Beyoncé’s self-titled album was released on December 13, 2013, without advance promotion.
The album arrived unexpectedly through the iTunes Store, accompanied by a music video for every one of its fourteen songs. This surprise-release strategy became one of the most influential album-launch approaches of the 2010s.
The record is often called the “visual album” because its audio tracks were paired with a set of commissioned videos. It included songs such as “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Flawless,” and featured contributions from Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, Drake, and others.
The release was not Beyoncé’s first album, but it was her fifth solo studio album. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making her the first artist to have her first five solo studio albums debut at the top of that chart.