Beyoncé released the surprise album Beyoncé without announcing it in advance in 2013.
The self-titled visual album appeared on the iTunes Store on December 13, 2013. Beyoncé announced the release through a short video posted on social media, describing the project as an artistic experience that combined music and imagery.
The album included 14 songs and 17 accompanying music videos. Its tracks included “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” “Flawless,” and “XO.” The project was widely noted for changing expectations around album promotion because it arrived with no traditional pre-release campaign.
The title is commonly confused with Beyoncé's 2022 album Renaissance and her 2016 album Lemonade. Beyoncé is also sometimes called the “visual album” because its music and videos were released as one connected project.