Beyoncé’s album released in 2011 was 4. It was her fourth studio album and arrived through Columbia Records on June 24, 2011, in a period when she was moving toward a more traditional album rollout.
The album includes “Run the World (Girls),” “Best Thing I Never Had,” “Love on Top,” and “Countdown.” Its title refers to the number four’s personal importance to Beyoncé, including her birthday and her wedding date, as well as the fact that it was her fourth solo studio album.
4 followed I Am... Sasha Fierce and preceded Beyoncé, the surprise visual album released in 2013. The number in the title is simply “4,” not a spelled-out word or a longer subtitle, which makes it distinct from Beyoncé’s other album titles.