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Beyoncé (album)

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Beyoncé (stylized in uppercase) is the fifth studio album by Beyoncé, released on December 13, 2013. The album is described as a "visual experience", due to every song in the album having its own music video. The album's lyrical content are much darker and more serious than her previous recordings, including themes such as sexuality, feminism, motherhood and post-maternity problems.

Production of the album began in 2012 when Beyoncé invited musicians and producers to work with her in The Hamptons, New York. During The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2013, the work started to be conceived as a visual project and to have an unexpected release. The recording sessions continued secretly with rock musician BOOTS, with the collaboration leading to experimental material, combining rhythm and blues with electronic music.

The album was unexpectedly released on December 13, 2013 in digital format on the iTunes Store, with no promotion or announcement, causing an hysterical reaction in the public. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 with 617k with only 3 days of tracking and over 1 million with 6 days, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number one studio album and it sold 828,773 copies worldwide in three days, becoming the fastest-selling album in iTunes Store's history. The album received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production, themes and Beyoncé's vocals, and was ranked as the best album of the year by many lists. It has sold 12 million copies worldwide. Credited with changing the national music release day from Monday to Friday.

Background and development[]

Following the release of her fourth studio album 4 (2011), Beyoncé gave birth to her first child, Blue Ivy on January 7, 2012. Just four months after labor, she pursued a three-night residency at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall, entitled Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live. The choice to hold concerts so soon was purposeful; Beyoncé intended to demonstrate to mothers that they need not halt their careers despite having had children. Most of the summer following the residency was spent in The Hamptons, New York, where she took time out from the public to spend time with her daughter and to begin sessions for her next album. She resumed work in early 2013, performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at President Barack Obama's second inauguration and headlining the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, where there were expectations she would debut new music, although these rumors never materialized. She also released a self-directed autobiographical documentary in February, entitled Life is But a Dream.

In March 2013, a two-part hip-hop track entitled "Bow Down/I Been On" was released onto Beyoncé's SoundCloud account. "Bow Down", produced by Hit-Boy, was written after Beyoncé woke up one morning with a chant stuck in her head, feeling angry and defensive. This was melded with a Timbaland-produced second half "I Been On" that makes prominent use of a pitch-distorted vocal as a homage to the Houston hip hop scene. Michael Cragg of The Guardian described the song as "brilliantly odd", commending its loud, abrasive production, while Pitchfork's Lindsay Zoladz noted the song's assertiveness and believed it served as an introduction of what was to come. "Bow Down/I Been On" was perceived as a significant departure from Beyoncé's existing catalogue, particularly for its aggressive nature. The song's atmosphere and its controversial "Bow down, bitches" refrain drew a mixed reaction from those who questioned whether the lyric was aimed at women or merely a moment of braggadocio. Beyoncé clarified after the album's release, where elements of "Bow Down" appear on the track "Flawless", that the song and its refrain were intended as a statement of female empowerment.

Neither Beyoncé or her representatives commented on the release of "Bow Down/I Been On", and many journalists questioned the nature of its release in the context of the release of her upcoming album. Further confusion was created when portions of other tracks "Grown Woman" and "Standing On the Sun" were used for television advertising campaigns, with a similar lack of explanation as to their purpose. Through much of 2013, the media intermittently reported that the album was delayed or scrapped, with one story alleging Beyoncé had scrapped fifty songs in favor of starting again. In July 2013, a spokesperson for Beyoncé denied speculation that her album had been delayed, stating there was no official release date to begin with and that when a date is set, it would be announced via an official press release. There was considerable confusion among music journalists and fans as Beyoncé engaged in extensive touring, while not discussing the album or its release.

Impact[]

According to Billboard, as of 2022, Beyoncé is one of the 15 best-performing 21st-century albums without any of its singles being number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The surprising release of Beyoncé caused "hilarious, honest and hysterical" reaction among Beyoncé's fans, and "shock" among other musicians in an effect coined as "Beyoncé Syndrome" by the BBC. According to data provided by Twitter, the release generated over 1.2 million tweets in twelve hours.

Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield wrote: "The whole project is a celebration of the Beyoncé Philosophy, which boils down to the fact that Beyoncé can do anything the hell she wants to." Peter Robinson of The Guardian hailed the shock release as "Beyoncégeddon", describing it as "a masterclass in both exerting and relinquishing control". Henry Knight for the BBC said "Beyoncé's self-titled album not only proved innovative musically, it rewrote the business model of the industry." Forbes' Zack O'Malley Greenburg included Beyoncé on his "Music Industry Winners 2013" list, noting that the singer "didn't make use of any of the perks of [being signed to a large record label]—the 'machine' we're told is so necessary. There was no radio promotion, no single, no advance press of any kind". The marketing strategy of releasing an album with little or no notice was the subject of a case study at Harvard University School of Business. Beyoncé is credited with the popularization of the surprise album, and the act of releasing a project without prior announcement has subsequently been executed by many artists, including Drake, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Azealia Banks, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, U2, Frank Ocean and Eminem. Canadian musician Grimes named Beyoncé as one of the albums that changed her life, saying that it "revitalized the art of the album" for her.

After the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) announced Friday as the global record release day, Billboard's Andrew Flanagan thought the album release was among the influencing points in the decision, writing: "After seven months of semi-public back-and-forth, a conversation instigated in part by Aussie piracy and Beyonce's surprise release in December 2013 has resulted in the global recording industry accepting Friday as the release date for new albums." Time named Beyoncé as one of the most influential people of 2014 due to the album release, writing: "In December, she took the world by surprise when she released a new album, complete with videos, and announced it on Facebook and Instagram. Beyoncé shattered music-industry rules – and sales records".

Singles[]

  • XO was released as the first single on September 15, 2013
  • Drunk in Love was released as the second single on November 5, 2013
  • Partition was released as the third single on February 25, 2014.
  • Pretty Hurts was released as the fourth single on June 10, 2014.
  • Flawless (Remix) was released as the fifth single on August 12, 2014.
  • 7/11 was released as the sixth single on November 25, 2014.
  • Ring Off was released as the seventh single on November 28, 2014.

Track listing[]

}}
Standard Edition
No. TitleProducer(s) Length
1. "Pretty Hurts"  Ammo · Sia · BeyoncéAmmo · Beyoncé 4:17
2. "Haunted"  BOOTS · BeyoncéBOOTS · Beyoncé 6:09
3. "Drunk in Love" (featuring Jay-Z)Beyoncé · Jay-Z · Detail · Timbaland · Dre Moon · Rasool Díaz · Brian Soko · J-RocBeyoncé · Timbaland · Detail · The Order · J-Roc · BOOTS 5:23
4. "Blow"  Pharrell Williams · Beyoncé · Timbaland · J-Roc · The-Dream · James Fauntleroy · Justin TimberlakePharrell · Beyoncé · Timbaland · J-Roc 5:09
5. "Angel"  Caroline Polachek · Beyoncé · James FauntleroyCaroline Polachek · Beyoncé · James Fauntleroy · Patrick Wimberly · BOOTS 3:48
6. "Partition"  The-Dream · Beyoncé · Justin Timberlake · Timbaland · J-Roc · Key Wane · Mike DeanBeyoncé · Justin Timberlake · Timbaland · J-Roc · Key Wane · Mike Dean · BOOTS 5:19
7. "Jealous"  Beyoncé · Lyrica Anderson · Detail · Dre Moon · Rasool Díaz · Brian Soko · BOOTSDetail · Beyoncé · The Order · BOOTS · Hit-Boy · HazeBanga · Dre Moon 3:04
8. "Rocket"  Miguel · Beyoncé · Justin Timberlake · Timbaland · James Fauntleroy · J-RocTimbaland · Beyoncé · J-Roc 6:31
9. "Mine" (featuring Drake)Noah Shebib · Drake · Beyoncé · Majid Jordan · Sidney Brown · Key WaneBeyoncé · Majid Jordan · Noah Shebib · Key Wane · Sidney Brown 6:18
10. "XO"  Beyoncé · The-Dream · Ryan TedderBeyoncé · The-Dream · Ryan Tedder · HazeBanga · Hit-Boy 3:35
11. "***Flawless" (featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)Beyoncé · The-Dream · Rey Reel · HazeBanga · Hit-BoyBeyoncé · BOOTS · Rey Reel · HazeBanga · Hit-Boy 4:10
12. "Superpower" (featuring Frank Ocean)Beyoncé · Frank Ocean · PharrellPharrell · BOOTS 4:36
13. "Heaven"  Beyoncé · BOOTSBeyoncé · BOOTS 3:50
14. "Blue" (featuring Blue Ivy Carter)Beyoncé · BOOTSBeyoncé · BOOTS 4:26
}}
Visual
No. TitleLength
1. "Pretty Hurts"   7:04
2. "Ghost"   2:31
3. "Haunted"   5:21
4. "Drunk in Love" (featuring Jay-Z) 6:21
5. "Blow"   5:25
6. "Angel"   3:53
7. "Yoncé"   2:02
8. "Partition"   3:49
9. "Jealous"   3:26
10. "Rocket"   4:30
11. "Mine" (featuring Drake) 4:59
12. "XO"   3:35
13. "Flawless"   4:12
14. "Superpower" (featuring Frank Ocean) 5:24
15. "Heaven"   3:55
16. "Blue" (featuring Blue Ivy Carter) 4:35
17. "Credits"   2:34
18. "Grown Woman" (bonus video) 4:24
}}
Platinum Edition
No. TitleLength
15. "7/11"   3:33
16. "Flawless (Remix)" (featuring Nicki Minaj) 3:54
17. "Drunk in Love (Remix)" (featuring Jay-Z and Kanye West) 6:35
18. "Ring Off"   3:00
19. "Blow (Remix)" (featuring Pharrell Williams) 5:09
20. "Standing On the Sun (Remix)" (featuring Mr. Vegas) 4:33

Notes

  • All tracks vocals are produced by Beyoncé Knowles.
  • "Haunted" contains two parts – "Ghost" and "Haunted"; presented as one song on Audio, and two separate videos on Visual.
  • "Blow" contains two parts – "Blow" and "Cherry"; presented as one song on Audio, and one video on Visual with two separate sections.
  • "Partition" contains two parts – "Yoncé" and "Partition"; presented as one song on Audio, and two separate videos on Visual.
  • "Flawless" is stylized as "***Flawless"
  • Flawless contains a remixed version with a rap verse performed by Nicki Minaj. The remix also has verses removed from the original version. It was performed by the latter together at the On The Run Tour in Paris, France.
  • "Flawless" contains two parts – "Bow Down" and "Flawless". "Bow Down" was initially part of a previously recorded song entitled "Bow Down/I Been On".
  • "Grown Woman" is presented after the credits on DVD, while it is presented before the credits in digital format.
  • "Grown Woman" is written by Mosley, Kelly Sheehan, Knowles, Nash, Chris Godbey, Harmon, Darryl Pearson, and Garland Mosley. It is produced by Timbaland, with co-production by Harmon.

Sample credits

  • "Partition" contains an interpolation of the French-dubbed version of the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, performed by Hajiba Fahmy.
  • "Flawless" contains portions of the speech "We should all be feminists", written and delivered by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
  • "Heaven" contains portions of "The Lord's Prayer" in Spanish, performed by Melissa Vargas.
  • "Flawless (Remix)" contains a sample of "SpottieOttieDopaliscious" by OutKast.
  • "Drunk in Love (Remix)" contains a sample of Kanye West's "Flashing Lights", vocals provided by Connie Mitchell.
  • "Ring Off" contains portions of a speech delivered by Tina Knowles at the 2014 Texas Women's Empowerment Foundation Leadership Luncheon.
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