring in the horn section, I’m feeling bare heroic right about now).