Beyoncé’s self-titled album became her first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 without a traditional pre-release campaign.
Beyoncé was released unexpectedly on December 13, 2013, with no advance announcement, interviews, or conventional promotional rollout. The release appeared on the iTunes Store with a set of accompanying music videos, leading to the description “visual album.”
The project contains 14 songs and 17 videos. Its surprise arrival changed expectations about how major albums could be launched, especially in an era when publicity campaigns commonly revealed singles, artwork, and release dates weeks or months in advance.
The album included “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Pretty Hurts.” It debuted at number one in the United States, making Beyoncé the first artist to have her first five solo studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200.