Beyoncé’s self-titled album was first released as a surprise digital album in 2013.
The album appeared on the iTunes Store on December 13, 2013, without a conventional advance announcement or promotional campaign. Beyoncé described it as an album rather than a collection of individual singles, and every track arrived with an accompanying music video.
The release changed expectations for major pop albums by using surprise distribution and visual storytelling. Its songs include “Drunk in Love,” featuring Jay-Z, “Partition,” “Pretty Hurts,” and “Flawless.” The project is commonly called the “visual album” because the music and videos were designed as a connected presentation.
It is distinct from Lemonade, Beyoncé’s 2016 visual album, and Renaissance, her 2022 studio album. The self-titled record is often identified simply as Beyoncé, making the artist and album easy to confuse in short references.