Beyoncé’s fifth studio album, released without advance announcement in 2013, was titled Beyoncé.
The self-titled album appeared on the iTunes Store on December 13, 2013, with no conventional pre-release campaign. It was presented as a visual album: each song arrived with an accompanying music video, creating a connected audio-visual project. The surprise release became a major moment in digital music distribution.
The album includes “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Flawless.” It also features guest appearances from Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, Drake, and Blue Ivy Carter. Beyoncé was both a commercial and critical success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. It is often confused with her first album because both artist and album share her name, but Dangerously in Love was her 2003 debut.