Beyoncé’s self-titled album became her first Billboard 200 number-one album released without a pre-release announcement.
Beyoncé was released unexpectedly on December 13, 2013, through the iTunes Store. The project was described as a “visual album” because every song arrived with an accompanying music video. The surprise release changed expectations for how major artists could launch albums.
The album’s songs include “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Flawless.” It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first artist to achieve six consecutive number-one albums in the United States at that point in her career.
The album is often called a “surprise album,” but the music itself was carefully recorded and paired with visual material before release. Its title is simply Beyoncé, not a separate subtitle or character name.