Beyonce’ Set A Flawless Precedent With One Big Surprise

An eponymous album marks a major moment in an artist's career. For women, owning one's work, body, and artistry can be especially powerful, even political. Throughout Women's History Month, MTV News is highlighting some of these iconic statements from some of the biggest artists on the globe. This is Self-Titled.

Beyoncé is queen of the epic entrance (as anyone who watched her 2018 Coachella headlining set can attest), but Beyoncé, her fifth, self-titled album, made its debut quietly — and in the middle of the night.

At first, only those who happened to be scrolling through the iTunes Store after midnight on December 13, 2013 noticed a new addition to its offerings in the form of a simple, striking cover featuring the name of the artist, all caps and in petal pink, emblazoned across its front. Word soon spread across social media — and from Beyoncé’s accounts, no less — that she had not only unveiled a surprise album, but one featuring corresponding music videos for each of its 14 songs.

In the early hours of that December morning, one thing was clear: Beyoncé had pulled off a revolutionary hat trick. Yes, she had completely shocked the world by releasing a new album without so much as a whisper of promotion or warning in the months leading up to it. Yes, she had gone above and beyond by putting out never-before-heard music and a collection of musical film shorts that introduced a new standard for multi-format domination. And yes, she had completely redefined the possibilities for what an album or a music video could do — and what a pop star can achieve by dropping either unexpectedly. Beyoncé wasn’t just another chart-topping addition to Queen Bey’s discography: It was a cultural event, and one that took place at the zenith of her career.

Read More Here.