Beyoncé

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Lore & Background

The development of this era began after Beyoncé gave birth to Blue Ivy on January 7, 2012. She performed at a concert residency just four months postpartum to show mothers they need not pause their careers. By mid-2012 in the Hamptons, she stepped away from the public eye to begin work with producers like Sia, Timbaland, and The-Dream, describing the environment as a family camp where they dined daily. In March 2013, she released "Bow Down/I Been On," a track that confused journalists due to its aggressive nature and the refrain "Bow down, bitches." Beyoncé later clarified this was intended as female empowerment, which appeared on the final album's track "Flawless" interpolating Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED talk. The unknown artist Boots joined in mid-2013, writing 80 percent of the album after Beyoncé found potential in his experimental demos, including a stream-of-consciousness rap called "Ghost" that became half of "Haunted."

In Their Own Story

The recording process was defined by secrecy and spontaneity. While most tracks were recorded at Jungle City and Oven Studios in New York City, "XO" was captured in Berlin and Sydney with vocals left imperfect because Beyoncé felt they fit the song's emotion despite her sinus infection. The track "Partition" originated from a beat Justin Timberlake built by banging on buckets, leading Beyoncé to freestyle explicit lyrics she initially found embarrassing. "Drunk in Love" came from pure enjoyment as she and Jay-Z freestyled verses over a beat by Detail and Timbaland. In October 2013, the album took shape when "Standing on the Sun" and "Grown Woman" were removed to maintain a minimalist approach after being used in TV ads without explanation. The project was mastered at Sterling Sound with eighty songs recorded in total, culminating in a release that prompted the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry to change Global Release Day from Tuesday to Friday.

Reader's Guide

Upon release, the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and broke the record for the fastest-selling album in iTunes Store history. It reached number one in Australia, Canada, Croatia, the Netherlands, and Poland, achieving six-times platinum certification in the US. Five songs were released as singles: "Blow", "XO", "Drunk in Love", "Partition", and "Pretty Hurts," with "Drunk in Love" peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was supported by the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour and the On the Run Tour co-headlined with Jay-Z. Critical acclaim highlighted its experimental production and vocals, leading to wins for Best Surround Sound Album, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it 81st on their "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

Did You Know?

• Beyoncé recorded eighty songs in total for the album but removed "Standing on the Sun" and "Grown Woman" to fit a minimalist approach.
• The beat for "Partition" was created by Justin Timberlake banging on buckets in the studio, which Beyoncé felt reminded her of hip hop from her early romance with Jay-Z.
• Vocals for "XO" were never re-recorded despite Beyoncé having a sinus infection because she believed their imperfections fit the song.
• The surprise release of this album prompted the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry to change Global Release Day from Tuesday to Friday.
• Artist Boots, who was relatively unknown at the time, ended up working on 80 percent of the album after Beyoncé found potential in his experimental demos.