First of all, releasing multiple records per year is NOT innovative. Most Asian artists have been doing that for years. Look up Coco Lee.

What turned me off about the first release of the B'Day album was her re-using lyrics from song to song and that there were no love ballads. I'll buy a record I download if I like it. But if it's crappy? No! So with this re-release, I'm glad that Flaws & All and Still In Love have incorporated the love balladry again. It's not just all about man bashing or upgrading.

As for re-releasing in general ..... welp, I can't be the only one in the world who thinks that stunts like these damn near JUSTIFY piracy/bootlegging. Why buy the first album, when it's likely they'll just re-release it with more tracks? I think, as the public catches on, they'll start to drive DOWN first week sales because people will start knowing better. Usher, 50, my girl Mariah, Destiny's Child and so many OTHER artists did this with their last albums. It seems pointless for the average, non-fanatic consumer to pick up the first round nowadays. But the music industry doesn't see it that way and I guess it works though. After all, from my favorite artists, like Mariah Carey, I will buy from no matter what. I will even buy re-releases (fortunately, the re-release of TEOM was only $6 the day after thanksgiving)-Alexis