Beyoncé’s album 4 is named after her birth date, September 4, 1981.
Beyoncé released 4 in 2011 as her fourth solo studio album. The title refers both to the album’s position in her solo discography and to the importance of the number four in her life: she was born on September 4, her mother Tina Knowles was born on January 4, and JAY-Z’s birthday is December 4.
The album followed I Am... Sasha Fierce and represented a shift toward a broader mixture of R&B, pop, soul, funk, and adult contemporary influences. Its singles included “Run the World (Girls),” “Best Thing I Never Had,” “Party,” “Love on Top,” and “Countdown.”
The title is often mistaken for a reference only to Beyoncé’s fourth album, but the personal number symbolism was publicly emphasized as well. The album was released internationally in June 2011 and in the United States on June 28, 2011.