What is "beyonce"

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child and rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny's Child. Managed by her father, Mathew Knowles, the group became one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of Beyoncé's debut album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which established her as a solo artist worldwide, earned five Grammy Awards and featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles " Crazy in Love" and " Baby Boy".

Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in June 2005, she released her second solo album, B'Day (2006), which contained hits " Déjà Vu", " Irreplaceable", and " Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe-nominated performance in Dreamgirls (2006) and starring roles in The Pink Panther (2006) and Obsessed (2009). Her marriage to rapper Jay Z and portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which saw the birth of her alter-ego Sasha Fierce and earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010, including Song of the Year for " Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Beyoncé took a hiatus from music in 2010 and took over management of her career; her fourth album 4 (2011) was subsequently mellower in tone, exploring 1970s funk, 1980s pop, and 1990s soul. Her critically acclaimed fifth album, Beyoncé (2013), was distinguished from previous releases by its experimental production and exploration of darker themes. Her sixth album, Lemonade (2016), was released in conjunction with a short film of the same name.

Throughout a career spanning 19 years, she has sold over 100 million records as a solo artist, and a further 60 million with Destiny's Child, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has won 20 Grammy Awards and is the most nominated woman in the award's history. The Recording Industry Association of America recognized her as the Top Certified Artist in America during the 2000s (decade). In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade, the Top Female Artist of the 2000s (decade) and handed their Millennium Award in 2011. Time listed her among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 and 2014. Forbes also listed her as the most powerful female in entertainment of 2015.

Beyoncé is the fifth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé, released on December 13, 2013, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Developed as a simultaneous audio-visual medium, Beyoncé's songs are accompanied by non-linear short films that illustrate the musical concepts conceived during production. Its dark, intimate subject material includes feminist themes of sex, monogamous love and relationship issues, inspired by Beyoncé's desire to assert her full creative freedom.

The album's initial recording began in New York, where Beyoncé invited producers and songwriters to live with her for a month. During extensive touring the following year, the album changed as she conceived of creating a visual accompaniment to its songs and resumed recording sessions with electronic producer and rock musician Boots. Their collaboration led to more sonically experimental material, which combined rhythm and blues with electronic and soul music. Throughout this period, the album's songs and videos were composed in strict secrecy as Beyoncé devised an unexpected release.

Beyoncé was released digitally to the iTunes Store without prior announcement or promotion. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, earning Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album in the country. The record sold 617,000 copies in the U.S., and 828,773 copies worldwide in its first three days of availability, becoming the fastest-selling album in the history of the iTunes Store, before being surpassed by Adele's 25 in 2015. It was reissued in November 2014 as part of a platinum edition, along with an extended play of new songs. It received universal acclaim from critics who praised its exploration of sexuality, production and Beyoncé's vocals. It has sold 5 million copies worldwide as of November 2014, and has spawned the singles " XO", " Drunk in Love", " Partition", " Pretty Hurts" and " Flawless".