Beyoncé surprise-released her self-titled album in 2013.
The album appeared on the iTunes Store on December 13, 2013, without the usual advance promotional campaign. Beyoncé described it as a visual album because each of its fourteen songs was accompanied by a music video.
The release changed expectations for major pop albums by turning secrecy and immediate availability into part of the artistic strategy. Its tracks include “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” “Flawless,” and “XO.” Jay-Z, Drake, Frank Ocean, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie contributed to different parts of the project.
Beyoncé debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, giving the singer her fifth consecutive US number-one album. The album’s release year is distinct from Lemonade in 2016 and Renaissance in 2022.