Beyoncé released her self-titled album as a surprise in December 2013 without a traditional advance announcement.
The album appeared on the iTunes Store on December 13, 2013, accompanied by music videos for every song. Beyoncé and her team described the project as a visual album because the audio tracks were released with a connected set of videos.
The sudden release rejected the conventional promotional cycle of announcing an album months in advance, issuing singles, and scheduling interviews. Its unexpected arrival generated immediate global attention and became a major example of a surprise-release strategy in popular music.
The album includes “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Flawless.” It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first woman to have her first five studio albums debut at number one in the United States. It is commonly distinguished from her 2016 visual album, Lemonade.