B'Day
B'Day is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on September 4, 2006, by Columbia Records, Music World Entertainment and Sony Urban Music.[j]
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#0__call_to_action.textDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$Background and development[edit]
Between March 2002 and March 2003, Beyoncé had productive studio sessions while recording her debut solo studio album Dangerously in Love, recording up to 45 songs.[1] After the release of Dangerously in Love in June 2003, Beyoncé had planned to produce a follow-up album using several of the leftover tracks.[1] However, on January 7, 2004, a spokesperson for her record label Columbia Records announced that Beyoncé had put her plans on hold in order to concentrate on the recording of Destiny Fulfilled, the final studio album by Destiny's Child, and to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas, which was a childhood dream of hers.[1] Furthermore, she starred as Xania in the 2006 comedy-mystery film The Pink Panther, which was filmed in 2004.[2] She also spent the following two years promoting Destiny Fulfilled and Destiny's Child's first greatest hits album #1's (2005), embarking on their final world tour Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It; the group would disband in 2006.
Beyoncé originally recorded "Check on It" for The Pink Panther soundtrack; although its soundtrack inclusion was cancelled, it was released as the second single from #1's in December 2005 and became Beyoncé's third solo US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, later appearing as a bonus track on the international editions of B'Day. In late 2005, Beyoncé decided to postpone the recording of her second studio album because she had landed the lead role in Dreamgirls, a film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name (1981).[3] As she wanted to focus on one project at a time, Beyoncé decided to wait until the film was completed before returning to the recording studio.[4] Beyoncé later told Billboard: "I'm not going to write for the album until I finish doing the movie."[5]
Singles[edit]
"Déjà Vu", featuring Jay-Z, was released as the lead single from B'Day on June 24, 2006, to mixed critical reception.[86] A commercial success, it peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and atop US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs,[87][88] being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internationally, it peaked atop the UK Singles Chart,[89] while reaching the top ten in 11 countries. The song and its Freemasons club mix received three nominations at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007).[90] The accompanying music video for "Déjà Vu", directed by Sophie Muller, was a subject of controversy due to its sexually suggestive content.[91]
"Ring the Alarm" was released as the second single from B'Day exclusively in the United States on September 10, 2006.[92] The song received mixed reviews from the music critics, who noticed it was different from Beyoncé's earlier works; while some commended her willingness to take risks, others were polarized about her aggressive vocals. Commercially, it became her highest-debuting single, opening at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[93] However, it peaked at number 11, becoming Beyoncé's first solo single not to peak within the top ten.[94] The song was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards.[90] Its accompanying music video, Beyoncé's second consecutive to be directed by Muller, remakes a scene from the 1992 film Basic Instinct, and was choreographed by then-16-year-old Teyana Taylor.[95]
"Irreplaceable" was released as the second international and third overall single from B'Day on October 23, 2006.[96] It received widespread critical acclaim, with some critics calling it the best track on the album.[28] It was a commercial success, peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and spending ten weeks atop the chart.[97][98] Internationally, it reached the summit in Australia, Hungary, Ireland and New Zealand.[99] It was ranked atop the 2007 year-end Billboard Hot 100,[100] and was the tenth best-selling digital single of 2007 worldwide, having sold over four million copies worldwide by the end of the year.[101] At the 50th Annual Grammy Awards (2008), "Irreplaceable" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.[102] The song was ranked at number 25 on the 2000s decade-end Billboard Hot 100.[103] Its Anthony Mandler-directed accompanying music video features the debut performance of the Suga Mamas, Beyoncé's all-female band.[70]
After leaking onto the Internet in early February 2007,[104] "Beautiful Liar", a duet with Shakira, was released as the sole single from the Deluxe Edition and the fourth single from B'Day on February 12.[105][106][107] The song registered the largest ever upward movement on the US Billboard Hot 100 at the time, when it leaped 91 places from number 94 to number three in its second week, which became its peak position.[108] Internationally, it peaked atop the European Hot 100 Singles and on charts in Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.[109][110][111][112] Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.[102] Its accompanying music video, directed by Jake Nava, features Beyoncé and Shakira dancing against different backgrounds, either together or separately.[113]
"Get Me Bodied" was released as the fifth single from B'Day on July 10, 2007, exclusively in the US.[114] It originally peaked at number 68 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August, becoming Beyoncé's lowest-peaking single on the chart at the time.[115][116] However, as a video of a woman named Deborah Cohen and her doctors dancing to "Get Me Bodied" before she underwent a double mastectomy was posted onto YouTube and went viral in 2013, the song found a new peak position at number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100.[117][118] The song's 1960s-influenced accompanying music video was directed by Mandler and features Beyoncé's sister Solange and former Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.[73]
"Green Light" was released as the fourth and final international single from B'Day on July 27, 2007.[119] It was originally planned to be released as the second single for the international markets, but Columbia Records opted for "Irreplaceable" instead. The remix extended play (EP) titled Green Light: Freemasons EP was released for digital download simultaneously with the single.[120] The single was also planned to be released physically in the United Kingdom, but the plans were cancelled last-minute, which resulted with it not obtaining a higher peak than number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.[121] Beyoncé co-directed the song's accompanying music video with Melina Matsoukas; the video features the second appearance by the Suga Mamas.[122]
Although they were not released as singles, "Upgrade U", "Kitty Kat" and "Freakum Dress" appeared on several Billboard charts. "Upgrade U", featuring Jay-Z, was released as a promotional single in the United States on November 27, 2006,[123] and reached numbers 59 and 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, respectively.[124] "Kitty Kat" peaked at number 66 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[125][126] "Freakum Dress", which was cited as a possible second single from B'Day in June 2006,[127] peaked at number 25 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles[128] and at number 16 on the US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles.[129] In 2020, "Freakum Dress" went viral on TikTok and Instagram as part of the "Freakum Dress Challenge", appearing on many videos created by users of the platforms.[130]
Commercial performance[edit]
Despite an average commercial performance of the album's first two singles, "Déjà Vu" and "Ring the Alarm", B'Day debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 on September 23, 2006,[151] selling over 541,000 units in its first week.[151] B'Day scored Beyoncé's highest debut-week album sales,[152] until it was surpassed by her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), which sold 617,213 digital copies in its first three days.[153][154] The album gave Beyoncé her second number-one debut on the chart following Dangerously in Love (2003), which was noted by Keith Caulfield of Billboard, surmising that perhaps "its handsome debut was generated by goodwill earned from the performance of her smash first album Dangerously in Love".[155] B'Day fell to number three in its second week,[156] and to number six the following week,[157] falling out of the top ten in its fourth week at number 11.[158] After seven weeks of being outside the top ten, B'Day reached number nine on the chart dated December 2,[159] due to the success of its single "Irreplaceable", which helped the album regain its strength.[155] It climbed to number six the following week, becoming the week's "greatest gainer",[160] before exiting the top ten again.[161] By the end of 2006, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[162] and became the 38th best-selling album of that year in the United States.[163]
B'Day re-entered the top ten again at number six on the chart dated January 27, 2007, while Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture was at the top.[164] It remained within the top ten the following week at number ten,[165] before falling to number 13 on the chart dated February 10.[166] The RIAA re-certified B'Day triple platinum on April 16, combining the sales from the standard and Deluxe Edition releases.[162] On the Billboard 200 chart dated April 21, B'Day jumped from number 69 to number six due to the release of its Deluxe Edition, gaining 903% in sales and becoming the week's "greatest gainer".[167] It remained within the top ten the following week at number seven,[168] before falling to number 13 on the chart dated May 5.[169] The album has spent a total of 74 weeks on the Billboard 200.[170] It became the 11th best-selling album of 2007 in the US.[171] As of August 2022, the album has sold 5 million copies in the country.[172][173]
Internationally, B'Day was met with similar success. In Canada, it reached number two on the Canadian Albums Chart, staying at the position for two weeks. It was certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).[174][175] On Oricon Albums Chart in Japan, the standard edition of the album debuted and peaked at number four, selling 72,921 copies in its first week, while the Deluxe Edition debuted at number nine with first-week sales of 17,519 copies, and peaked at number five in its second week on the chart, selling 23,153 copies that week. The standard edition was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 250,000 copies in Japan, while the Deluxe Edition was certified gold for shipments of 100,000 copies.[176] The album's standard edition peaked at number six on Top 100 Mexico, while its Deluxe Edition peaked at number nine.[177] It was certified gold by the Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms (AMPROFON) for shipments of 50,000 copies in Mexico. Across Oceania, it had the same reception, debuting at number eight in both Australia and New Zealand the same week, on September 11, 2006.[178] B'Day remained on the charts for 20 and 25 weeks, respectively,[178] and was certified platinum by both the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).[179][180]
In the United Kingdom, B'Day debuted at numbers three and one on the UK Albums Charts and UK R&B Albums Chart, respectively, on September 11, 2006, selling 35,012 copies in its first week.[181][182] Its Deluxe Edition peaked at numbers eight and three on the UK Albums Chart and UK R&B Albums Chart, respectively, on April 29, 2007.[183][184] The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the standard edition platinum for shipping 300,000 units, and the Deluxe Edition gold for shipping 100,000 units.[185] As of July 3, 2011, B'Day has sold 385,078 copies in the United Kingdom.[182] Throughout Europe, the album peaked at number three on the European Top 100 Albums,[186] while reaching the top ten in Denmark, Flanders, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.[178][187] It was certified platinum in Europe by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for sales of one million copies within the continent.[188] As of 2013, B'Day has sold eight million copies worldwide.[189]
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