Beyonce surprised her fans today by releasing a new album completely out of the blue.
In an age where albums are frequently leaked online before they are released, the 32-year-old superstar shocked the music world by putting 14 songs and 17 videos on iTunes.
This morning she said she decided to take the unorthodox step because she was “bored” of the conventional process of marketing an album.
The self-titled record is her fifth and comes two years after her last, 4, which went platinum twice in the UK.
The digital album includes collaborations with her husband Jay Z, Frank Ocean and Drake, and the final track, Blue, features her daughter Blue Ivy, who turns two next month.
Speaking about her decision to release the video material alongside the new songs, she said: “I see music. It’s more than just what I hear.
“When I’m connected to something, I immediately see a visual or a series of images that are tied to a feeling or an emotion, a memory from my childhood, thoughts about life, my dreams or my fantasies. And they’re all connected to the music.”
iTunes, Apple’s music download division, described the album’s release on the same day as its announcement as “an unprecedented strategic move by the artist to deliver music and visual content directly to her fans when she wants to and how she wants to, with no filter”.
With no “middleman”, fans are being encouraged to form their own opinions about the videos and tracks.
Beyoncé added: “I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it. I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans.
“There’s so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans. I felt like I didn’t want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it’s ready and from me to my fans.”
Beyoncé will come to London early next year when she plays four dates at the O2 arena from February 28. Tickets go on sale on Monday.
Described as an “exclusive visual album”, Beyoncé is available on iTunes for £12.99.
Commentary: How did she keep it a secret from us?
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Beyonce has gone one better than David Bowie, who sprang an album on the public without warning at the start of this year, and surprised us this morning with 14 new songs and 17 videos.
In this age of too much information, where musicians are expected to tweet about every studio cup of tea on the way to making an album, it’s remarkable. How did she create this much stuff without us knowing?
With the help of a huge team, she was able to go about the ordinary business of touring the world in support of her last album, her fourth, while all this was happening in the background. It’s a family affair, with her husband Jay-Z appearing amid the churchy synths of Drunk in Love, and their daughter Blue Ivy getting a “feat.” credit on the piano ballad Blue.
The wider world of rap and R&B is here too, including singer of the moment Frank Ocean and Canadian rapper Drake. The videos are hugely varied in style, with the dreaded Terry Richardson (Of Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball fame) taking on XO and Beyonce taking joint credit herself on four clips.
“This project is truly about art before hype,” says this morning’s announcement. It’s certainly a new way of doing things for a major artist, but the hype that such a surprise is likely to generate in one day, as opposed to a few months of advance warning, is likely to be as deafening as anything this year.
David Smyth, chief pop critic
