BEYONCÉ

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

BEYONCÉ · On 13 December 2013 this fifth album by Beyoncé appeared as a surprise, as a visual album with a video for each track. Everything had been recorded in secret. In 2012 she had had producers and writers stay at her house in the Hamptons for a month. After a break for tours she continued in 2013 and looked for styles outside conventional R&B. The plan was an album in a month and a half, but it took a year and a half.

The result is electro-R&B with heavy bass, percussion and synthesizers, and with dark, personal lyrics about sexuality and monogamy. Drunk in Love with Jay-Z reached number 2 on the American Hot 100 and won two Grammys. The album broke the record for the fastest-selling album in the iTunes Store and received glowing reviews. The surprise release led the IFPI to move the worldwide release day from Tuesday to Friday.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Pretty Hurts4:18Apple Music ↗
2. 2Haunted6:09Apple Music ↗
3. 3Drunk in Love (feat. JAŸ-Z)5:23Apple Music ↗
4. 4Blow5:10Apple Music ↗
5. 5No Angel3:49Apple Music ↗
6. 6Partition5:19Apple Music ↗
7. 7Jealous3:04Apple Music ↗
8. 8Rocket6:32Apple Music ↗
9. 9Mine (feat. Drake)6:19Apple Music ↗
10. 10XO3:36Apple Music ↗
11. 11***Flawless (feat. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)4:11Apple Music ↗
12. 12Superpower (feat. Frank Ocean)4:37Apple Music ↗
13. 13Heaven3:51Apple Music ↗
14. 14Blue (feat. Blue Ivy)4:27Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

Sources

1. Wikipedia (en): Beyoncé
2. Wikipedia (en): Halo (Beyoncé song
3. npr.org