Beyonce has released her first full-length solo album since 2016, a sprawling 16-track record featuring contributions from her husband Jay-Z, Drake, producer Skrillex and The-Dream.
Renaissance is the follow-up to 2016’s Lemonade, which was accompanied by a 65-minute film of the same title and went to number one in many countries.
Since then, the pop superstar has celebrated her 40th birthday, created a visual album and received her first Academy Award nomination.
Here are some of her biggest moments from her 25-year career.
– Going solo
Beyonce’s first solo recording was a feature on future husband Jay-Z’s song ’03 Bonnie & Clyde but it was with the release of Crazy In Love in 2003 that her solo career began in earnest.
The track, another collaboration with Jay-Z, was an international hit, reaching number one in both the UK and US.
Her debut album, Dangerously In Love, followed suit and topped the charts around the world, and Beyonce was soon a pop phenomenon.
– Her partnership with Jay-Z
After working together on ’03 Bonnie & Clyde, Beyonce began dating rapper and Def Jam Recordings chief executive Jay-Z.
They married in secret in New York City in 2008 and have three children – daughter Blue Ivy, 10, and five-year-old twins Rumi and Sir.
Outside their romance, the pair have continued to inspire each other’s work and recently became the face of Tiffany & Co.
Beyonce’s 2016 album, Lemonade, was said to address Jay-Z’s alleged infidelity and sparked rumours about the identity of the rapper’s mistress with the line: “You better call Becky with the good hair.”
– Starring in Dreamgirls
Beyonce proved herself to be a screen star in the 2006 film Dreamgirls, which was inspired by the story of The Supremes.
She starred as Deena Jones, based upon Motown star and lead Supremes member Diana Ross, and won rave reviews for her performance.
– Sparking a dance craze with Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Exploring men’s unwillingness to commit to a relationship, this 2008 track was an instant hit but its music video created a viral moment.
Choreographed by Frank Gatson Jr and JaQuel Knight, Beyonce’s dance moves were copied by many famous names and also parodied by Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live.
– Giving Taylor Swift her moment at the 2009 VMAs
Beyonce and Taylor Swift have supported each other throughout their careers.
This was illustrated at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where Kanye West interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech in order to proclaim Beyonce still had “one of the best videos of all time”.
When Beyonce was eventually awarded Video of the Year for Single Ladies, she invited Swift back to the stage to finish her speech.
– Headlining Glastonbury
In a performance only bettered by her own 2018 slot at Coachella, Beyonce took her A-game to Glastonbury.
Although the festival booking an R&B headliner attracted some criticism, Beyonce impressed with a show-stopping performance including tracks such as Crazy In Love and Single Ladies.
– Surprising the world with her self-titled album
Beyonce prompted shock when she released her self-titled fifth studio album in December 2013, eschewing any prior announcement or promotion.
This move helped popularise surprise releases and artists, including Swift, Nicki Minaj, Eminem and Drake, have since followed suit.
– Her Vogue cover
Despite appearing on the cover of Vogue a number of times, Beyonce’s feature in the September 2018 issue stood out.
She took full control of the cover, which was shot at Hammerwood Park in East Sussex by photographer Tyler Mitchell – the first African-American to photograph Vogue’s cover.
In the story, Beyonce revealed she had an emergency Caesarean section with her twins because there was a risk to the health of both her and the babies.
– Headlining Coachella
The most praised performance of her career, Beyonce’s two shows at the Californian music festival in 2018 were a tribute to black culture, specifically historically black colleges and universities in the US, and featured a live band with more than 100 dancers.
Destiny’s Child also reunited on stage during the show.
Beyonce performed hits including Crazy In Love, Formation, Sorry, Drunk In Love, Run The World (Girls) and Love On Top, as well as the Destiny’s Child tracks Say My Name, Soldier and Bug A Boo.
The following year she released a documentary about the creative process behind the performance.
