Beyoncé is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on December 13, 2013, through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Created as a visual album, it was released in the middle of the night as a complete surprise. The album and its release are frequently credited with inventing the modern definition of the visual album, being the first surprise album of its kind to have no prior announcement, and provoking the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) to change the day of the week when music is released worldwide from Tuesday to Friday.

Its initial recording began in New York City, where Beyoncé invited the "world's best" producers and songwriters to live with her in a mansion for a month. During extensive touring the following year, the album changed as she conceived of creating a visual accompaniment to its songs and resumed recording sessions with electronic producer and rock musician Boots. Their collaboration led to more sonically experimental material, which combined contemporary R&B with electronic and soul music. Throughout this period, the album's songs and videos were composed in strict secrecy as Beyoncé devised an unexpected release. Beyoncé's desire to assert her full artistic freedom served as inspiration for the album's dark, personal subject matter, which incorporated feminist themes of sex, monogamy, beauty standards and relationship problems.

Beyoncé was released digitally on the iTunes Store without prior announcement or promotion in the early hours of December 13, 2013, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning Beyoncé her fifth consecutive number-one album on the chart. The album sold over 617,000 copies in the United States and 828,773 copies worldwide in its first three days of sales, becoming the fastest-selling album in the history of the iTunes Store up to that point. In the 19 days between the album's release and the end of 2013, Beyoncé sold 2.3 million copies worldwide, finishing the year as the tenth-best-selling album globally, according to the IFPI. The album has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The album was supported on two tours: the 2014 leg of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, and the Jay-Z co-headlining On the Run Tour.

Five US singles were released from the album, one would reach the top twenty of the US Billboard Hot 100, the number two peaking "Drunk in Love", featuring Jay-Z. The album received widespread acclaim critics for its production, exploration of sexuality, and vocal performance. In 2020, Beyoncé was ranked 81st in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.