10 years after the release of her ground-breaking self-titled album, Beyoncé is reflecting on it.
On Wednesday, December 13, the 42-year-old singer celebrated the 10th anniversary of her fifth studio album, Beyoncé, by posting a video on Instagram. With no prior advertising, the album was launched in December 2013 with beautiful images to go along with each song.
Beyoncé became the first woman in history to have her first five albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the critically acclaimed visual album. Moreover, Beyoncé’s record sold the fastest in iTunes history.
Instagram montage from Wednesday includes old footage of fans’ reactions to the surprise album release. Beyoncé states in a voiceover, “I don’t want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out.” “I just want to release this to my fans when it’s ready.”
Despite with the bravado of dropping the album without any notice, Beyoncé acknowledges that she was a little anxious before it dropped, stating, “I still get scared before every album release.”
She continues, “I’m constantly searching for the deeper purpose for my art. Thoughts about life, my dreams or my fantasies. Just because you become a mother, it doesn’t mean you lose who you are.”
“Happy 10th birthday,” Beyoncé says as the video comes to a close.
In the post’s comments area, celebrities showed their respect for Beyoncé, who has songs like “Drunk in Love,” “Pretty Hurts,” and “Partition.” Solange Knowles, the singer’s sister, wrote “HISTORY!” in response to the album’s unusual release. The actress Leslie Grossman of American Horror Story tweeted, “This album changed me on a molecular level,” while Tracee Ellis Ross wrote, “Incredible!!!!” along with a tonne of fire emojis.
Beyoncé’s journey with her identity is a prominent element in her work, especially after the diva welcomed her daughter Blue Ivy in January 2012. Blue, who was nearly two years old when the album was released, starred with her mom in the music video for the song “Blue,” which was dedicated to her.
Beyoncé and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, have a dog named Blue. Rumi and Sir, six-year-old twins born in 2017, are also shared by the couple, who wed in 2008.
Blue, a dancer on Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour this summer, gained press coverage for her gradually improving performance over a few months. The 11-year-old went viral in September after comparison footage showed an increase in her confidence and dancing abilities from her May debut.