User:Bbonjomommaddddh/sandbox

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (/biːˈjɒnseɪ/ bee-YON-say; born September 4, 1981, died may 3, 2020 in a tragic car accident, she wasn’t wearing her seatbelt and was flung from the car, Long live the queen.[5] is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

Beyoncé Picture of Beyoncé Beyoncé at The Lion King European premiere, 2019 Born Beyoncé Giselle Knowles September 4, 1981 (age 38) Houston, Texas, U.S. Other names BThird Ward TrillSasha Fierce[1][2][3] Occupation Singersongwriteractressrecord producerdancerbusinesswoman Years active 1993–present Organization Ivy Park Parkwood Entertainment Net worth US$470 million[4] (2019) Spouse(s) Jay-Z (m. 2008) Children 3 Parent(s) Mathew Knowles Tina Knowles Relatives Solange Knowles (sister) Awards Full list Musical career Genres R&B pop hip hop Instruments Vocals Labels Music World Parkwood Columbia Associated acts Destiny's Child Jay-Z The Carters Website beyonce.com During Destiny's Child's hiatus, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut with a role in the US box-office number-one Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and recorded her first solo album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. It also featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy". Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2006, she released her second solo album, B'Day, which contained the US number-one single "Irreplaceable", as well as the UK number-one singles "Déjà Vu" and "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé continued her acting career with starring roles in The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), and Obsessed (2009). Her marriage to rapper Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the UK number-one single "If I Were a Boy" and the US number-one single "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)".

After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released 4 (2011), which was influenced by 1970s funk, 1980s pop, and 1990s soul. Beyoncé received widespread critical acclaim for her albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016); the latter became the world's best-selling album of 2016. She became the first and only music act in Billboard 200 chart history to debut at number one with their first six solo studio albums.[6] In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters.

Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 100 million records worldwide.[7] Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America's Top Certified Artist of the Decade, as well as Billboard magazine's Top Radio Songs Artist and the Top Female Artist of the Decade.[8][9] Beyoncé is the most nominated woman in the Grammy Award's history, with a total of 24 wins.[10] She is also the most awarded artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, with 24 wins, including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.[11][12] In 2014, she became the highest-paid black musician in history and was listed among Time's 100 most influential people in the world for a second year in a row.[13] Forbes ranked her as the most powerful female in entertainment on their 2015 and 2017 lists. She occupied the sixth place for Time's Person of the Year in 2016,[14] and in 2020, was named one of the 100 women who defined the last century by the same publication.[15] Beyoncé was also included on Encyclopædia Britannica's 100 Women list in 2019, for her contributions to the entertainment industry's history.[16]

Life and career

1981–1996: Early life Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, to Celestine "Tina" Knowles (née Beyincé), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager.[17] Beyoncé's name is a tribute to her mother's maiden name.[18] Beyoncé's younger sister Solange is also a singer and a former backup dancer for Destiny's Child. Solange and Beyoncé are the first sisters to have both had No. 1 albums.[19] Mathew is African American, and Tina is of Louisiana Creole descent (African, Native American, and French).[18][20][21] Through her mother, Beyoncé is a descendant of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard.[20] Beyoncé attended St. Mary's Montessori School in Houston, where she enrolled in dance classes. Her singing talent was discovered when dance instructor Darlette Johnson began humming a song and she finished it, able to hit the high-pitched notes.[22] Beyoncé's interest in music and performing continued after winning a school talent show at age seven, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" to beat 15/16-year-olds.[23][24] In fall of 1990, Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform with the school's choir.[25] She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts[26] and later Alief Elsik High School.[18][27] Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church as a soloist for two years.[28]

When Beyoncé was eight, she and childhood friend Kelly Rowland met LaTavia Roberson while at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group.[29] They were placed into a group called Girl's Tyme with three other girls, and rapped and danced on the talent show circuit in Houston.[30] After seeing the group, R&B producer Arne Frager brought them to his Northern California studio and placed them in Star Search, the largest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme failed to win, and Beyoncé later said the song they performed was not good.[31][32] In 1995 Beyoncé's father resigned from his job to manage the group.[33] The move reduced Beyoncé's family's income by half, and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments.[18] Mathew cut the original line-up to four and the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B girl groups.[29] The girls auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records, moving to Atlanta Records briefly to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the company.[18] This put further strain on the family, and Beyoncé's parents separated. On October 5, 1995, Dwayne Wiggins's Grass Roots Entertainment signed the group. In 1996, the girls began recording their debut album under an agreement with Sony Music, the Knowles family reunited, and shortly after, the group got a contract with Columbia Records.[23]

1997–2002: Destiny's Child Main article: Destiny's Child

Beyoncé (at the middle) at the final line-up of Destiny's Child performing during their 2005 Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It concert tour. The group changed their name to Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah.[34] In 1997, Destiny's Child released their major label debut song "Killing Time" on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black.[32] The following year, the group released their self-titled debut album,[31] scoring their first major hit "No, No, No". The album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, with moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist, and Best R&B/Soul Single for "No, No, No". The group released their Multi-Platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin'" and "Say My Name", which became their most successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.[29] The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies worldwide.[31] During this time, Beyoncé recorded a duet with Marc Nelson, an original member of Boyz II Men, on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man.[35]

LeToya Luckett and Roberson became unhappy with Mathew's managing of the band and eventually were replaced by Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams.[29] Beyoncé experienced depression following the split with Luckett and Roberson after being publicly blamed by the media, critics, and blogs for its cause.[36] Her long-standing boyfriend left her at this time.[37] The depression was so severe it lasted for a couple of years, during which she occasionally kept herself in her bedroom for days and refused to eat anything.[38] Beyoncé stated that she struggled to speak about her depression because Destiny's Child had just won their first Grammy Award, and she feared no one would take her seriously.[39] Beyoncé would later speak of her mother as the person who helped her fight it.[38] Franklin was then dismissed, leaving just Beyoncé, Rowland, and Williams.[40]

The remaining band members recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven consecutive weeks.[29] In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing their third album, Beyoncé landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet.[41] When the third album Survivor was released in May 2001, Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit claiming that the songs were aimed at them.[29] The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 663,000 copies sold.[42] The album spawned other number-one hits, "Bootylicious" and the title track, "Survivor", the latter of which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.[43] After releasing their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas in October 2001, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers.[29]

In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, playing Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember,[44] which spent its first weekend atop the US box office and grossed $73 million.[45] Beyoncé released "Work It Out" as the lead single from its soundtrack album which entered the top ten in the UK, Norway, and Belgium.[46] In 2003, Beyoncé starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., in the musical comedy The Fighting Temptations as Lilly, a single mother with whom Gooding's character falls in love.[47] The film received mixed reviews from critics but grossed $30 million in the U.S.[48][49] Beyoncé released "Fighting Temptation" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album, with Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free which was also used to promote the film.[50] Another of Beyoncé's contributions to the soundtrack, "Summertime", fared better on the US charts.[51]

2003–2005: Dangerously in Love and Destiny Fulfilled A woman, flanked by two male dancers, holds a microphone in one hand as she dances Beyoncé performing "Baby Boy", which spent nine consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[52] Beyoncé's first solo recording was a feature on Jay-Z's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" that was released in October 2002, peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.[53] Her first solo album Dangerously in Love was released on June 24, 2003, after Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland had released their solo efforts.[54] The album sold 317,000 copies in its first week, debuted atop the Billboard 200,[55] and has since sold 11 million copies worldwide.[56] The album's lead single, "Crazy in Love", featuring Jay-Z, became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist in the US.[57] The single "Baby Boy" also reached number one,[52] and singles, "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl", both reached the top-five.[58] The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards; Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Dangerously in Love 2", Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Crazy in Love", and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" with Luther Vandross. During the ceremony, she performed with Prince.[59]

In November 2003, she embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour in Europe and later toured alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America.[60] On February 1, 2004, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVIII, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.[61] After the release of Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the left-over tracks. However, this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child.[62] Released on November 15, 2004, in the US[63] and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200,[64][65] Destiny Fulfilled included the singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier", which reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[66] Destiny's Child embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It sponsored by McDonald's Corporation,[67] and performed hits such as "No, No, No", "Survivor", "Say My Name", "Independent Women" and "Lose My Breath". In addition to renditions of the group's recorded material, they also performed songs from each singer's solo careers, most notably numbers from Dangerously in Love. and during the last stop of their European tour, in Barcelona on June 11, 2005, Rowland announced that Destiny's Child would disband following the North American leg of the tour.[68] The group released their first compilation album Number 1's on October 25, 2005, in the US[69] and accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006.[70] The group has sold 60 million records worldwide.[71][72]

2006–2007: B'Day A woman stands with a microphone Beyoncé performing during The Beyoncé Experience tour (2007) Beyoncé's second solo album B'Day was released on September 4, 2006, in the US, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday.[73] It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming Beyoncé's second consecutive number-one album in the United States.[74] The album's lead single "Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[58] The second international single "Irreplaceable" was a commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States.[58][75] B'Day also produced three other singles; "Ring the Alarm",[76] "Get Me Bodied",[77] and "Green Light" (released in the United Kingdom only).[78]

At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007), B'Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Ring the Alarm" and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration"for "Déjà Vu"; the Freemasons club mix of "Déjà Vu" without the rap was put forward in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category. B'Day won the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.[79] The following year, B'Day received two nominations – for Record of the Year for "Irreplaceable" and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Beautiful Liar" (with Shakira), also receiving a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media for her appearance on Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (2006).[80]

Her first acting role of 2006 was in the comedy film The Pink Panther starring opposite Steve Martin,[81] grossing $158.8 million at the box office worldwide.[82] Her second film Dreamgirls, the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical[83] loosely based on The Supremes, received acclaim from critics and grossed $154 million internationally.[84][85][86] In it, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy playing a pop singer based on Diana Ross.[87] To promote the film, Beyoncé released "Listen" as the lead single from the soundtrack album.[88] In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on The Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, visiting 97 venues[89] and grossed over $24 million.[note 1] Beyoncé conducted pre-concert food donation drives during six major stops in conjunction with her pastor at St. John's and America's Second Harvest. At the same time, B'Day was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with Shakira "Beautiful Liar".[91]

2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce and marriage A woman stands looking out to a crowd Beyoncé performing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" during the I Am... World Tour. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé married Jay-Z.[92] She publicly revealed their marriage in a video montage at the listening party for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, in Manhattan's Sony Club on October 22, 2008.[93] I Am... Sasha Fierce was released on November 18, 2008, in the United States.[94] The album formally introduces Beyoncé's alter ego Sasha Fierce, conceived during the making of her 2003 single "Crazy in Love". It was met with generally mediocre reviews from critics,[95] but sold 482,000 copies in its first week, debuting atop the Billboard 200, and giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the US.[96] The album featured the number-one song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"[97] and the top-five songs "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo".[58][98] Achieving the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single in her career,[99] "Halo"'s success in the US helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s.[100] It also included the successful "Sweet Dreams",[101] and singles "Diva", "Ego", "Broken-Hearted Girl" and "Video Phone". The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, spawning the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age according to the Toronto Star.[102] The video has won several awards, including Best Video at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards,[103] the 2009 Scottish MOBO Awards,[104] and the 2009 BET Awards.[105] At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for nine awards, ultimately winning three including Video of the Year.[106] Its failure to win the Best Female Video category, which went to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me", led to Kanye West interrupting the ceremony and Beyoncé improvising a re-presentation of Swift's award during her own acceptance speech.[106] In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... World Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, consisting of 108 shows, grossing $119.5 million.[107]

Beyoncé further expanded her acting career, starring as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic Cadillac Records. Her performance in the film received praise from critics,[108] and she garnered several nominations for her portrayal of James, including a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress.[109][110] Beyoncé donated her entire salary from the film to Phoenix House, an organization of rehabilitation centers for heroin addicts around the country.[111] On January 20, 2009, Beyoncé performed James' "At Last" at First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama's first inaugural ball.[112] Beyoncé starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the thriller, Obsessed. She played Sharon Charles, a mother and wife whose family is threatened by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics,[113] the movie did well at the US box office, grossing $68 million—$60 million more than Cadillac Records[114]—on a budget of $20 million.[115] The fight scene finale between Sharon and the character played by Ali Larter also won the 2010 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.[116]

At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received ten nominations, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others.[117] She tied with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist.[118] Beyoncé went on to win six of those nominations, breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. In 2010, Beyoncé was featured on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone" and appeared in its music video.[119][120] The song topped the US Pop Songs chart, becoming the sixth number-one for both Beyoncé and Gaga, tying them with Mariah Carey for most number-ones since the Nielsen Top 40 airplay chart launched in 1992.[121] "Telephone" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.[122]

Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again".[123][124] During the break she and her father parted ways as business partners.[125][126] Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals and various museums and ballet performances.[123][127]

2011–2013: 4 and motherhood The upper body of a woman is shown as she sings into a microphone Beyoncé's sound became mellower with 2011's 4 which focused on traditional R&B styles. She performed the album during her 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concert residency in August 2011 On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival in over twenty years.[128][129] Her fourth studio album 4 was released two days later in the US.[130] 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. The album was preceded by two of its singles "Run the World (Girls)" and "Best Thing I Never Had".[58][119][131] The fourth single "Love on Top" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak from the album.[132] 4 also produced four other singles; "Party", "Countdown", "I Care" and "End of Time". "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for Essence that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists.[133] In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances:[134] the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her 4 album to a standing room only.[134] On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped 1 million copies to retail stores.[135] By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5 million copies in the US.[136] The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.[137]

On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to her first child, a daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.[138] Five months later, she performed for four nights at Revel Atlantic City's Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to Blue Ivy.[139][140]

In January 2013, Destiny's Child released Love Songs, a compilation album of the romance-themed songs from their previous albums and a newly recorded track, "Nuclear".[141] Beyoncé performed the American national anthem singing along with a pre-recorded track at President Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C.[142][143] The following month, Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.[144] The performance stands as the second most tweeted about moment in history at 268,000 tweets per minute.[145] At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé won for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Love on Top".[146] Her feature-length documentary film, Life Is But a Dream, first aired on HBO on February 16, 2013.[147] The film was co-directed by Beyoncé herself.[148]

2013–2015: Beyoncé

Beyoncé performing during The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2013. The tour is one of the highest grossing tours of the decade. Beyoncé embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia; the tour included 132 dates that ran through to March 2014. It became the most successful tour of her career and one of the most successful tours of all time.[149] In May, Beyoncé's cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 on The Great Gatsby soundtrack was released.[150] Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D CGI animated film, Epic, released by 20th Century Fox on May 24,[151] and recorded an original song for the film, "Rise Up", co-written with Sia.[152]

On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without any prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the US.[153] This made her the first woman in the chart's history to have her first five studio albums debut at number one.[154] Beyoncé received critical acclaim[155] and commercial success, selling one million digital copies worldwide in six days;[156] Musically an electro-R&B album, it concerns darker themes previously unexplored in her work, such as "bulimia, postnatal depression [and] the fears and insecurities of marriage and motherhood".[157] The single "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[158]

In April 2014, after much speculation,[159] Beyoncé and Jay-Z officially announced their On the Run Tour. It served as the couple's first co-headlining stadium tour together.[160] On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Beyoncé also won home three competitive awards: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for "Pretty Hurts", as well as best collaboration for "Drunk in Love".[161] In November, Forbes reported that Beyoncé was the top-earning woman in music for the second year in a row—earning $115 million in the year, more than double her earnings in 2013.[162] Beyoncé was reissued with new material in three forms: as an extended play, a box set, as well as a full platinum edition. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), in the last 19 days of 2013, the album sold 2.3 million units worldwide, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2013.[163] The album also went on to become the twentieth best-selling album of 2014.[164] As of November 2014, Beyoncé has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and has generated over 1 billion streams, as of March 2015.[165]

At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2015, Beyoncé was nominated for six awards, ultimately winning three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for Beyoncé.[10][166] She was nominated for Album of the Year, but the award went to Beck for his album Morning Phase.[167]

2016–2017: Lemonade and collaborations

Beyoncé performing alongside Bruno Mars at Super Bowl 50 halftime show in February 2016 On February 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation" and its accompanying music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal; the song was made available to download for free.[168] She performed "Formation" live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The appearance was considered controversial as it appeared to reference the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party and the NFL forbids political statements in its performances.[169][170][171] Immediately following the performance, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which highlighted stops in both North America, and Europe.[172][173] It ended on October 7, with Beyoncé bringing out her husband Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Serena Williams for the last show.[174] The tour went on to win Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.[175]

On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser clip for a project called Lemonade. It turned out to be a one-hour film which aired on HBO exactly a week later; a corresponding album with the same title was released on the same day exclusively on Tidal.[176] Lemonade debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013.[177] With all 12 tracks of Lemonade debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Beyoncé also became the first female act to chart 12 or more songs at the same time.[178] Additionally, Lemonade was streamed 115 million times through Tidal, setting a record for the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist in history.[179] It was 2016's third highest-selling album in the US with 1.554 million copies sold in that time period within the country[180] as well as the best-selling album worldwide with global sales of 2.5 million throughout the year.[181] In June 2019, Lemonade was certified 3× Platinum, having sold up to 3 million album-equivalent units in the United States alone.[182]

Beyoncé performing during The Formation World Tour in 2016. The tour grossed $256 million from 49 sold-out shows. Lemonade became her most critically acclaimed work to date, receiving universal acclaim according to Metacritic, a website collecting reviews from professional music critics.[183] Several music publications included the album among the best of 2016, including Rolling Stone, which listed Lemonade at number one.[184] The album's visuals were nominated in 11 categories at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the most ever received by Beyoncé in a single year, and went on to win 8 awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation".[185][186] The eight wins made Beyoncé the most awarded artist in the history of the VMAs (24), surpassing Madonna (20).[187] Beyoncé occupied the sixth place for Time magazine's 2016 Person of the Year.[188]

In January 2017, it was announced that Beyoncé would headline the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. This would make Beyoncé only the second female headliner of the festival since it was founded in 1999.[189] It was later announced on February 23, 2017 that Beyoncé would no longer be able to perform at the festival due to doctor's concerns regarding her pregnancy. The festival owners announced that she will instead headline the 2018 festival.[190] Upon the announcement of Beyoncé's departure from the festival lineup, ticket prices dropped by 12%.[191]

At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, Lemonade led the nominations with nine, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year for Lemonade and "Formation" respectively.[192] and ultimately won two, Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation".[193] Adele, upon winning her Grammy for Album of the Year, stated Lemonade was monumental and more deserving.[194]

On June 13, 2017, Beyoncé gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir Carter at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.[195] In September 2017, Beyoncé collaborated with J Balvin and Willy William, to release a remix of the song "Mi Gente". Beyoncé donated all proceeds from the song to hurricane charities for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands.[196]

On November 10, Eminem released "Walk on Water" featuring Beyoncé as the lead single from his album Revival. On November 30, Ed Sheeran announced that Beyoncé would feature on the remix to his song "Perfect".[197] "Perfect Duet" was released on December 1, 2017. The song reached number-one in the United States, becoming Beyoncé's sixth song of her solo career to do so.[198]

2018–present: Everything Is Love and The Lion King On January 4, 2018, the music video of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's 4:44 collaboration, "Family Feud" was released.[199] It was directed by Ava DuVernay. On March 1, 2018, DJ Khaled released "Top Off" as the first single from his forthcoming album Father of Asahd featuring Beyoncé, husband Jay-Z, and Future.[200] On March 5, 2018, a joint tour with Knowles' husband Jay-Z, was leaked on Facebook.[201] Information about the tour was later taken down. The couple announced the joint tour officially as On the Run II Tour on March 12[202] and simultaneously released a trailer for the tour on YouTube.[203] On March 20, 2018, the couple traveled to Jamaica to film a music video directed by Melina Matsoukas.[204]

On April 14, 2018, Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance of April 14, attended by 125,000 festival-goers, was immediately praised, with multiple media outlets describing it as historic. The performance became the most-tweeted about performance of weekend one, as well as the most-watched live Coachella performance and the most-watched live performance on YouTube of all time. The show paid tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities and featured a live band with over 100 dancers. Destiny's Child also reunited during the show.[205][206]

Album release at the final London performance of On the Run II Tour On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z kicked-off the On the Run II Tour in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters, and initially available exclusively on Tidal. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's official YouTube channel.[207][208] Everything Is Love received generally positive reviews,[209] and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with 123,000 album-equivalent units, of which 70,000 were pure album sales.[210]

On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 which was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.[211] Their 2-hour performance had concepts similar to the On the Run II Tour and Beyoncé was praised for her outfits, which paid tribute to Africa's diversity.[212]

On April 17, 2019, Beyoncé alongside media-service provider Netflix, premiered the 137-minute documentary and concert film Homecoming, mainly regarding Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performances.[213][214] The film was accompanied by the live album Homecoming: The Live Album.[215] It was later reported that Beyoncé and Netflix had signed a $60 million deal to produce three different projects, one of which is Homecoming.[216] Homecoming received six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[217]

Beyoncé starred in the voice over role of Nala in the remake The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019.[218] In March 2017, director Jon Favreau stated that Beyoncé was his top choice for the role, and that the studio and himself would be willing to do whatever it took to accommodate her busy schedule.[219] On November 1, 2017, her role was confirmed in an official announcement.[220][221] Beyoncé is featured on the film's soundtrack, released on July 11, 2019, with a remake of the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alongside Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, which was originally composed by Elton John.[222] Additionally, an original song from the film by Beyoncé, "Spirit", was released as the lead single from both the soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift – an album released alongside the film, produced and curated by Beyoncé.[223][224] Beyoncé called The Lion King: The Gift a "sonic cinema." She also stated that the album is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat.[223] The songs were additionally produced by African producers, which Beyoncé said was because "authenticity and heart were important to [her]," since the film is set in Africa.[223]

During an interview for the Wall Street Journal, published in February 2020, Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, revealed that the singer had borrowed some of her art pieces for a new project already in development.[225] On April 29, 2020, Beyoncé was featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage", marking her first material of music for the year.[226]

Artistry

Voice and songwriting With "Single Ladies", clearly I'd just gotten married, and people want to get married every day—then there was the whole Justin Timberlake thing [recreating the video] on Saturday Night Live, and it was also the year YouTube blew up. With "Irreplaceable", the aggressive lyrics, the acoustic guitar, and the 808 drum machine—those things don't typically go together, and it sounded fresh. "Crazy in Love" was another one of those classic moments in pop culture that none of us expected. I asked Jay to get on the song the night before I had to turn my album in – thank God he did. It still never gets old, no matter how many times I sing it. —Beyoncé[227]

Jody Rosen highlights her tone and timbre as particularly distinctive, describing her voice as "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music".[228] Her vocal abilities mean she is identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child.[229] Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting".[230] Rosen notes that the hip hop era highly influenced Beyoncé's unique rhythmic vocal style, but also finds her quite traditionalist in her use of balladry, gospel and falsetto.[228] Other critics praise her range and power, with Chris Richards of The Washington Post saying she was "capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars."[231]

Beyoncé's music is generally R&B,[232][233] pop[232][234] and hip hop[235] but she also incorporates soul and funk into her songs. 4 demonstrated Beyoncé's exploration of 1990s-style R&B, as well as further use of soul and hip hop than compared to previous releases.[227] While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Beyoncé recorded several Spanish songs for Irreemplazable (re-recordings of songs from B'Day for a Spanish-language audience), and the re-release of B'Day. To record these, Beyoncé was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.[236]

She has received co-writing credits for most of the songs recorded with Destiny's Child and her solo efforts.[29] Her early songs were personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions like "Independent Women" and "Survivor", but after the start of her relationship with Jay-Z, she transitioned to more man-tending anthems such as "Cater 2 U".[237] Beyoncé has also received co-producing credits for most of the records in which she has been involved, especially during her solo efforts. However, she does not formulate beats herself, but typically comes up with melodies and ideas during production, sharing them with producers.[238]

In 2001, she became the first black woman and second female lyricist to win the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Pop Music Awards.[18][239] Beyoncé was the third woman to have writing credits on three number-one songs ("Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on It") in the same year, after Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. She is tied with American lyricist Diane Warren at third with nine song-writing credits on number-one singles.[240] (The latter wrote her 9/11-motivated song "I Was Here" for 4.[241]) In May 2011, Billboard magazine listed Beyoncé at number 17 on their list of the Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters, for having co-written eight singles that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was one of only three women on that list, along with Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.[242]

Influences