Beyoncé: Breaking all the Rules

"Self-Titled": Part 1. The Visual Album

The music industry has a strict set of rules most fans are not privy to know, but every artist learns quickly. As a music fan, I, much like other lovers of music, look for new music to be announced with release dates on the radio or through a favorite music channel. This is usually a long process following huge anticipation and a few hints to the new music coming from the local DJ.

This process became predictable and boring, to say the least, however, this all changed in the wee hours of one December morning. There was a surprise for Beehive fans everywhere when Queen Bey took to the internet to release her self-titled album "Beyoncé". That Saturday morning fans woke up to 17 thirty-one-second videos with the full album available through iTunes. A phenomenal "wow" was echoed around the globe as fans clicked from one video to the next.

Beyoncé, a Grammy award-winning artist, took the initiative to release her work without a grand, larger-than-life press release. Amazing gift for Beyoncé fans everywhere! This was a carefully planned, well-organized power move by Beyoncé and her team with platinum results in less than five days. The new album is both musically and visually fantastic as the talented star shares a view of her husband, daughter, and the world as seen from her eyes. The deeply romantic shots with her husband and the tender moments with her daughter speak volumes of her strong love for her family, aside from Beyoncé having guarded fiercely over the years. The videos to support the music of this album are incredible images filled with brilliant colors and boldness only Beyoncé can deliver.

The release of the Beyoncé cd in digital format first took the industry by surprise and in response; Target announced it would not be carrying the cd on its shelves. The response by Target seemed like it was reprimanding the star for her spontaneity and thinking outside of the box. The decision by Target to exclude the new cd was like a proverbial time out for a marketing move outside of the industry standard. True to her fans and in her own unpredictable style, Beyoncé made an appearance at a Walmart department store and treated shopping guests with a $50 gift certificate days before Christmas. The visit to Walmart by Beyoncé was another great move by the headline-making star.

Now with the start of the New Year and the stardust settling from Beyoncé's Christmas surprise, what is next? Only time will tell, but if Beyoncé has anything to do with it, it is sure to be amazingly spectacular!

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Written By

Sabrina Daniels