Beyoncé released her self-titled surprise album in 2013.
The album appeared without advance publicity on December 13, 2013, through Columbia Records and Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment. It was accompanied by a short film for each of its fourteen songs, leading to the description “visual album.”
The unexpected release changed music-marketing practice because there was no traditional promotional campaign, lead single, or pre-release announcement. Beyoncé announced the project through a brief social-media video describing it as a personal, immersive experience.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and included songs such as “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Flawless.” It is sometimes mistakenly dated to 2014 because its Grammy campaign and much of its award recognition occurred the following year.