Beyoncé released her self-titled album as a surprise digital release in December 2013.
The album arrived on December 13, 2013, without the usual advance promotional campaign. Beyoncé announced it through a short video describing the project as a visual album, with a music video accompanying each of its songs.
The unexpected release changed expectations for how major artists could launch albums. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became Beyoncé’s fifth consecutive solo album to reach the top of that chart.
The album includes “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Flawless.” “Drunk in Love” features Jay-Z, while the project’s visual format connected its music with a unified series of videos. The album is commonly called the “visual album” to distinguish it from Beyoncé’s later releases Lemonade and Renaissance.