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Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 21st century through her vocal ability, musical versatility, and live performances. Credited with revolutionizing the sound of
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
, Beyoncé is often deemed one of the most influential artists of all time.Sources for Beyoncé being one of the most influential artists of all time: * * * * * * * * Beyoncé rose to fame in 1997 as a member of
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Her debut solo album, '' Dangerously in Love'' (2003), became one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century, producing the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles " Crazy in Love" and " Baby Boy". After Destiny's Child's disbandment in 2005, Beyoncé released the female empowerment-inspired set '' B'Day'' (2006), while her marriage to rapper
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
and portrayal of
Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...
in the biopic '' Cadillac Records'' (2008) influenced the pop- and
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
-imbued record '' I Am... Sasha Fierce'' (2008). The albums contained the U.S. number-one songs " Check on It", " Irreplaceable", and " Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Forming the management company Parkwood Entertainment in 2010, Beyoncé explored traditional R&B on '' 4'' (2011), electronic on ''Beyoncé'' (2013) and
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
on '' Lemonade'' (2016). ''Beyoncé'' is credited with popularizing the visual album and surprise album, while ''Lemonade'' was the best-selling album worldwide in 2016. Her ongoing trilogy project—currently consisting of the
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
-inspired
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
album ''
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
'' (2022) and Americana epic ''
Cowboy Carter ''Cowboy Carter'' (also referred to as ''Act II: Cowboy Carter'') is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé, released on March 29, 2024, via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. A concept album, ''Cowboy Cart ...
'' (2024)—highlighted the contributions of Black pioneers to American musical and cultural history, spawning the U.S. number-one singles " Break My Soul" and " Texas Hold 'Em". She voiced
Nala Nala () is a legendary king of ancient Nishadha kingdom and the central protagonist of the '' Nalopakhyana'', a sub-narrative within the Indian epic '' Mahabharata'', found in its third book, '' Vana Parva'' (Book of the Forest). He is renown ...
in ''The Lion King'' (2019) and its sequel '' Mufasa: The Lion King'' (2024). Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 200 million records. She is the only female artist in history to debut all of her eight studio albums at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200. Beyoncé is the most awarded female artist of all time; her accolades include thirty-five Grammy Awards—the most of any person in history—and a
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
. She is also the most awarded artist at the NAACP Image and Soul Train Music Awards. The first woman to headline an all-stadium tour, Beyoncé is amongst the highest-grossing live acts of all time. She has been listed amongst history's greatest artists by publications such as ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' and ''Billboard''.


Life and career


Early life

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, Texas, on September 4, 1981. Her mother, Tina Knowles (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Beyoncé), was a hairdresser and salon owner while her father, Mathew Knowles, was a sales manager at
Xerox Xerox Holdings Corporation (, ) is an American corporation that sells print and electronic document, digital document products and services in more than 160 countries. Xerox was the pioneer of the photocopier market, beginning with the introduc ...
. Mathew is African-American, while Tina is Louisiana Creole and has African, French, Irish, Breton and Native American ancestry. Tina's parents were French-speakers with roots in New Iberia. Beyoncé's younger sister, Solange, is also a singer and actress. Both sisters are descendants of
Acadian The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern American region of Acadia, ...
militia officer Joseph Broussard, who was exiled to
French Louisiana The term French Louisiana ( ; ) refers to two distinct regions: * First, to Louisiana (New France), historic French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by Early Modern France, France during the 17th and 18th ...
after the expulsion of the Acadians, and of the French military officer and Abenaki chief Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie, Baron de Saint-Castin. The two also have Belgian ancestry from
Hainaut Province Hainaut ( , also , ; ; ; ; ), historically also known as Heynault in English, is the westernmost province of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. To its south lies the French department of Nord, while within Belgium it borders ...
, Wallonia, and are related to a former mayor of Froidchapelle, Belgium. Beyoncé was raised within multiple religious traditions, attending both St. John's United Methodist Church and St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church in Houston. She received her early education at St. Mary's Catholic Montessori School in Houston, where she also enrolled in dance classes. Her vocal talent was discovered when her dance instructor, Darlette Johnson, began humming a song and Beyoncé completed it, showing her ability to reach high-pitched notes. Her passion for music and performance deepened after she won a school talent show at the age of seven by singing
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
's " Imagine", outperforming competitors aged fifteen and sixteen. In 1990, nine-year-old Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she performed with the school's choir. She later attended the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and subsequently Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church where she sang her first
solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...
and was a soloist for two years.


1990–2001: Career beginnings and Destiny's Child

In 1990, Beyoncé met LaTavia Roberson while in an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They were placed in a group named "Girl's Tyme" with three other girls, a group that performed rap and dance routines on Houston's talent show circuit. R&B producer Arne Frager noticed them and later entered the group in '' Star Search'', the largest national talent show on television at the time. After they lost, Beyoncé attributed the failure to a poor song choice. In 1995, Mathew Knowles left his job to manage the group, which halved the family's income and led to them moving into separated apartments. He reduced the group's lineup to four members and they continued performing as an opening act for established R&B girl groups. After being briefly signed by
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
and later dropped, tensions led to a six-month separation of Beyoncé's parents. The Knowles family later reunited and the group secured a contract with
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
, aided by talent scout Teresa LaBarbera Whites. The group adopted the name
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
in 1997, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. That year, they released their major-label debut song, "Killing Time", which appeared on the soundtrack for the film ''Men in Black''. In November of that year, the group issued their debut single and first major hit, " No, No, No" followed by their self-titled debut album in 1998, which established the group as a viable act in the music industry. In 1999, the group released their second studio album, '' The Writing's on the Wall'', which achieved multi-platinum status. The album featured several hit singles, including " Bills, Bills, Bills"—their first number-one song on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100—" Jumpin', Jumpin'", and " Say My Name", the lattermost reaching number one. "Say My Name" earned two awards at the 2001 Grammy Awards: Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song. ''The Writing's on the Wall'' became one of the best-selling R&B albums of all time. The remaining members of Destiny's Child—Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams—recorded " Independent Women Part I" in 2000, which featured on the soundtrack of the film '' Charlie's Angels''. The song became the group's highest-charting single, spending eleven consecutive weeks at number one in the U.S. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing work on their third album, Beyoncé secured a leading role in the MTV made-for-television film '' Carmen: A Hip Hopera'', an interpretation of the 19th-century opera '' Carmen''. Upon its release in May 2001, Destiny's Child's third album, '' Survivor'', debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 663,000 copies in its first week. The album produced " Bootylicious" and the title track, " Survivor", which peaked at number one and two in the United States, respectively. "Survivor" earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Following the release of their holiday album, '' 8 Days of Christmas'' (2001), Destiny's Child announced a hiatus to allow each member to pursue solo careers.


2002–2007: ''Dangerously in Love'', ''B'Day'', and ''Dreamgirls''

In July 2002, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut, portraying Foxxy Cleopatra alongside Mike Myers in '' Austin Powers in Goldmember''. Beyoncé released " Work It Out" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack. Beyoncé's breakthrough hit as a solo artist came when she featured on
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
's track " '03 Bonnie & Clyde" from his album '' The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse'' (2002). The single peaked at number four on the Hot 100 chart. Beyoncé appeared as Jay-Z's girlfriend in the music video for the song, fueling speculation about a relationship. She shared that they began dating when she was nineteen, after being friends for a year and a half before going on any dates. On June 14, 2003, Beyoncé premiered songs from her debut solo album, '' Dangerously in Love'', during her first solo concert, which was broadcast as a
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
television special. The album was released on June 24, 2003, following the solo releases of her Destiny's Child bandmates Williams and Rowland. ''Dangerously in Love'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 317,000 copies in its first week. 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. The single " Baby Boy" also reached number one, while " Me, Myself and I" and " Naughty Girl" both reached the top-five. The album earned Beyoncé a then record-tying five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best R&B Song for "Crazy in Love". She starred alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. in the musical comedy '' The Fighting Temptations'' (2003), portraying a single mother and the love interest of Gooding's character. It received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office. Beyoncé performed several songs for the film's soundtrack, including its two singles, " Fighting Temptation" and " Summertime". In November 2003, Beyoncé embarked on the Dangerously in Love Tour across Europe and joined
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
and
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
for the Verizon Ladies First Tour in North America. On February 1, 2004, she performed the American national anthem at
Super Bowl XXXVIII Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2003 Carolina Panthers season, Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2003 New England Patriots season, New E ...
. Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up to ''Dangerously in Love'' using several of the leftover tracks; this was put on hold so she could concentrate on recording Destiny's Child's final album, '' Destiny Fulfilled''. Released on November 15, 2004, in the U.S. and peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, ''Destiny Fulfilled'' included the singles " Lose My Breath" and "
Soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...
", both of which reached within the top five in the U.S. Destiny's Child embarked on a global concert tour titled Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It. The group announced that they would disband at the end of the tour. The group released their first compilation album, ''#1's'', in October and were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006. Beyoncé's second solo album, '' B'Day'', was released in the United States on September 4, 2006, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 541,000 copies in its first week, making it her second consecutive number-one album in the U.S. The album's lead single, " Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, reached number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The second single, " Irreplaceable", topped the charts in several territories, including the U.S. ''B'Day'' also produced several additional singles, including " Ring the Alarm", " Get Me Bodied", and "
Green Light Green Light, green light, green-light or greenlight may refer to: * Green-colored light, part of the visible spectrum * Greenlight, formal approval of a project to move forward Arts, entertainment, and media Films and television * Green Light ( ...
". At the 2007 Grammy Awards, ''B'Day'' received five nominations, including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Déjà Vu". In 2008, the album garnered more nominations, including
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
for "Irreplaceable". Beyoncé's first acting role in 2006 was in the comedy film ''
The Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Clouseau, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the fil ...
'', in which she starred alongside Steve Martin. The film was a commercial success, grossing $158 million worldwide. Her second film that year was ''
Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...
'', a cinematic adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical; Beyoncé portrayed a pop singer modeled after
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
. In April 2007, Beyoncé embarked on the Beyoncé Experience, her first worldwide concert tour, which visited 97 venues and grossed over $24 million. At the same time, ''B'Day'' was re-released with five additional songs, including her duet with
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
" Beautiful Liar". In December 2007, Beyoncé and Jay-Z became engaged.


2008–2009: ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' and marriage

On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married in a small, private ceremony. Influenced by their marriage, Beyoncé released the album '' I Am... Sasha Fierce'' in November 2008 and introduced her
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
Sasha Fierce. A double album, it comprises two discs—''I Am...'' and ''Sasha Fierce''; the former contains slow and midtempo pop and R&B
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
s, while the latter focuses on more uptempo beats that blend
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
and Europop elements. It sold 482,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200, giving Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album in the U.S. ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' included her UK number-one single, " If I Were a Boy", and her fifth U.S. chart-topper, " Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". " Halo" achieved the accomplishment of becoming her longest-running Hot 100 single at the time, and its success in the U.S. helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. The music video for "Single Ladies" has been parodied and imitated around the world, with the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
'' describing it as the "first major dance craze" of the
Internet age The Information Age is a historical period that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during the Industrial Revolution, to an economy centered on information technology ...
. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video won three categories, including Video of the Year. In March 2009, Beyoncé embarked on the I Am... Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour, grossing $119.5 million. Beyoncé portrayed blues singer
Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...
in the
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
biopic '' Cadillac Records'' (2008), garnering several nominations including an
NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Beyoncé starred alongside Ali Larter and Idris Elba in the psychological thriller ''Obsessed'' (2009), portraying Sharon Charles, a wife and mother whose family is endangered by her husband's stalker. Although the film received negative reviews from critics—with
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
' consensus calling it "instantly predictable and ..forgettable"—it performed strongly at the U.S. box office, earning $68 million on a $20 million budget, surpassing ''Cadillac Records'' by $60 million. At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010, Beyoncé received ten nominations—both for ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' and for her work in film soundtracks—tying with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist. Beyoncé won six of those nominations, including Best Contemporary R&B Album for ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies", breaking a record she previously tied in 2004 for the most Grammy awards won in a single night by a female artist with six. Beyoncé provided vocals on
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
's single "
Telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...
", from the latter's extended play '' The Fame Monster'' (2009). It peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.


2010–2012: ''4'' and first child

In January 2010, Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career. Her musical break lasted nine months, during which she visited several European cities, the
Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' long wall") is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against vario ...
, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, English music festivals, and attended museum exhibitions and ballet performances. "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for '' Essence'' that detailed her career break, won her a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. Around this time, she miscarried, retrospectively describing the experience as "the saddest thing" she had endured. Beyoncé returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In March 2011, Beyoncé and her father Mathew parted ways as business partners. The following month, while in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
with Jay-Z for a photoshoot for her then-upcoming studio album cover, Beyoncé unexpectedly became pregnant. Her fourth studio album, '' 4'', was released on June 24, 2011, in the U.S. and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 310,000 copies in its first week. This marked her fourth consecutive number-one album in the country. ''4''—the first project of Beyoncé's artistic freedom and creative control since she split from her father—was conceived as a traditional R&B and soul record that stood apart from contemporary popular music. The album's singles include the U.S. top-75 songs " Run the World (Girls)", " Best Thing I Never Had", " Party", " Countdown", and " Love on Top". The lattermost peaked at number 20, becoming the highest-charting single from the album. On June 26, 2011, Beyoncé became the first solo female artist in over two decades to headline the main Pyramid Stage at the
Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
. Her performance received widespread acclaim, with several outlets highlighting her growth and excellence as a live performer. In August 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z attended the MTV Video Music Awards, in which the former performed "Love On Top" and revealed her pregnancy. Her announcement contributed to the ceremony becoming the most-watched broadcast in MTV history at the time, drawing 12.4 million viewers. The moment also set a '' Guinness World Record'' for the most tweets per second for a single event, with 8,868 tweets per second, and "Beyonce pregnant" became the most Googled phrase during the week of August 29, 2011. In late 2011, Beyoncé headlined four exclusive shows at New York's Roseland Ballroom titled 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé, performing songs from ''4''. That month, the album was certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
after shipping one million copies to retail stores. The album reached one billion Spotify streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of her albums surpass one billion streams on the platform. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to her daughter Blue Ivy in New York City. In June 2012, 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 her daughter.


2013–2014: ''Beyoncé''

In January 2013, Beyoncé performed the American national anthem during
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
's second presidential inauguration. The following month, she headlined the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show in New Orleans. The performance became the second most tweeted-about moment in history at the time, generating 268,000 tweets per minute. In February, her feature-length documentary '' Life Is But a Dream'' premiered on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
. The film, which offered an introspective look into her personal and professional life, was co-directed by Beyoncé. She launched The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in April 2013, which spanned 132 dates and concluded in March 2014. In May 2013, she released a cover of
Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...
's " Back to Black" with André 3000 for the soundtrack of the drama film '' The Great Gatsby''. That same month, Beyoncé voiced Queen Tara in the 3D animated film ''Epic''. On December 13, 2013, Beyoncé unexpectedly released her eponymous fifth studio album on the iTunes Store without prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, marking her fifth consecutive U.S. number-one debut—making her the first woman in the chart's history to achieve this milestone with her first five studio albums. ''Beyoncé'' received widespread critical acclaim and was a commercial success, selling one million digital copies globally within six days. Musically rooted in electro-R&B, the album explored darker, more personal themes than her previous work, including bulimia, postnatal depression, and the emotional complexities of marriage and motherhood. ''Beyoncé'' is credited with popularizing digital releases, the surprise album and  visual album formats, and with establishing Friday as Global Release Day. The lead single, " Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z, peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. ''Beyoncé'' sold 2.3 million units worldwide, making it the tenth best-selling album of 2013 and the twentieth best-selling album of 2014. At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, Beyoncé received six nominations and won three: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Drunk in Love", and Best Surround Sound Album for ''Beyoncé''. In April 2014, Beyoncé and Jay-Z—known collectively by their stage name the Carters—announced their first co-headlining stadium tour called On the Run Tour. On August 24, 2014, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards, and won three additional honors: Best Video with a Social Message and Best Cinematography for " Pretty Hurts", and Best Collaboration for "Drunk in Love".


2015–2017: ''Lemonade''

Beyoncé released " Formation" on February 6, 2016, and performed it live for the first time during the NFL Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The performance sparked controversy due to its apparent reference to the fiftieth anniversary of the
Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...
, as the NFL prohibits political statements during its events. Afterward, Beyoncé announced The Formation World Tour, which included stops across North America and Europe. It was the first all-stadium tour by a female artist and concluded on October 7, later winning Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards. On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser for a project titled ''Lemonade''. An hour-long visual and musical film premiered on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
on April 23, coinciding with the release of the corresponding studio album of the same name exclusively on Tidal the same day. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, making Beyoncé the first artist in ''Billboard'' history to have their first six studio albums debut at number one. All twelve tracks from ''Lemonade'' entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making her the first female artist to chart twelve or more songs simultaneously. With 115 million streams in its first week, ''Lemonade'' became the most-streamed album in a single week by a female artist on Tidal. It was the third best-selling album in the U.S. in 2016, with 1.554 million copies sold, and the best-selling album worldwide that year, with 2.5 million copies sold worldwide. Several music publications included ''Lemonade'' amongst their lists of best albums of 2016. The album's visuals earned eleven nominations at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards—the most Beyoncé had ever received in a single year—and won eight awards, including Video of the Year for "Formation". The eight wins made Beyoncé the most-awarded artist in MTV Video Music Awards history with twenty-four total awards, surpassing
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's previous record of twenty wins. In January 2017, Beyoncé was announced as a headliner for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which would have made her only the second female artist to headline the event. However, on February 23, it was confirmed she would no longer perform due to her pregnancy concerns. Festival organizers later announced she would headline the 2018 edition instead. At the 59th Grammy Awards in February 2017, ''Lemonade'' led with nine nominations, including Album of the Year, and Record and Song for the Year for "Formation". Beyoncé won two awards: Best Urban Contemporary Album for ''Lemonade'' and Best Music Video for "Formation". On February 1, 2017, Beyoncé announced on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
that she was expecting twins. The post garnered over 6.3 million likes within a few hours, setting a world record for the most-liked image on the platform at the time. On July 13, she shared the first photo of herself with the twins, confirming they were born a month earlier on June 13. The post became the second most-liked on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
, following her original pregnancy announcement. The twins—a daughter, Rumi, and a son, Sir—were born via caesarean section in California. Later that year, Beyoncé featured on Eminem's " Walk on Water" and on the remix of
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
's " Perfect"; the latter reached number one in the U.S., marking her sixth chart-topper as a solo artist.


2018–2021: ''Everything Is Love'' and ''The Lion King''

Beyoncé played the first of two weekends as the headlining act of the Coachella Music Festival. Her performance on April 14 was the most-tweeted-about performance of the first weekend and became the most-watched live performance on YouTube. Her first of her two performances received widespread praise from critics; they described it as historic and one of the greatest performances at Coachella. The performance paid homage to Black culture—particularly focusing on historically Black colleges and universities—and included a brief reunion of Destiny's Child. On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and Jay-Z launched their On the Run II Tour. At their final stop, the couple released their first studio album, '' Everything Is Love'', which debuted at number two in the U.S. with 123,000
album-equivalent units The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, often shortened to just unit, is a sales metric in the music industry that defines the number of streaming media, songs streamed and music download, songs downloaded equal to one Record sales, tradi ...
. It spawned the single " Apeshit", which peaked at number 13 in the U.S. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé and Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, South Africa. '' Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé'', a documentary and concert film capturing her 2018 Coachella performances, was released on Netflix on April 17, 2019, alongside a surprise live album. It was later reported that Beyoncé signed a $60 million deal with Netflix for three projects, including ''Homecoming''. The film earned six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2019. Beyoncé starred as the voice of
Nala Nala () is a legendary king of ancient Nishadha kingdom and the central protagonist of the '' Nalopakhyana'', a sub-narrative within the Indian epic '' Mahabharata'', found in its third book, '' Vana Parva'' (Book of the Forest). He is renown ...
in the 2019 remake of ''The Lion King'', released in July that year. She also contributed to the film's soundtrack, performing a remade version of " Can You Feel the Love Tonight". Beyoncé's original song " Spirit" was the lead single from both the official soundtrack and '' The Lion King: The Gift'', a companion album she curated and produced. Featuring gqom and Afrobeat genres, Beyoncé worked with African producers to create ''The Gift'', given the film's African setting. In September, ABC aired '' Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift'', a surprise documentary detailing the album's creation. A remix of Megan Thee Stallion's " Savage" featured Beyoncé, was released in April 2020, and peaked number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé's seventh chart-topper as a soloist. On July 31, 2020, she released '' Black Is King'' on Disney+. A visual album inspired by ''The Lion King: The Gift'', it was written, directed, and executive produced by Beyoncé. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021, she led with nine nominations and won four awards, becoming the most-awarded singer, the most-awarded female artist, and the second most-awarded person in Grammy history. That same year, she co-wrote and recorded " Be Alive" for the biographical sports drama film '' King Richard'', earning her first
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards.


2022–present: ''Renaissance'' and ''Cowboy Carter''

Beyoncé performed "Be Alive" at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022 on the Compton tennis courts
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
and
Serena Williams Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WT ...
practiced on in their childhood. On June 16, 2022, she announced ''Renaissance'', her seventh studio album; the album's lead single, " Break My Soul", was released four days later. It peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé's eighth number-one and twentieth top-ten hit on the chart; the latter placed her alongside
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
as the only artists in chart history to earn at least twenty top-ten singles as solo acts and ten as members of a group. ''Renaissance'' was released on July 29, 2022, to critical acclaim from critics. The album featured
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...
styles such as
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
and
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
and largely pays homage to the Black
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
pioneers of those genres, exploring themes of escapism,
hedonism Hedonism is a family of Philosophy, philosophical views that prioritize pleasure. Psychological hedonism is the theory that all human behavior is Motivation, motivated by the desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. As a form of Psycholo ...
, and self-expression. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, making Beyoncé the first artist to have their first seven studio albums debut at number one in the United States. All sixteen of its songs charted on the Hot 100; its second single, " Cuff It", peaked at number six. Upon the album's release, Beyoncé revealed that it was the first installment of a trilogy developed and recorded during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
—a period she described as her "most creative". The three projects are organized into acts, each denoted by
Roman numerals Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, eac ...
. On January 21, 2023, Beyoncé gave her first full concert in over four years at a private event in Dubai, performing for an audience of influencers and journalists. She was reportedly paid $24 million for the show, which sparked criticism due to the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
' laws criminalizing homosexuality. Later in the year, she headlined the Renaissance World Tour across North America and Europe, which became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist at the time. In November 2023, she released '' Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé'', a documentary concert that chronicled the tour's creation. It was written, directed, and produced by her in partnership with AMC Theatres. Her four wins at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2023 brought her number of awards up to thirty-two, making Beyoncé the most-awarded person at the Grammy Awards in history. The album itself won Best Dance/Electronic Album. On February 11, 2024, Beyoncé announced the second installment of her trilogy project and released its first two tracks, " Texas Hold 'Em" and " 16 Carriages"; the former became her ninth solo number-one in the U.S. She announced the album's title, ''
Cowboy Carter ''Cowboy Carter'' (also referred to as ''Act II: Cowboy Carter'') is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé, released on March 29, 2024, via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. A concept album, ''Cowboy Cart ...
'', on March 12 and released it on March 29. An Americana,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
, and folk-imbued record, ''Cowboy Carter'' highlights the overlooked contributions of Black pioneers to American musical and cultural history. It debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have their first eight studio albums debut at number one in the United States. In July 2024, NBC released two promotional commercials featuring Beyoncé for their coverage of the
2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...
in Paris. Set to ''Cowboy Carter'' songs " Ya Ya" and "Just for Fun", she introduced the USA Olympic Team and Gold-medal gymnast Simone Biles. Beyoncé returned as Nala in '' Mufasa: The Lion King'' (2024), a prequel to the 2019 remake. In December 2024, she headlined the first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday Halftime Show, debuting songs from ''Cowboy Carter''. At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025, she became the first Black artist in 50 years to win in the country categories, and the first Black artist ever to win Best Country Album. She also won Album of the Year, becoming the first Black woman to receive the honor since Lauryn Hill in 1999. Beyoncé launched the Cowboy Carter Tour on April 28, with dates scheduled through July 26 across the United States and Europe.


Artistry


Voice and musical style

Critics have described Beyoncé's voice as being mezzo-soprano. The magazine ''T''s Jody Rosen praised her musical tone and timbre as especially distinctive, calling her voice "one of the most compelling instruments in popular music". While Rosen credited the
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
era for shaping her rhythmic vocal style, he also noted her traditionalist leanings through
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
ry,
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
, and falsetto. Her voice was described as "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting" by Jon Pareles—writing for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Chris Richards, in an article for ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', highlighted her vocal range and power, noting she could "punctuate any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars". In ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''s 2023 list of the " 200 Greatest Singers of All Time", Beyoncé ranked eighth, with the magazine stating, "in ervoice lies the entire history of Black music". Beyoncé's music is primarily R&B, pop, and hip-hop, while also incorporating elements of soul and
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
. Expanding beyond the hip-hop and R&B sound she featured in her previous two albums—''Dangerously in Love'' and ''B'Day''—''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' incorporates a 1980s
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
- and Europop-imbued sound, featuring instruments such as
synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s and the
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
. With the album ''4'', she expanded her use of soul and hip-hop compared to earlier work. It drew from 1970s funk, 1980s pop, and 1990s soul influences, while also featuring elements of
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
,
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
, and adult contemporary. Her eponymous 2013 album was inspired by minimalist production; the record featured emotive falsetto and often braggadocio, employing fragmented song structures that rejected traditional pop formats in favor of atmosphere. With ''Lemonade'', Beyoncé expanded on some of these elements, integrating rock, soul, and reggae into a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
that explores Black womanhood, identity, and sexuality. Rooted in diasporic pride and cultural celebration, ''The Lion King: The Gift'' featured artists and producers from across the African continent, exploring Afropop and gqom. ''Renaissance'' delved into
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
, ballroom culture, and 1990s club sounds. It prominently used four-on-the-floor beats, pulsating synths, and interpolations of queer and Black dance music pioneers. Beyoncé continued her genre experimentation with ''Cowboy Carter'', an album that highlights the overlooked contributions of Black musicians to country music. It incorporates
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
,
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
, and
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
, featuring instrumentation such as the accordion, harmonica, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Although she mainly records in English, Beyoncé has also released Spanish-language tracks for '' Irreemplazable'' (2007)—a Spanish reissue of songs from ''B'Day''—with guidance from producer Rudy Pérez, who coached her phonetically.


Songwriting

Beyoncé has received co-writing credits on most of her songs. Her early work with
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
often centered on themes of female empowerment, such as " Independent Women" and " Survivor". When her relationship with
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
began, her songwriting style shifted to include more romantic and relationship-focused content, such as " Cater 2 U". By 2006, she became the third woman to earn writing credits on three U.S. number-one singles in a single year. In 2011, ''Billboard'' ranked her at number 17 on its "Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters" list, noting her co-writing on eight ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one hits; she was one of just three women on the list, alongside
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
and
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
. Beyoncé is known for her collaborative and experimental songwriting process, often merging different song parts to create new structures. Sia, who co-wrote " Pretty Hurts", described her as "very
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...
when she comes to songs". Diana Gordon, co-writer of " Don't Hurt Yourself", called her a "scientist of songs", while Caroline Polachek, who worked on " No Angel", praised her ability to make connections between ideas, calling her a "genius writer and producer". Beyoncé has faced criticism over the number of writing credits she receives, with some questioning the extent of her contributions. In interviews, she has described herself as the sole writer of songs she had co-written or where her input was reportedly limited. In 2005 she claimed to have written several Destiny's Child number-one hits, despite shared credits. In a 2007 interview with Barbara Walters, she said she conceived the musical idea for the song " Bootylicious". Rob Fusari objected privately to her manager and later told ''Billboard'' that Knowles explained people "want to believe the artist is everything". In 2016 Fusari stated that Beyoncé "had the 'Bootylicious' concept in her head" and "knew what she wanted to say".


Influences

Beyoncé has named
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
as her greatest musical influence. At the age of five, she attended her first concert where Jackson performed, an experience she later said helped her realize her purpose as a performer. She has also credited
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
as a major inspiration, admiring how she embodied strength while remaining feminine and sexy.
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
influenced her as an "all-around entertainer", and Whitney Houston inspired her to pursue performing, saying Houston made her believe she could do the same. Beyoncé praised
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
for her music and roles as a businesswoman. She has cited Mariah Carey's vocal style—especially the song " Vision of Love"—as an early influence that inspired her to practice vocal runs as a child. Other artists that Beyoncé has mentioned as inspirations are Rachelle Ferrell,
Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...
,
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Fairuz, Mary J. Blige, Selena, Anita Baker, and
Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won seven ...
. The female empowerment themes on ''B'Day'' were inspired by her role in ''Dreamgirls'' and by singer
Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...
. ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'' was inspired by Jay-Z and especially by
Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...
, whose "boldness" inspired Beyoncé to explore other musical genres and styles. The album ''4'' was inspired by Fela Kuti, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge,
Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recor ...
, Teena Marie,
The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...
,
New Edition New Edition is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B/Pop music, pop group from the Roxbury, Boston, Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by singer/rapper Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson ...
, Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince. Michael Jackson's album ''Thriller'' (1982) influenced Beyoncé's eponymous 2013 album. Black
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
musicians such as
Big Freedia Freddie Ross Jr. (born January 28, 1978), better known by her stage name Big Freedia ( ), is an American rapper, singer and performer known for her work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helpi ...
,
Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. She began her Model (person), modelling career in New York State, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves St ...
, Telfar Clemens, and Syd inspired ''Renaissance'', while ''Cowboy Carter'' was influenced by
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
, Quentin Tarantino, and
spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
films. Beyoncé has cited
Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...
—44th
First Lady of the United States First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is a title typically held by the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been Code of law, codified or offici ...
—as a personal inspiration. She described
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...
as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". She stated that
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
inspires her, and she has praised his lyrical talent and the challenges he has overcome. She expressed admiration for artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, stating, that she wants to emulate his lyrical and raw artistic traits in her music. She has named Ross and
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
as some of her fashion inspirations.


Videography and stage

Beyoncé has been praised for her stage presence and voice during live performances. According to Barbara Ellen of ''The Guardian,'' Beyoncé is the "most in-charge ..female artist he'sseen onstage". Alice Jones of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' wrote she "takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good". L.A. Reid, the ex-President of Def Jam Recordings, described Beyoncé as the "greatest entertainer alive". In 2006, Beyoncé introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. Beyoncé has worked with numerous directors for her music videos including Melina Matsoukas,
Jonas Åkerlund Hans Uno Jonas Åkerlund (; born 10 November 1965) is a Swedish filmmaker and musician who is best known for his work in music videos. Åkerlund was a member of the Swedish black metal band Bathory. He has directed well-known videos for artists ...
, and Jake Nava.
Bill Condon William Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an American director and screenwriter. Condon is known for writing and/or directing numerous successful and acclaimed films including ''Gods and Monsters (film), Gods and Monsters'', ''Chicago (2002 fi ...
stated that the ''Lemonade'' visuals inspired his film '' Beauty and the Beast'' (2017) and credited ''Lemonade'' with reintroducing and repopularising the musical trope of characters breaking into song. Caitlin Johnson of CBS News described Beyoncé as "sexy, seductive, and provocative" when performing on stage. She created the
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
Sasha Fierce to separate her stage persona from her personal attributes. She characterized her persona as "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy ndtoo sexy", adding that she is not like her in real life at all. Sasha Fierce was created during the production of "Crazy in Love" and was introduced with the release of her third solo studio album, ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'', in 2008. By February 2010, Beyoncé stated she no longer needed the alter ego, having grown more comfortable with herself. In May 2012, she announced Sasha Fierce would return for her ''Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live'' performances later that month.


Public image

Beyoncé has been described by critics as having sex appeal. Writing for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', music journalist
Touré Touré is the French transcription of a West African surname (English transcriptions are '' Turay'' and '' Touray''). The name is probably derived from ''tùùré'', the word for 'elephant' in Soninké, the language of the Ghana Empire. The clan ...
noted that she became a "crossover sex symbol" after the release of ''Dangerously in Love'' (2003). Due to her curves, the media frequently used the term " bootylicious"—a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
of " booty" and "delicious"—to describe her, a phrase popularized by Destiny's Child's 2001 single of the same name. In 2004, "bootylicious" was added to the ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'', defined as "(of a woman) sexually attractive". Beyoncé has been nicknamed "Queen Bey" by media publications. Beyoncé's fans are known as the "BeyHive", having previously been known as "The Beyontourage" until 2011. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' Kuba Shand-Baptiste called them "the most dedicated group of superfans ... on the planet". ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine named Beyoncé one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013, 2014, and 2023. She occupied the sixth place for the magazine's 2016 Person of the Year. In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. She was named the " World's Most Beautiful Woman" by ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' and the "Hottest Female Singer of All Time" by '' Complex'' in 2012. In January 2013, '' GQ'' placed her on its cover, featuring her atop its "100 Sexiest Women of the 21st Century" list. VH1 listed her at number one on its 2013 list of the "100 Sexiest Artists". Several wax figures of Beyoncé are found at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world. Beyoncé's lighter skin color and costuming has drawn criticism from the African-American community. Emmett Price, a professor of music at Northeastern University, wrote in 2007 that he thinks race plays a role in many of these criticisms, saying white celebrities who dress similarly attract less comments. In 2008, L'Oreal denied accusations of whitening her skin in their Feria hair color advertisements, and in 2013, Beyoncé criticized H&M for their proposed "retouching" of promotional images of her, requesting only "natural pictures be used". When performing, Beyoncé uses different fashion styles that coordinate with the music she is singing. In 2007, Beyoncé became the second African American woman after Tyra Banks to appear on the cover of the '' Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' magazine, and ''People'' recognized her as the best-dressed celebrity.


Wealth

Beyoncé is one of the wealthiest musical artists; as of June 2025, ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' estimates her net worth to be $780 million. The magazine named Beyoncé the annual highest-earning female musician in 2008, 2010, 2014, and 2017. ''Forbes'' began reporting on her earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008 made her the second highest-paid musician in 2008. On the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 list, Beyoncé was placed fourth in 2008 and 2009, second in 2010, and fourth in 2013. She ranked at number one on the Celebrity 100 list in 2014, earning an estimated $115 million. '' Billboard'' named Beyoncé the highest-paid musician of 2016, with estimated earnings of $62.1 million. She was listed as the ''Forbes'' third highest-paid musician of the 2010s, earning $685 million. In 2012, ''Forbes'' placed Beyoncé and Jay-Z at number one on the "World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples" list, collectively earning $78 million. The couple made it into the previous year's '' Guinness Book of World Records'' as the "highest-earning power couple" for collectively earning $122 million in 2009. Beyoncé and Jay-Z also became the highest-paid celebrity couple in 2016, with combined earnings of $107.5 million. They officially became a billion-dollar couple in 2017, when ''Forbes'' estimated a combined net worth of $1.16 billion.


Legacy

Beyoncé has been recognized as one of the most influential figures in music history by outlets such as ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
, and NPR. In 2024, ''Billboard'' named her the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century. She has been cited as the defining artist of both the 2000s and 2010s. Writing in ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'', critic Jody Rosen called her "the logical end point of a century-plus of pop". Critics hailed several of her albums, singles, music videos, and live performances as among the greatest of all time. Beyoncé has revolutionized the
music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...
, transforming the production, distribution, promotion, and consumption of music. Beyoncé has been credited with reviving the
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
format in an era dominated by singles and
streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
, with albums becoming increasingly cohesive and narrative-led. She revolutionized how music is released and marketed with the invention of the surprise album, reorienting the music market to cohesive albums and unconventional promotional rollouts; surprise albums became a common practice in the 2010s and 2020s. She is also credited with reviving the music video as an art form and popularizing the visual album format. Her impact on the music industry led to the Global Release Day being moved to Friday. Beyoncé's use of
staccato Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of Articulation (music), musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and ...
rap-singing and chopped and re-pitched vocals became defining features of music in the 21st century. Her work transcends traditional
genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
boundaries, creating new artistic standards that shaped contemporary music and set the precedent for music artists to move between and beyond genre confines. She helped renew subgenres of music such as R&B,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
,
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
, and Afrobeats. Beyoncé revolutionized the music industry by transforming concert tours into cultural and artistic events. Beyoncé has been recognized for establishing procedures on how music artists achieve success in the modern era, with musicians from across genres, generations and countries citing her as a major influence on their career.
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
called her a major influence, crediting her with showing other artists how to oppose industry standards and create new opportunities.
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
said Beyoncé inspired her to become a musician, while
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
was motivated to pursue music after watching Beyoncé. Ariana Grande said she learned to sing by mimicking artists like Beyoncé, while Adele described her as part of her artistic influence since she was a preteen.
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
and
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...
have also cited Beyoncé's live performances as inspirational, with the latter recommending that new and veteran musicians analyse these performances to improve their craft. Beyoncé popularized phrases that entered mainstream culture, such as " put a ring on it" to signify a marriage proposal, " I woke up like this", which sparked a trend of morning selfies, and " boy, bye", which was used in the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...
's 2020 election campaign. In January 2012, Australian research scientist Bryan Lessard named a species of horse-fly found in North Queensland, Australia, '' Scaptia beyonceae'', after her, due to the insect's distinctive golden hairs on its
abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...
. In
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, May 23 is designated as "Beyoncé Day", marking the same day she performed the Formation World Tour in the state in 2016.


Achievements

Beyoncé has received numerous awards and is the most-awarded female artist of all time. Having sold over 200 million records worldwide (and an additional 60 million with
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
), Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) listed Beyoncé as the top certified artist of the 2000s decade, with a total of 64 certifications. Beyoncé has won 35
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s—both as a solo artist and member of Destiny's Child and the Carters—making her the most honored individual by the award show. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy Award history with 99 nominations. She set the record for the most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night in 2010 with six awards. Beyoncé has won 30 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), tying for the most in the award show's history. In 2016, she matched
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
's 2010 record for the most VMAs won in a single night by a female artist, with eight wins. She also has the most Soul Train Music Awards with 25 wins—21 as a solo artist and four with Destiny's Child—and is the most awarded artist in NAACP Image Awards history, earning 27 wins solo and five with Destiny's Child. In 2011, she was honored with the ''Billboard'' Millennium Award at the ''Billboard'' Music Awards. For her role in ''
Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...
'', Beyoncé was nominated for Best Original Song for "Listen" and Best Actress at the
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
. Beyoncé won two awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006; Best Song for "Listen" and Best Original Soundtrack for ''Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture''. In 2001, she became the first Black woman—and only the second female lyricist overall—to win ASCAP's Pop Songwriter of the Year award. The film '' Lemonade'' won a
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
in 2017. In 2022, " Be Alive" was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the Film industry, motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who h ...
, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Song, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.


Other ventures


Politics

Beyoncé performed " America the Beautiful" at President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
's 2009 presidential inauguration and " At Last" during the first inaugural dance. She held a fundraiser for President Obama's 2012 presidential campaign and voted for him in the 2012 presidential election. She performed "
The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...
", the national anthem of the United States, at his second inauguration in January 2013. In May 2015, Beyoncé attended a celebrity fundraiser for 2016 presidential nominee
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
and headlined in a concert for Clinton the weekend before the election. She endorsed the bid of Beto O'Rourke during the 2018 United States Senate election in Texas. Beyoncé endorsed
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
for president during the 2020 election. In July 2024, she gave
Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
permission to use "
Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...
" as the official song for her 2024 presidential campaign, and Harris launched a digital advertisement in support of her candidacy featuring the song. In October 2024, Beyoncé endorsed Harris for president at a campaign rally in Houston.


Activism

In a 2013 interview with '' Vogue'', Beyoncé stated that she considered herself "a modern-day feminist". Her self-identification incited debate about whether her feminism is aligned with older, more established feminist ideals; Annie Lennox referred to her use of the word feminist as "feminist lite". Beyoncé publicly aligned with feminism by sampling Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 2013 TEDx speech "We should all be feminists" in " Flawless", released later that year. She performed at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards before a giant "Feminist" backdrop. In December 2012, Beyoncé joined a coalition of celebrities in the "Demand a Plan" campaign—an initiative led by U.S. mayors to urge federal action on gun control legislation following the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting On December 14, 2012, a mass shooting occurred at Newtown Public Schools, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, United States. The perpetrator, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, shot and killed 26 people. The victims were 20 children bet ...
. In 2013 she endorsed
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...
via Instagram and voiced opposition to North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, a law criticized for discriminating against the
LGBT community The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ people, LGBTQ individuals united by LGBTQ culture, a common culture and LGBTQ movements, social movements. These Community, comm ...
. In February 2017, she supported transgender youth following
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's federal rollback of protections for transgender students in public schools. Beyoncé has spoken against police brutality toward Black Americans. She attended a 2013 rally after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin, and featured the mothers of Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner holding photos of their deceased sons in the music video for "
Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...
". Her 2016 single " Formation" was interpreted as a critique of law enforcement, though she clarified it was a celebration of her heritage. Performing the song during the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show, with dancers dressed in outfits referencing the
Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...
, sparked backlash from
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
figures and law enforcement groups. Beyoncé responded to the criticism by selling "Boycott Beyoncé" merchandise on her tour.


Philanthropy

In 1999, Beyoncé, former Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, and her mother Tina Knowles established the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Beyoncé, her sister Solange, Tina, and Rowland co-founded the Survivor Foundation to offer transitional housing for displaced families and support the construction of new homes. They later provided aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Beyoncé contributed $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. In 2007, she launched the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments, a housing development that accommodates 43 displaced individuals. After starring in '' Cadillac Records'' in 2008 and learning about Phoenix House, a nonprofit organization focused on drug and alcohol rehabilitation, Beyoncé donated her entire $4 million salary from the film to the organization. She later founded the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center, a program at Phoenix House that provides a cosmetology training course. In April 2011, Beyoncé participated in the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation's campaign against child obesity by reworking her single " Get Me Bodied". She was an ambassador for the 2012 World Humanitarian Day campaign, and in 2013, she took part in Gucci's "Chime for Change" initiative to promote global female empowerment. Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated tens of thousands of dollars to post bail for Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
and Ferguson, and contributed to building the infrastructure needed to establish BLM chapters across the United States. In 2016 she pledged to fund ten college scholarships for students in financial need. In June 2016, she donated over $82,000 to the United Way of Genesee County to assist victims of the Flint water crisis and provided financial support for fourteen Michigan students pursuing higher education. That August, Beyoncé and Jay-Z donated $1.5 million to civil rights organizations including BLM, Hands Up United, and Trayvon Martin Foundation. In August 2017, during Hurricane Harvey, Beyoncé launched BeyGood Houston to support those affected and donated $75,000 worth of new mattresses to survivors. Later that month, she released a remix of
J Balvin José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer. He is one of the best-selling Latin artists, with 35 million records sold worldwide. Balvin was born in Medellín. At age 17, he moved to th ...
and Willy William's " Mi Gente", pledging all proceeds to disaster relief efforts across Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.S., and the Caribbean in response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, as well as the
Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...
and
Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...
earthquakes. In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
, and local community-based organizations to provide mental health and wellness services for essential workers during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. She featured on the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's " Savage" (2020), with proceeds supporting Bread of Life Houston's COVID-19 relief efforts. Beyoncé worked with the Feminist Coalition in the End SARS movement in Nigeria to cover medical costs for injured protestors, legal fees for arrested protestors, and resources to those in need. Beyoncé also supported the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, ShutItAllDown in Namibia, Zimbabwean Lives Matter in Zimbabwe and the Rape National Emergency in Liberia. In December 2020, Beyoncé donated $500,000 to alleviate the housing crisis in the U.S. caused by the cessation of the eviction moratorium. In January 2025, she donated $2.5 million to Los Angeles fire relief funds amidst the wildfires that month in Southern California.


Business endeavors

In 2008, Beyoncé founded what is now known as Parkwood Entertainment, an entertainment company established as an imprint of
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
. Parkwood has since grown to include a music division, signing artists such as Chloe x Halle. In February 2024, Beyoncé launched Cécred, a hair care line designed to serve a wide range of hair textures. In partnership with BeyGood, in 2024, she introduced an annual grant program to support cosmetology students and professional hair stylists with financial assistance.


Endorsements and partnerships

Beyoncé began her partnership with
Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
in 2002. In 2004, she starred in a gladiator-themed commercial alongside Britney Spears,
Pink Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the Dianthus plumarius, pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, p ...
, and
Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...
. In 2012, she signed a $50 million endorsement deal with the brand. Beyoncé has also collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger for the fragrances True Star—for which she recorded a cover of " Wishing on a Star"—and True Star Gold. In 2007, she promoted Emporio Armani’s Diamonds fragrance. Beyoncé launched her own fragrance line with Heat in 2010, followed by Heat Rush in 2011 and Pulse later in the same year. Beyoncé also has had deals with American Express,
Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
, and a long-standing endorsement deal with L'Oréal since she was 18. In March 2015, Beyoncé became a co-owner of the music streaming platform Tidal, alongside several other artists. In November 2020, she entered a multi-year partnership with fitness and media company Peloton. In 2021, Beyoncé and Jay-Z partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the company's "About Love" campaign. Beyoncé became the fourth woman, and first Black woman, to wear the 128.54-carat Tiffany Yellow Diamond. The campaign drew criticism, as the diamond is considered a blood diamond and a symbol of British colonial exploitation in Africa. On August 20, 2024, Beyoncé announced SirDavis, a
whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
in collaboration with Moët Hennessy developed for years prior and co-founded with master distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden. In October 2024, Levi's launched a four-part global campaign titled "Reiimagine" with Beyoncé, spotlighting women's history with the company and featuring her ''Cowboy Carter'' track " Levii's Jeans".


Fashion lines

In 2005, Beyoncé and Tina launched House of Deréon, a women's fashion line inspired by three generations of women in their family. The brand's name honors Beyoncé's grandmother, seamstress Agnèz Deréon. The two also established Beyond Productions to handle licensing and brand management for House of Deréon and its junior line, Deréon. The collection features sportswear, denim offerings with fur, outerwear and accessories like handbags and footwear. In 2005, Beyoncé parterned with House of Brands, a footwear company, to produce a range of shoes for House of Deréon. In January 2008, Starwave Mobile launched Beyoncé Fashion Diva, a
mobile game A mobile game is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any Mobile device, portable device, including from mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone), tablet computer, table ...
with a social networking component, featuring the House of Deréon collection. In July 2009, Beyoncé and her mother launched a junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection included sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. In April 2016, Beyoncé launched Ivy Park, a 50–50 joint venture with fashion retailer Topshop. The brand's name was inspired by her daughter, Blue Ivy, Beyoncé's favorite number, four (IV), and the park where she used to run in Texas. Following allegations that Topshop owner Philip Green had sexually harassed, bullied, and racially abused employees, Beyoncé bought out his stake in the company. In April 2019, she partnered with Adidas as a creative collaborator to relaunch Ivy Park and develop new apparel and footwear, with the first collection debuting in January 2020. The brand struggled financially and by March 2023, Beyoncé and Adidas mutually ended their partnership. That same month, Beyoncé collaborated with Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing on a couture collection inspired by her ''Renaissance'' album. Featuring sixteen looks—one for each track—it was the first time a Black woman led the design of a Parisian couture house collection.


Discography

Solo studio albums * '' Dangerously in Love'' (2003) * '' B'Day'' (2006) * '' I Am... Sasha Fierce'' (2008) * '' 4'' (2011) * ''
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
'' (2013) * '' Lemonade'' (2016) * ''
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
'' (2022) * ''
Cowboy Carter ''Cowboy Carter'' (also referred to as ''Act II: Cowboy Carter'') is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé, released on March 29, 2024, via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. A concept album, ''Cowboy Cart ...
'' (2024) with
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
* ''
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
'' (1998) * '' The Writing's on the Wall'' (1999) * '' Survivor'' (2001) * '' 8 Days of Christmas'' (2001) * '' Destiny Fulfilled'' (2004) with The Carters * '' Everything Is Love'' (2018) Soundtrack albums * '' The Lion King: The Gift'' (2019)


Filmography

Films starred * '' Carmen: A Hip Hopera'' (2001) * '' Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002) * '' The Fighting Temptations'' (2003) * '' Fade to Black'' (2004) * ''
The Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Clouseau, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the fil ...
'' (2006) * ''
Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...
'' (2006) * '' Cadillac Records'' (2008) * '' Obsessed'' (2009) * '' Epic'' (2013) * '' Lemonade'' (also director) (2016) * '' The Lion King'' (2019) * '' Black Is King'' (also director) (2020) * '' Mufasa: The Lion King'' (2024) Documentaries * '' Live at Wembley'' (2004) * '' The Beyoncé Experience Live'' (2007) * '' I Am... Yours'' (2009) * '' I Am... World Tour'' (also director) (2010) * '' Live at Roseland: Elements of 4'' (also director) (2011) * '' Life Is But a Dream'' (also director) (2013) * '' Live in Atlantic City'' (also director) (2013) * '' On the Run Tour'' (2014) * '' Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé'' (also director) (2019) * '' Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé'' (also director) (2023)


Tours and residencies

;Headlining tours * Dangerously in Love Tour (2003) * The Beyoncé Experience (2007) * I Am... Tour (2009–2010) * The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013–2014) * The Formation World Tour (2016) * Renaissance World Tour (2023) * Cowboy Carter Tour (2025) ;Co-headlining tours * Verizon Ladies First Tour (with
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
and
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
) (2004) * On the Run Tour (with
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
) (2014) * On the Run II Tour (with Jay-Z) (2018) ;Residencies * I Am... Yours (2009) * 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé (2011) * Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (2012)


See also

* ''Forbes'' list of highest-earning musicians * List of artists with the most number-one European singles * List of ''Billboard'' Social 50 number-one artists * List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees * List of highest-grossing live music artists *
List of most-followed Instagram accounts This page shows the 50 accounts with the most followers on the social media platform Instagram, with each amount rounded down to the nearest million followers. The most-followed account is Instagram's own account. The most-followed person is Po ...


Notes


References


Cited literature

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External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beyonce Beyoncé 1981 births Living people 20th-century African-American businesspeople 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American businesswomen 20th-century American singers 21st-century African-American actresses 21st-century African-American businesspeople 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American businesswomen Actresses from Houston African-American choreographers African-American dancers African-American fashion designers African-American female dancers African-American feminists African-American Methodists Methodists from Texas African-American record producers African-American women in business African-American women rappers 21st-century African-American women writers 21st-century American women writers 21st-century African-American writers American contemporary R&B singers American cosmetics businesspeople American dance-pop musicians American businesspeople in fashion American feminist musicians American film actresses American mezzo-sopranos American music industry executives American music publishers (people) American music video directors American people of Acadian descent American people of Creole descent American retail chief executives American television actresses American United Methodists American voice actresses American women business executives American women country singers American women fashion designers American fashion designers American women philanthropists American women pop singers American women record producers Knowles–Carter family Black Lives Matter people Brit Award winners Businesspeople from Houston Columbia Records artists Destiny's Child members Female music video directors Gold Star Records artists Grammy Award winners Grammy Award winners for rap music High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumni Ivor Novello Award winners Louisiana Creole people MTV Europe Music Award winners MTV Video Music Award winners Music video codirectors Musicians with fictional stage personas NME Awards winners Parkwood Entertainment artists Rappers from Texas Record producers from Texas Shoe designers Singers from Houston Singers with a four-octave vocal range Texas Democrats World Music Awards winners Writers from Houston