In 2003, Beyonce released Dangerously in Love, while Destiny’s Child was on a temporary break. The album featured “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy”. Both singles reached number one in the United States. The album was nominated for five Grammy Awards. “Crazy in Love” spent eight weeks in a row in the United States at the top of the singles charts. “Me, Myself and I” and “Naughty Girl” would also be released as singles and reach the top five of the charts in the United States.
After Destiny’ Child broke up in 2005, Beyonce released her second solo album with B’Day. Released in 2006, the album featured singles “Irreplaceable” and “Beautiful Liar”.
In 2008, Beyonce released the commercially successful I Am…Sasha Fierce. The album would go on to win six Grammy Awards, which became a record for most Grammys won on a night by a female. Singles “Halo”, “If I Were a Boy”, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, and “Sweet Dreams” were all well received by critics and fans around the world.
The year 2011 saw the release of 4, which was the fourth solo studio album from Knowles. The album reached number one and became the fourth in a row to peak at the top position of the charts in the United States. Singles “Run the World (Girls)” and “Best Thing I Never Had” did not help sales of the album as it marked the lowest debut week sales for a Beyonce album and also the lowest charting initial singles on one of her albums.
Along with her successful career in music, Knowles has ventured into acting and has even been nominate for several awards. Her acting credits include:
-Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
-The Fighting Temptations (2003)
-The Pink Panther (2006)
-Dreamgirls (2006)
-Cadillac Records (2008)
-Obsessed (2009)
After the successful collaborations of “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Crazy in Love” with Jay-Z, rumors began to circulate about a relationship of Beyonce and Jay-Z. The two denied rumors but would eventually marry in April of 2008 and publicly announce it in September of that year. It was publicly announced in September of 2011 that the power couple were expecting their first child. The announcement led to record views for a MTV awards show, records for tweets (referring to Twitter) per second, and helped increase sales of 4 dramatically in the weeks after the announcement.
Beyonce had been managed by her father Matthew Knowles as a member of Destiny’s Child and as a part of her solo career up until March of 2011. Her father had helped launch Destiny’s Child and his daughter into super stardom but would part business ways this past year so Beyonce can manager herself on her own and with a team of people.
