This article is about the singer. For her self-titled album, see Beyoncé (album).
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (born September 4, 1981 as Beyoncé Giselle Knowles), known professionally as Beyoncé, is a American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and businesswoman. Her vocal abilities and visual presentations have led her to become a pop culture figure of the 21st century.
Raised in Houston, Texas, she was placed in to a girl group called Girl's Tyme when she was 8. Following numerous projects with Destiny's Child, including their self-titled debut and the multi-platinum The Writing's on the Wall, Beyoncé started her solo career with a feature on Amil's song "I Got That" in 2000. Her solo debut Dangerously in Love (2003) was an international success and she became the first female artist to top both the single and album charts in the United States and the UK.
Early life
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas to Tina Knowles (née Beyoncé), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager. Tina is Louisiana Creole and Mathew is African American. Beyoncé's younger sister, Solange Knowles was born in 1986. She is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child.
Beyoncé was raised attending St. John's United Methodist Church in Houston as well as St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church. She went to St. Mary's Catholic Montessori School in Houston and enrolled in dance classes there. Her singing ability was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and Beyoncé finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes. In the fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she performed with the school's choir. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church where she sang her first solo and was a soloist for two years.
Career
Career beginnings
At eight years old, Beyoncé met LaTavia Roberson at an audition for a girl group. Based in Houston, Texas, they were joined to a group that performed rapping and dancing. Kelly Rowland, who moved into Knowles' house because of family issues, joined them in 1992. The group performed at the talent show circuit in Houston. After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good. In 1995, Beyoncé's father, Mathew, resigned from his job to manage the group. The move reduced the family's income by half, and Beyoncé's parents were forced to sell their house and cars and move into separated apartments.
The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Men in Black. In November, the group released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No". They released their self-titled debut album in February 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry.
The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's On the Wall in 1999. The record features songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs, winning several awards.
The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip-Hopera. Their third album Survivor was released in May 2001, and the album spawned many number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.
After the release of three studio albums, the group took a two-year hiatus from 2002 to 2004, during which they all embarked on solo projects. In 2004, the group reunited for the release of their fourth and final album, Destiny Fulfilled. While on tour promoting the album, it was announced that the group would officially disband.
Solo career
Beyoncé's solo career began in 2000, with the song "I Got That" by Amil. In 2002 she co-starred in the movie Austin Powers in Goldmember. For the film's soundtrack, she recorded and released her second solo single, "Work It Out". In October of the same year, Beyoncé featured on Jay-Z's song '03 Bonnie & Clyde. On June 24, 2003, Beyoncé's released her first solo studio album titled Dangerously in Love. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales exceeding 300,000 copies.
Before the album's release, Beyoncé's record label did not predict any hits from the project, they were then proved wrong by the critical and commercial success of "Crazy in Love", "Baby Boy", "Me, Myself And I", "Naughty Girl" and the title track, "Dangerously in Love". Subsequently, Beyoncé won several awards at the 46th Grammy Awards including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
2006-2007
Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the U.S., to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light".
In 2006, Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally. In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross. To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues and grossed over $24 million.
2008 - 2010
I Am... Sasha Fierce was released in November 2008 and formally introduced Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce. It was met with mixed reviews from critics, but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the U.S. The album featured her fourth UK number-one single "If I Were a Boy" and her fifth U.S. number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". "Halo" achieved the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career, the song's success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s.
The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video won three categories, including Video of the Year. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.
Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics, and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James. Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country. Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. The film received negative reviews from critics, and did well at the U.S. box office, grossing $68 million on a budget of $20 million.
2010-2012
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again". During the break, she and her father parted ways as business partners. Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances. "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists.
On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years. The performance was lauded, with several publications noting an ascension in Knowles' capabilities as a live performer. Other publications discussed the polarized attitude of the UK music establishment in response to a Black woman performing on the same stages and to the same crowd sizes that were past reserved for legacy rock acts. Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days prior in the U.S. 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the U.S. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had". The fourth single "Love on Top". The album peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In August 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances: the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only. In June 2012, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter, Blue Ivy.
2013-2015
In January 2013, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C. The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute. Her feature-length documentary film, Life is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013. The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.
Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time. In December, Beyoncé surprise released her fifth studio album, Beyoncé. Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "body image, postnatal depression and the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood. The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. As of November 2014, Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, as of March 2015. At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé.
In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards.
2016-2017
Beyoncé released "Formation" on February 6, 2016, and performed it live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances. Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America and Europe. It marked the first ever all-stadium tour by a female artist and ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show. The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.
In April 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. A one-hour film which aired on HBO on April 23, an album of the same name was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013. With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time. Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history. It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the U.S. with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year.
In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would have made Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999. It was later announced on February 23, 2017, that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy, and Lady Gaga filled in. The festival owners announced that she would instead headline the 2018 festival. Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively. and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation".
2018-2021
On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles's husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook. Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12 and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube.
On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted-about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.
Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix on April 17, 2019. The film was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album. It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released in July 2019. Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019. An original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – a companion album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé.
Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema". She stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip-hop, gqom and Afro Beat. The songs were produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]", since the film is set in Africa. In September of the same year, a documentary chronicling the development, production and early music video filming of The Lion King: The Gift entitled "Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift" was aired on ABC.
On June 19, 2020, Beyoncé released the nonprofit charity single "Black Parade". Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. Produced by Disney and Parkwood Entertainment, the film was written, directed and executively produced by Beyoncé. The film was described by Disney as "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience". Beyoncé received the most nominations (9) at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the most awards (4), which made her the most-awarded singer, most-awarded female artist, and second-most-awarded artist in Grammy history. In 2021, Beyoncé wrote and recorded a song titled "Be Alive" for the biographical drama film King Richard. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards for the song, alongside co-writer Dixson.
2022-2024
On June 9, 2022, Beyoncé removed her profile pictures across various social media platforms, causing speculation that she would be releasing new music. Days later, Beyoncé caused further speculation via her nonprofit BeyGood's Twitter account hinting at her upcoming seventh studio album. On June 15, 2022, Beyoncé officially announced her seventh studio album, titled Renaissance. The lead single of Renaissance, "Break My Soul", was released on June 20, 2022. The album was released on July 29, 2022. "Break My Soul" became Beyoncé's 20th top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, which made her join Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson as the only artists in Hot 100 history to achieve at least twenty top tens as a solo artist and ten as a member of a group.
As Renaissance was released, Beyoncé announced that the album was the first installment of a trilogy she conceived and recorded over three years during the COVID-19 pandemic. A time she found to be her "most creative [period]." The three recorded projects are designated into acts under Roman numerals. Upon release, Renaissance received universal acclaim from critics. Renaissance debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making her the first female artist to have her first seven studio albums debut at number one in the United States.
On January 21, 2023, Beyoncé performed in Dubai at a private show. The performance, which was her first full concert in more than four years, was delivered to an audience of influencers and journalists. Beyoncé was reportedly paid $24 million to perform. On February 1, Beyoncé announced the Renaissance World Tour with dates in North America and Europe, becoming for a short-span, the highest-grossing tour by a female artist. The tour concluded on October 1, 2023. On November 30, 2023, Beyoncé released documentary concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé written, directed, and produced by her in collaboration with film distributor AMC Theatres. The film chronicles the development and execution of Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour, and contained new song "My House" in the end credits.
In February 2024, Beyoncé launched her hair care brand Cécred. On February 11, 2024, immediately following a partner commercial with Verizon for the Super Bowl LVIII, she announced the second installment of her trilogy project and released its first two songs, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages". "Texas Hold 'Em" became her highest chart debut in her career, her ninth solo number-one and her thirteenth across all credits on the Billboard Hot 100. On March 12, 2024, she announced the album's title, Cowboy Carter. A country and gospel-tinged record, it was released on March 29 to universal acclaim from critics, and includes collaborations with artists including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Miley Cyrus, Shaboozey, Post Malone, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, Brittney Spencer, Willie Jones, and Beyoncé's daughter Rumi Carter.
On August 20, Beyoncé announced Sir Davis, a whiskey in collaboration with Moët Hennessy developed for years prior and co-founded with master distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden. In October 2024, Levi's launched a four-part global campaign with Beyoncé titled "Reiimagine" that will stretch into 2025 and focus on women's history of the company, using Cowboy Carter track "Levii's Jeans".
Personal life
In 2002, Beyoncé collaborated with rapper Jay-Z on the song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde", which sparked romance rumors due to the lyrics. He also appeared on "Crazy in Love" the following year, as well as the song "That's How You Like It" from her debut album Dangerously in Love. On her second album, B'Day, he made appearances on "Déjà Vu", "Upgrade U" and "Welcome to Hollywood".
Jay-Z proposed to Beyoncé on December 4th, 2007, in Paris, France. They later wed on April 4th, 2008.
At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Beyoncé revealed that she was pregnant with their first child. Their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was born at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital on January 7, 2012.
In 2016, Beyoncé released Lemonade, a visual and conceptual album with a song cycle that relates Beyoncé's emotional journey after her husband's infidelity in a generational and racial context. On February 1, 2017, Beyoncé posted on Instagram and revealed that she was expecting twins. Rumi and Sir Carter were born on June 13, 2017.
Interests
Beyoncé has been vocal about her different hobbies and interests, including canvas painting, video editing, poetry, scriptwriting, lighting and stage design, animation and clothes design, photography, cultural historiography. She also enjoys beekeeping and has around 80,000 bees.
Gallery
Click here for the full gallery.
Discography
- Main article: Discography
Studio albums
- Dangerously in Love (2003)
- B'Day (2006)
- I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
- 4 (2011)
- Beyoncé (2013)
- Lemonade (2016)
- Renaissance (2022)
- Cowboy Carter (2024)
Trivia
- Beyoncé has called her stage persona "Sasha" for several years before the release of her third studio album, I Am...Sasha Fierce.
- Beyoncé has been performing since the age of 9, beginning in a group called Girl's Tyme.
- The word "bootylicious" is in the Oxford Dictionary.
- 4 is her favorite number for many reasons, including her birthday (Sept. 4), her husband's birthday (Dec. 4) and her mother's birthday (Jan. 4).
- She has the roman numeral tattooed on her ring finger, symbolizing her marriage to Jay-Z.
- She got a belly button piercing at 16 years old.
- Queen Bey can make her eyes cross fairly easily and make them wiggle back and forth.
- Surprisingly, Beyoncé is very shy and hates giving speeches.
- As mentioned by MTV's Cribs, Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits is one of Beyoncé's favorite restaurants.
- As well as Popeye's, Beyoncé loves the Houston restaurant chain Frenchy's Chicken, and Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen.
- Beyoncé's childhood cat was named Master P after the rapper.
- She once had a pet snake, Fendi, whom she shared with her cousin, Angie.
- Beyoncé is allergic to perfume, hence why she has created many of her own perfumes.
- Beyoncé was named after her mother's maiden name.
- One of her nicknames is Juju.