Beyoncé was Beyoncé’s first album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 without a traditional lead single.
Beyoncé is the singer’s fifth studio album, released unexpectedly on December 13, 2013. It arrived through the iTunes Store with no conventional advance publicity campaign and was accompanied by a music video for every song. Beyoncé described the project as a visual album, making its release strategy as important to its identity as the music itself.
The album sold 617,000 copies in the United States during its first three days and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Its songs included “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Flawless.” The surprise release demonstrated how a major artist could bypass a long promotional rollout and make the album itself the event.
Beyoncé had already reached number one with earlier albums, including 4, but that album followed a more conventional release process. The self-titled album’s defining distinction was its surprise arrival and simultaneous visual presentation, not simply its chart position.