Beyoncé’s self-titled album was surprise-released in December 2013 without prior announcement.
The album appeared on the iTunes Store on December 13, 2013, with no conventional promotional campaign beforehand. Beyoncé described it as a visual album because every song was accompanied by a music video. The release included 14 songs and 17 videos in its original digital package.
Its singles included “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” and “Pretty Hurts.” The album’s unannounced arrival changed expectations for major pop releases and became one of the most discussed music-launch strategies of the decade.
The title is often written as Beyoncé, using the artist’s accent, while some databases use plain text forms. It is also commonly called the “visual album” Beyoncé to distinguish it from her name and from later projects. The record won the Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album in 2015.