It was around nine p.m. on Thursday, December 12 when I saw my friend's Facebook Status, "BEYONCE DROPPED FULL ALBUM WITH VIDEOS ON ITUNES"
There was just no way. I hadn't heard about her releasing a new album -- nor had the press covered it. Wanting to see if the information was true, I quickly opened the iTunes store, only to see that the home page was covered in pictures of the Queen.
Her self titled album, "Beyoncé," had been out for less than 24 hours before it dominated the charts, coming in at number one AND two. For most artists, promotion is a huge deal -- it helps guarantee that people will hear about their album, that it will create buzz and generate sales. Beyoncé completely disregarded the norm. We shouldn't be surprised.
Here's an artist who in one night manages to beat the status quo, release an album without promo and have everyone talk about it. From Facebook to Twitter, celebrities like Demi Lovato and Sarah Hyland could not contain their excitement:
"I'm literally FUH-REAKING OUT over this new #BEYONCE... The music vids?!!?! I CANT HANDLE THIS MUCH FIERCENESS.... #NOJOKE #DYING," Demi Lovato tweeted.
The experiment paid off and the risk factor did not go unnoticed by others in the industry.
"Beyoncé just spent zero dollars and zero minutes on marketing this new album," tweeted YouTuber, Tyler Oakley, "knowing we'd do it for her".
Most artists don't even think to put out albums while their touring, but Beyoncé proves to be quite the unique individual.
I suppose it's safe to say that Beyoncé is the Queen. She conquered one more boundary and she should just be called BeyonSLAY as she is slaying her own record-breaking sales. It was just announced that her album has become the fastest selling album ever on iTunes, downloaded 828,773 times in just three days. With 617,213 sold, she also breaks country-pop artist, Taylor Swift's record for the most (first week) albums sold in the U.S. And if you have seen Beyoncé perform, you would know why.
Just a few weeks ago, from the floor of Staples Center I watched the Queen dance, sing, fly from stage-to-stage and put on one of the best shows I've ever seen. From the light display to the simple production of her videos, the show was flawless. Beyoncé's concert was more than just a show. It was about empowerment. Her message displayed what it means to be a woman, and the many ways one can do it.
Beyoncé has shown us that behind every man there is a good woman and behind every woman is the innate ability to EXCEL! I left fully convinced that I could do anything. It was inspiring, motivating, captivating and, above all, FUN! I don't think that we have had an artist in our generation to do so much to captivate us all. What could be better, right? Little did I know that the Queen was just getting started having us [all] "bow down."
With her power concert and the latest surprise release, Beyoncé has once again let us know that she is not just reinventing Superwoman, but may be redefining the industry, as well. I am sure there is more to come.
Also to my surprise, she featured me on her Tumblr! (Being a HUGE Beyoncé fan, this was the cherry on top to a perfect experience, making it truly memorable!)