Beyonce’s Album ‘B’Day’ Was Actually Released On Her Birthday
Beyoncé has been a hardworking entertainer for three decades, and throughout that time, Grammy-winning singer has proven her talent in the worlds of music, movies, and more. Her 2006 sophomore album B’Day was instrumental in solidifying her spot in the pop music pantheon.
Beyoncé’s album ‘B’Day’ is regarded as one of her best
Beyoncé rose to prominence as a member of the hit girl group Destiny’s Child. After the group separated in the early 2000s, Beyoncé embarked on her own solo career. She released her debut album Dangerously In Love in 2003. Her debut solo single, “Crazy In Love,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The following year, Dangerously In Love won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, while “Crazy In Love” won the Grammys for Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (along with her boyfriend and future husband, Jay-Z).
The pressure was on for Beyoncé to deliver with her follow-up album, and she committed herself to making the project unforgettable.
‘B’Day’ was released on Beyoncé’s 25th birthday
Beyoncé released her second studio album, B’Day, on September 4th, 2006. The day marked Beyoncé’s 25th birthday. At the time, album releases typically happened on Tuesdays, but Beyoncé bucked tradition with her release on a Monday.
She famously alludes to her birthday, September 4th, 1981, in the beginning of hit B’Day single “Get Me Bodied”: “9. 4. 8. 1. B’Day!”
The album had No. 1 hits and won awards
B’Day won Beyoncé her second Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The album’s lead single, “Déjà Vu,” also topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as did singles “Irreplaceable” and “Check On It.”
R&B singer Ne-Yo worked with Beyoncé on writing the hit song “Irreplaceable.” In a 2021 interview with Variety, Ne-Yo reflected on his experience collaborating with the Queen Bey.
“I’ve never felt more useless than in Beyoncé’s studio,” he said. “Because I was not needed at all. She didn’t need me to hold her hand in the studio. She didn’t need me to tell her which note to hit, or what the next harmony was. None of that.”
She released music videos for every track
To bring the album to life, Beyoncé embarked on an ambitious mission film music videos for every one of the songs on B’Day for the B’Day Anthology Video Album DVD, released seven months after the album.
Anthony Mandler, the director of the videos for “Get Me Bodied” and “Irreplaceable,” admitted that Beyoncé takes a hands-on approach with her visuals, long before her self-titled visual album and 2016’s Lemonade.
“Bey likes to look at the footage and is very specific about shots,” Mandler said. “And I loved getting her notes because they were so meticulous.”
