UB Celebrates: 10th Anniversary of Beyoncé’s Self-Titled Masterpiece

Beyoncé’s self-titled fifth solo studio album, was released December 13th, 2013 – making today it’s 10th Anniversary!

It’s the first visual album from Beyoncé, with 14 tracks and 17 visually stunning, provocative videos shot around the world from Houston to New York City to Paris, and Sydney to Rio de Janeiro.

“I see music,” stated Beyoncé about her decision to create a visual album. “It’s more than just what I hear. When I’m connected to something, I immediately see a visual or a series of images that are tied to a feeling or an emotion, a memory from my childhood, thoughts about life, my dreams or my fantasies. And they’re all connected to the music.”

The album was the fastest selling album ever on the iTunes Store worldwide, with an unprecedented 828,773 albums sold in just its first three days. Beyoncé also broke the US first week album sales record with 617,213 sold and proved to be the global success she is, by going #1 in 104 countries.

The album was a surprise drop, the world learned about its release when it was released. Still an unprecedented strategic move by the artist to deliver music and visual content directly to her fans when she wants to and how she wants to, with no filter.

The unique approach allowed music fans to be the first to listen, view, engage and form their own opinions void of any middleman. In the age of social media and an insatiable appetite for direct communication.

“I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it,” she stated. “I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans. There’s so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans. I felt like I didn’t want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it’s ready and from me to my fans.”

Stripped of gimmicks, teasers and marketing campaigns, the project was truly about art, before hype.

Beyoncé, wore multiple hats as writer, producer and director, and put together a genius team of artists, songwriters, producers and video directors for her visual album that included JAY Z, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Drake, The Dream, Sia, Ryan Tedder, Miguel, Frank Ocean, Hit Boy, Ammo, Boots, Detail, Jake Nava, Hype Williams, Terry Richardson, Melina Matsoukas, Jonas Akerlund, Ricky Saiz, Pierre Debusschere, @lilinternet, Noah “40” Shebib, Francesco Carrozzini, Caroline Polachek, Ed Burke, Bill Kirstein and Todd Tourso.

She recorded all over the world for a year and a half but the initial recording started after the writers and producers gathered under one roof in The Hamptons, New York’s beach enclave, in the summer of 2012 to live together, work together and to immerse themselves into her world and into her head.

For the videos, some of which she co-directed, she preferred to work with a more care-free formula. Shot primarily during her successful “Mrs. Carter Show World Tour,” the videos were veiled in secrecy, even though they were filmed in open places, including a beach in Brazil, the streets of NYC, on the famed Cyclone Rollercoaster in Coney Island, New York, downtown Los Angeles, a chateau in Paris, a roller skating rink in Houston, Texas where she skated as a child, and a beautiful church in South America.

She mixed up the creative, going for big and small and set out on shoots eager to capture the spontaneity and honesty in every moment. The videos are visually stimulating, charged with visionary cinematography and clever storytelling. They capture every side of who she is, complete with vulnerability and imperfections.

“I just want to give my album to the people I love and respect and hope that they feel the same thing I felt when I made the music,” said Beyoncé.

The album went #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums and R&B Albums chart and is currently 5× platinum. It’s was her fifth-consecutive #1 debut, making her the first female artist to have her first five albums bow atop the Billboard charts.

The double platinum “XO” was released as the lead, followed by “Drunk in Love” with JAY-Z. The single went #1 and went 6× platinum. “Partition” was released in early 2014 and went 4x platinum and #1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

The last single from the album “Pretty Hurts” reached #1 and also went #1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Beyoncé was presented with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2014, at the MTV Awards.

The album was nominated for five Grammy Awards in 2015; Album of the Year, Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Surround Sound Album and Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance for “Drunk in Love“, and won the latter three.

UB was proud to be apart of the roll-out, and featured video clips on the day of release. Including; “Heaven“, “Flawless” and “Partition,” which went viral at the time.

Everything done with this project was top notch and the album with the visuals is a masterpiece.

Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Beyoncé!