BEYONCÉ
The world was shocked when Beyonce put out her fifth studio album on iTunes without any prior warning.
We were told it wouldn't be available until everything was perfect, but what we didn't expect was absolutely zero promotion before the release of a major record from such a massive superstar.
That being said, it was one of the smartest moves she could have made. Predictions are being made that she'll sell 600,000 copies in her first three days in America alone - and that's without physical copies being available.
She currently (at time of writing) sits at the top of 106 iTunes album charts across the world. That means she's topping all but six of the album charts where she can possibly chart - only 112 countries have iTunes which allow the purchase of her new album.
But, is the music any good? Well, the answer to that question is simply - abso-freaking-lutely. She's gone above and beyond all expectations with this offering of 14 new tracks and 17 music videos.
The effort that Mrs Carter's put into the record is clear - things like this simply don't happen - nobody releases an album with a music video for every single song - plus more.
"Probably won't make no money off this/Oh well" she mutters in 'Ghost' - while her not truly caring about sales or success could be hard to believe for some, it's clear that what she does care about is her artistic expression and freedom to let us know how she feels through her art-form.
'Pretty Hurts' is a fantastic way to open the visual album, and the matching music video which explores the beauty and pageant industry is a true eye-opener and reveals just why we shouldn't place so much emphasis on having this 'perfect' look. Plus, Beyonce smashing up a load of shelves is just bad-ass awesome.
The album is pop perfection; laced with hints of hip-hop, RnB and rap while still staying close to the powerful messages we're used to from B, and the family-oriented personality that many love her for.
Collaborations throughout are well-chosen, especially the Frank Ocean-featuring 'Superpower' that blends the unique vocals of each artist perfectly.
Closing out the record with a track titled 'Blue' which features the one-year-old daughter of the star is a great moment - Beyonce loves her family, and she's not afraid to shout about it.
'BEYONCÉ' is out now via iTunes, and is expected to be available as a physical CD in the coming days.
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