Beyoncé - WikiHQ

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; Knowles; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Known for her vocal ability, artistic reinventions, and live performances, she is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 21st century. Credited with shaping popular music, Beyoncé is often deemed one of the greatest entertainers of all time.

Beyoncé rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups in history. Her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love (2003), became one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century. After Destiny's Child disbanded in 2005, Beyoncé released the funk-imbued B'Day (2006) and starred in the drama film Dreamgirls (2006). Her marriage to rapper Jay-Z and portrayal of Etta James in the biopic Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her pop-oriented double album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). Through the 2000s, Beyoncé garnered the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love", "Baby Boy", "Check on It", "Irreplaceable", and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)".

After forming the management company Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé embraced traditional R&B and soul on 4 (2011). The electronic-influenced Beyoncé (2013) popularized surprise and visual albums, inspiring the setting of Friday as Global Release Day, while the eclectic Lemonade (2016) sparked sociopolitical discourse and was the best-selling album of 2016. Her ongoing trilogy project—consisting of the queer-inspired dance album Renaissance (2022) and the Americana-rooted country record Cowboy Carter (2024)—has highlighted the overlooked contributions of Black pioneers to American musical and cultural history, spawning the respective US number-one singles "Break My Soul" and "Texas Hold 'Em".

Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 200 million records. She is the most-certified female artist by the Recording Industry Association of America and the only woman whose first eight studio albums each debuted atop the US Billboard 200. One of the most-awarded artists in popular music, she is the recipient of a record 35 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Peabody Award. Beyoncé is the most-awarded artist of the BET Awards (36), MTV Video Music Awards (30), NAACP Image Awards (32), and Soul Train Music Awards (25). The first woman to headline an all-stadium tour, she is the highest-grossing Black live music artist.

Life and career

Early life

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. Her mother, Tina Knowles (née Beyoncé), was a hairdresser and salon owner, while her father, Mathew Knowles, was a sales manager at Xerox. Mathew is African-American, while Tina is Louisiana Creole with African, French, Irish, Breton, Norman, and Native American ancestry. Beyoncé's younger sister, Solange, is also a singer and actress. They are descendants of Acadian militia officer Joseph Broussard, who was exiled to French Louisiana after the expulsion of the Acadians. Both sisters also have Belgian ancestry from Hainaut Province, Wallonia.

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. Her first job was as a child, sweeping hair at her mother's hair salon, where she occasionally performed for customers. Beyoncé began her education at St. Mary's Catholic Montessori School, where she also took dance classes. Her vocals were discovered by her dance instructor, who began humming a song that Beyoncé completed.

Beyoncé's interest in music and performing grew after she won a school talent show at the age of seven by singing John Lennon's "Imagine", winning against older competitors aged fifteen and sixteen. In 1990, a 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 and was a soloist for two years.

1990–2001: Early career and Destiny's Child

In 1990, Beyoncé met singer LaTavia Roberson while at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. Joined by Kelly Rowland two years later, In 1993, the group was entered in Star Search, the largest national talent show on television at the time. Competing in the show's singing category, the group lost the competition, which Beyoncé attributed to a poor song choice. After LeToya Luckett joined in 1993, Girl's Tyme continued performing as an opening act for established R&B girl groups. The group was briefly signed by Elektra Records and later dropped; ensuing 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, aided by talent scout Teresa LaBarbera Whites.

upright=0.6|thumb|alt=20-year-old Beyoncé in a black top, photographed looking directly at the camera|Beyoncé in 2001

The group adopted the name Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, following their inclusion on the soundtrack for the film Men in Black, they released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No", which preceded their debut album, Destiny's Child (1998), a moderate success. The record spawned the singles "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Say My Name", and "Jumpin', Jumpin'"; the former two both peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100. "Say My Name" won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall became one of the best-selling R&B albums of all time, having sold 13million copies worldwide.

Following several lineup changes, Destiny's Child's final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Rowland, and Michelle Williams. In early 2001, while the group 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. Destiny's Child's third studio album, Survivor, was released in May 2001; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 663,000 copies in its first week. The album produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-ones "Independent Woman Part I" and "Bootylicious", as well as the title track, which peaked at number two. "Survivor" earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. She released "Work It Out" as the lead single from the film's soundtrack. Her breakthrough as a solo artist came when she featured on Jay-Z's track "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" from his album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). The single peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. She later shared that they began dating when she was nineteen, after a year and a half of friendship.

In May 2003, Beyoncé released "Crazy in Love", the lead single from her debut solo studio album, Dangerously in Love. The song featured Jay-Z and became Beyoncé's first number-one single as a solo artist on the US Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for eight weeks. On June 14, 2003, she premiered songs from Dangerously in Love during her first solo concert, which was broadcast as a pay-per-view television special. Released ten days later, while "Me, Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl" both reached the top five. Dangerously in Love earned Beyoncé five awards at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best R&B Song for "Crazy in Love". One of the best-selling albums of the 21st century, Dangerously in Love has sold more than 11million copies globally.

Beyoncé 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. In November 2003, she embarked on the European Dangerously in Love Tour and North American Verizon Ladies First Tour alongside Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys. On February 1, 2004, she performed "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the US, at Super Bowl XXXVIII. In November 2004, Destiny's Child released their final album, titled Destiny Fulfilled. The record peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, spawning the US top-five singles "Lose My Breath" and "Soldier". In 2005, Destiny's Child embarked on a global concert tour titled Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It. Destiny's Child released their first compilation album, #1's, in October 2005 and were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2006.

thumb|upright=0.65|Beyoncé in 2007

Beyoncé released "Déjà Vu" as the lead single from her second studio album, B'Day, in June 2006. A collaboration with Jay-Z, the song reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. B'Day was released internationally on September 4, 2006, to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with 541,000 copies sold in its first week. "Irreplaceable" was released as the second international single. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks and later ranked as the biggest chart hit of 2007. B'Days other singles—"Ring the Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", and "Green Light"—each saw moderate chart success. At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007, B'Day and its songs received five nominations, winning Best Contemporary R&B Album.

With the comedy film The Pink Panther (2006) and its theme song, "Check on It", Beyoncé became the first woman to simultaneously have a number-one film and a number-one single in the US. "Check on It" was included on #1's and on the European deluxe version of B'Day, and it peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. Later that year, she starred in the drama film Dreamgirls, a cinematic adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical, in which she portrayed a pop singer modeled after Diana Ross. In support of B'Day, Beyoncé embarked on the Beyoncé Experience in 2007, her first worldwide concert tour, which visited 97 venues. Simultaneously, B'Day was re-released with additional tracks, including the single "Beautiful Liar", a duet with Shakira, which peaked at number three in the US. In December 2007, Beyoncé and Jay-Z became engaged.

2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce and marriage

On April 4, 2008, Beyoncé and Jay-Z married in a small, private ceremony; the latter confirmed their marriage in an interview later that year. Their marriage served as a creative inspiration for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. Released on November 12, 2008, I Am... Sasha Fierce formally introduced her alter ego Sasha Fierce. A double album, it comprises two discs—I Am... and Sasha Fierce; the former contains slow and midtempo pop and R&B ballads, while the latter focuses on uptempo beats that blend electropop and Europop elements. Selling 482,000 copies in its first week, it debuted atop the Billboard 200, marking Beyoncé's third consecutive US number-one album.

I Am... Sasha Fierce included Beyoncé's fifth number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", as well as the UK chart-topping single, "If I Were a Boy". "Halo", which peaked at number five in the US, helped Beyoncé attain more top-ten singles on the list than any other woman during the 2000s. Parodied and imitated around the world, the "Single Ladies" music video was described by the Toronto Star as the "first major dance craze" of the Internet age. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, the video won three categories, including Video of the Year. To promote I Am... Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé embarked on the worldwide I Am... Tour, her second headlining worldwide concert tour; it grossed $119.5 million.

Since its release, I Am... Sasha Fierce has sold more than 10million copies worldwide. Soon after its release, Beyoncé starred as blues singer Etta James in the musical biopic Cadillac Records (2008). Her portrayal garnered her an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. In the psychological thriller Obsessed (2009), which co-starred Ali Larter and Idris Elba, Beyoncé played a woman protecting her family from her husband's stalker. The film was critically panned, but Beyoncé's acting saw favorable reception. Obsessed performed strongly at the US box office, earning $68 million on a $20 million budget.

Beyoncé performed "America the Beautiful" at President Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration and "At Last" during the first inaugural dance. At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010, she 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. In 2010, Beyoncé provided vocals on Lady Gaga's single "Telephone", 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. Over the nine-month break, she traveled to several European cities, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, Australia, and 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 it as "the saddest thing" she had endured. Beyoncé returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss. In September 2010, Beyoncé made her runway modelling debut at Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. In March 2011, her father Mathew stopped managing her career. A month later, during a photoshoot in Paris for her upcoming album cover, Beyoncé unexpectedly discovered she was pregnant.

right|thumb|upright|Beyoncé performing during her [[4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concert residency in August 2011|alt=The upper body of Beyoncé is shown as she sings into a microphone.]]

Beyoncé's fourth studio album, 4, was released on June 24, 2011, in the US and debuted atop the Billboard 200, selling 310,000 copies in its first week. It was her fourth consecutive number-one album in the US. 4 marked Beyoncé’s first project made under her own creative direction following her split from her father. It was also her first album released through her management company, Parkwood Entertainment, and was conceived as a traditional R&B and soul record intended to stand apart from mainstream popular music. The songs "Run the World (Girls)", "Party", "Countdown", "Best Thing I Never Had", and "Love On Top" were released as singles in the US. The latter two peaked at numbers sixteen and twenty, respectively.

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 performance received praise from critics, with some outlets praising her growth 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 August 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 after shipping one million copies to retail stores. In February 2018, 4 made Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of her albums surpass one billion streams on Spotify. On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to her first daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, 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.

2013–2014: Beyoncé and Super Bowl XLVII halftime show

thumb|upright=0.7|left|alt=Beyoncé performing in a white dress in front of a completely black background|Beyoncé performing at [[the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2014]]

In January 2013, Beyoncé performed the national anthem during Obama's second presidential inauguration. In February, 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. That same month, she co-directed and premiered her feature-length documentary Life Is But a Dream on HBO, which offered an introspective look into both her personal and professional life.

In April 2013, Beyoncé embarked on the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, released a cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" with André 3000 for The Great Gatsbys soundtrack, and in May, voiced Queen Tara in the animated film Epic. On December 13, 2013, she unexpectedly released her fifth studio album, Beyoncé, on the iTunes Store without prior announcement or promotion. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 617,000 copies in its first week. It marked her fifth consecutive US number-one debut, making her the first woman in the chart's history to achieve this milestone with her first five studio albums. The album received widespread critical acclaim, and sold one million digital copies globally within six days—a record for any album on iTunes at the time.

Musically rooted in electro-R&B, Beyoncé explored darker, more personal themes than her previous work, including bulimia, postnatal depression, and the emotional complexities of marriage and motherhood. As a visual album, the album's music videos were recorded in secrecy to accompany the album's unexpected release. The record spawned five singles: "Blow", "XO", "Drunk in Love", "Partition", and "Pretty Hurts". "Drunk in Love" featured Jay-Z and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Beyoncé sold 2.3million units worldwide by the end of 2013, making it one of the best-selling albums of the year.

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 the 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". The album was reissued as the Platinum Edition on November 24, 2014, featuring six additional songs.

2015–2017: Lemonade and twins

Beyoncé released the single "Formation" on February 6, 2016, and performed it live for the first time during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show. The performance sparked controversy due to its perceived allusions to the Black Panther Party on its fiftieth anniversary, as the NFL prohibits political statements during its events. On April 16, 2016, Beyoncé released a teaser for a project titled Lemonade. An hour-long musical film and visual album premiered on HBO on April 23, coinciding with the release of the corresponding studio album of the same name exclusively on Tidal the same day.

thumb|upright=0.7|alt=Beyoncé with box braids, wearing a silver glittery top, shouting into a microphone|Beyoncé performing during [[the Formation World Tour in 2016]]

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 653,000 copies in its first week. The number-one debut made Beyoncé the first artist in Billboard history to have her first six studio albums debut atop the chart. After the album's release, "Sorry", "Hold Up", "Freedom", and "All Night" were released as singles. It was the third best-selling album in the US in 2016, with 1.554 million copies sold, and the best-selling album globally that year, with 2.5 million copies sold. Beyoncé embarked on the Formation World Tour from April to October 2016, with stops across North America and Europe. It was the first all-stadium tour by a female artist and received Tour of the Year at the 44th American Music Awards.

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". Beyoncé became the show's most-awarded artist with 24 total awards, surpassing Madonna's previous record of 20 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. On February 23, it was confirmed that the performer would withdraw from scheduled appearances due to her pregnancy. Festival organizers later announced she would headline the 2018 edition instead. Beyoncé won two awards: Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and Best Music Video for "Formation". That month, Beyoncé announced on Instagram 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. That post became the second most-liked on Instagram, 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 the remix of Ed Sheeran's "Perfect", which reached number one in the US, marking her sixth chart-topper as a solo artist.

2018–2021: Everything Is Love, Homecoming and The Lion King

Beyoncé headlined both weekends of the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts 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. It received widespread praise from critics, many of whom described it as historic. 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. After its final show, the couple released their first collaborative studio album, Everything Is Love, on June 16. The record debuted at number two in the US with 123,000 album-equivalent units sold first-week; its only single, "Apeshit", peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100. On December 2, 2018, Beyoncé and Jay-Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, a documentary and concert film chronicling the 2018 Coachella performances, was released on Netflix on April 17, 2019, alongside Homecoming: The Live Album. The film earned six nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2019.

Beyoncé starred as the voice of Nala 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. Incorporating gqom and Afrobeat, she recruited 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. In April 2020, Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé released a remix of the former's song "Savage", which topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé's seventh number-one as a soloist.

In July 2020, Beyoncé released Black Is King, the visual companion to The Gift, which she wrote, directed, and executive produced. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021, she led with nine nominations and won four awards, making her the most-awarded singer and woman in Grammy history, and the second most-awarded person overall. That same year, she co-wrote and recorded "Be Alive" for the biographical sports drama film King Richard, earning her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 94th Academy Awards.

2022–present: Renaissance and Cowboy Carter

On June 16, 2022, Beyoncé announced the title of her seventh studio album, Renaissance. The album's lead single, "Break My Soul", was released four days later and peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé's eighth number-one and twentieth top-ten song on the chart. This placed her alongside Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson 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.

alt=Beyoncé in a completely sparkly red dress|thumb|upright=0.75|Beyoncé performing at the [[Renaissance World Tour in 2023]]

Renaissance was released on July 29, 2022, to critical acclaim. The album features Black dance music styles such as disco and house and largely pays homage to the historically overlooked contributions of Black queer pioneers to those genres. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200, with 332,000 copies sold in its first week. Its number-one debut made Beyoncé the first female artist to have her first seven studio albums debut at number one in the US. Upon the release of Renaissance, Beyoncé revealed that it was the first installment of a trilogy developed and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic—a period she described as her "most creative".

On January 21, 2023, Beyoncé performed for an audience of influencers and journalists at a private event in Dubai. It was her first full concert in over four years, and she was reportedly paid $24 million for the show, which sparked criticism due to the United Arab Emirates' laws criminalizing homosexuality. She then began the Renaissance World Tour across the US and Europe, which became the highest-grossing tour by a woman at the time. In November 2023, she released Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, a documentary concert film that chronicled the tour's creation. She wrote, directed, and produced the film in partnership with AMC Theatres. She won four of her nine nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, making her the most-awarded person in Grammy history.

On February 11, 2024, Beyoncé announced the second installment of her trilogy project and released its first two singles, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages". The former became her ninth number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 and her first on the Billboard Global 200. On March 12, 2024, she announced the album's title, Cowboy Carter, releasing it to universal acclaim on March 29. Infused with Americana musical styles, Cowboy Carter highlights the historically overlooked contributions of Black pioneers to country music. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Beyoncé the only female artist to debut her first eight studio albums at number one in the US, with 407,000 copies sold in its first week. The album's third single, "II Most Wanted", featuring Miley Cyrus, debuted at number six in the US.

In July 2024, NBC released two promotional commercials featuring Beyoncé for their coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She 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 to win Best Country Album. She also won Album of the Year, the first Black woman to do so in 26 years. That year, Beyoncé embarked on the Cowboy Carter Tour across the US and Europe, which went on to become the highest-grossing country tour of all time.

Artistry

Influences

Beyoncé has named Michael Jackson 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 as a major inspiration, admiring how she embodied strength while remaining feminine and sexy. Diana Ross 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 for her music and roles as a businesswoman. She has cited Mariah Carey's vocal style—especially on her song "Vision of Love"—as an early influence that inspired her to practice vocal runs as a child.

Beyoncé's other musical influences include Rachelle Ferrell, Prince, Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Fairuz, Mary J. Blige, Selena, Anita Baker, She has cited Michelle Obama—44th First Lady of the US—as a personal inspiration. She described Oprah Winfrey as "the definition of inspiration and a strong woman". Beyoncé has stated that her husband, rapper Jay-Z, 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. Beyoncé has named Ross and Cher as some of her fashion inspirations.

Musical style

Beyoncé's music is primarily R&B, pop, and hip-hop, and also incorporates elements of soul and funk. Known for her frequent artistic reinventions, Beyoncé has been described as a musical "chameleon" by publications such as Vox and Billboard. 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- and Europop-imbued sound, featuring instruments such as synthesizers and the acoustic guitar. With the album 4, she expanded her use of soul and hip-hop compared to earlier work. Minimalism inspired Beyoncé's eponymous album, which employed fragmented song structures that rejected traditional pop formats in favor of atmosphere. Lemonade incorporated a broader range of genres, including rock, country, gospel, reggae, and blues.

The Lion King: The Gift was conceived as a record rooted in cultural celebration. As such, Beyoncé recruited artists and producers from across the African continent and explored genres such as Afropop and gqom. Delving into disco, ballroom culture, and 1990s club sounds, Renaissance extensively made use of four-on-the-floor beats and pulsating synths, with interpolations of queer and Black dance music pioneers. Cowboy Carter was conceived as a country-rooted album that fuses R&B, pop, rock, folk, and Americana music; its soundscape includes pedal steel, accordion, harmonica, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Although she mainly records in English, Beyoncé released Spanish-language tracks for Irreemplazable (2007)—a Spanish reissue of songs from B'Day.

Songwriting and themes

Beyoncé has a collaborative and experimental songwriting process, often merging different song parts to create new structures. Early in her career with Destiny's Child, her lyrics often focused on themes of female empowerment, as seen in songs like "Independent Women" and "Survivor". When her relationship with Jay-Z began, her songwriting style shifted to include more romantic and relationship-focused content with songs such as "Cater 2 U". Dangerously in Love explored sexual and romantic themes, with the follow-up B'Day delving into Black women's personal and spiritual discontent, fulfillment, self-worth, and agency. I Am... Sasha Fierce examined themes of love, heartbreak, and the tension between Beyoncé's self and her stage alter ego; more personal themes characterized 4 and Beyoncé, which delved into marriage, monogamy, and intimacy.

Around the mid-2010s, Beyoncé began exploring historical and political themes. Storytelling and poetry inspired Lemonade, an album that discusses Black womanhood, reconciliation, and heartbreak—particularly in light of Jay-Z's alleged infidelity. Scholar Emily J. Lordi described the album as a "cinematic and sonic Afrodiasporic journey from betrayal to redemption". Renaissance and Cowboy Carter were conceived to highlight the historically overlooked and marginalized contributions of Black pioneers to American musical and cultural history. The former pays tribute to the influence of Black queer artists in shaping dance music, while the latter centers on the role of Black people in the development of country music.

Critics and music artists have analyzed Beyoncé's distinctive style of songwriting. Caroline Polachek, who worked on "No Angel", praised her ability to make connections between ideas, and called her a "genius" writer and producer. While writing with Beyoncé, record producer Sean Garrett described her as "very particular about her brand", stating that she rejects anything that feels off-brand. Dubbed a "meticulous curator" by The New Yorker, Beyoncé has been studied by some academics as a musical archivist, while others have likened her storytelling to that of a modern-day griot. Billboard named her the fifth-top songwriter of the 21st century based on Hot 100 chart success. She has received co-writing credits on most of her songs. Beyoncé often faces scrutiny over the number of writing credits she receives, with some questioning the extent of her contributions.