Beyoncé’s first studio album released as a surprise was Beyoncé.
The self-titled album arrived digitally on December 13, 2013, without a traditional advance announcement. Beyoncé described it as a visual album because every song was accompanied by a music video. The release included 14 songs and 17 videos, creating an album-length audiovisual project.
The unexpected launch changed expectations for major pop releases. Instead of building anticipation through a long campaign of singles and interviews, Beyoncé presented the complete project directly to listeners. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became her fifth consecutive album to do so.
The album is often called the “visual album” to distinguish it from later surprise releases, but its official title is simply Beyoncé. It includes “Drunk in Love,” “Partition,” “Flawless,” and “Pretty Hurts,” among other tracks.