Beyonce

Beyonce’s newest album, self-titled “Beyonce,” took the world by storm when it dropped unexpectedly on Dec. 13. The record has 13 songs and 17 music videos, and features Beyonce’s husband, Jay Z, Drake, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (a Nigerian author and women’s rights advocate), Frank Ocean, and Blue Ivy (her two-year-old daughter).

The album is a major success, selling 420,000 digital copies in the first 24 hours. Her previous album, “4,” sold only 310,000 copies the first week, which was considered a flop (even though it was the third-best-selling album of 2011).

“Beyonce” is the artist’s fifth commercial album and, like all of her previous ones, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Apple announced that “Beyonce” is the fastest-selling album to date, selling 828,773 copies in three days, topping the iTunes Store charts in 104 countries.

The album is R&B, hip-hop, and pop-centered. Each song holds special meaning to Knowles. In the opening track, “Pretty Hurts,” she sings about body image and how the beauty industry only cares about how women look rather than their personalities or ideas.

“Flawless” (stylized ***Flawless) contains excerpts of speeches by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about feminism and women’s rights. “Mine” (featuring Drake), talks about Beyonce’s fears about her marriage and family. Overall, the songs contrast with each other, specifically “XO” and “Haunted,” which are almost complete opposites. “XO” is an entertaining and energetic song about love and how great it can be, while “Haunted” is a slow, dark song about how love can affect a person negatively.

Beyonce’s newest, critically acclaimed album has taken the world by storm and has revolutionized the music industry. It spreads a feminist message. Each song is not only beautifully produced and written,
but also catchy and great to sing to. Breaking many records, “Beyonce” will surely keep this artist relevant for years to come.