Beyoncé’s self-titled album became her first Billboard 200 number-one album in 2013.
Beyoncé was released without advance announcement on December 13, 2013, through Columbia Records and Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment. The surprise release was accompanied by a music video for every song, leading to the album being described as a visual album. Its unannounced arrival was a major shift in how high-profile records were marketed.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and made Beyoncé the first woman to have her first five solo studio albums debut at number one in the United States. It included songs such as “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” “Pretty Hurts,” and “XO.” Jay-Z appeared on “Drunk in Love.”
The album is sometimes confused with Dangerously in Love because both are central to her solo career. Beyoncé was actually her fifth solo studio album, following 4, while its surprise release helped define the modern visual-album era.