Beyoncé - B'Day (20th Anniversary) [2LP]

Twenty years on, B'Day still hits like a shot of adrenaline, and this 20th Anniversary Edition presents it as a limited 2LP on 180-gram vinyl with a booklet.

Beyoncé's second solo album arrived in 2006, made in a burst of creative energy after she finished filming Dreamgirls, and it was rawer and more aggressive than Dangerously in Love. Live horns, clattering drums and fierce vocal takes gave it an urgency that still feels bracing, and it went on to win the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

The production roster was stacked, with Rodney Jerkins, Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes and Stargate among those behind the boards. "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, opens with a strutting bassline and blasting brass, while "Ring the Alarm" is pure fury, all sirens and snarl.

Then there is "Irreplaceable", co-written with Ne-Yo and built around a simple acoustic guitar figure, a breezy kiss-off that became one of the defining hits of her career. "Get Me Bodied" keeps the dancefloor locked in, and the whole record moves with the confidence of an artist who knew exactly what she wanted.

Heard again now, with the benefit of hindsight, it is clear how much of the fearlessness that defined her later work started right here.