Beyoncé’s album 4 features “Run the World (Girls)” as its lead single.
4 was released on June 24, 2011, and takes its title from Beyoncé’s favorite number and several family and career associations. The album marked a move toward a broader mixture of R&B, pop, soul, funk, and dance influences. Its lead single, “Run the World (Girls),” was built around a sample from Major Lazer’s “Pon de Floor” and became one of Beyoncé’s most recognizable empowerment anthems.
Other 4 singles included “Best Thing I Never Had,” “Countdown,” and “Love on Top.” The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive solo album to reach that position. The numeral can cause confusion because it is a title rather than a release number in a numbered series; it does not mean the album was her fourth recording overall in every sense.