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Library/Music/Beyoncé (2013 surprise album)
Grade B22 sourcesHIS-01534

Beyoncé (2013 surprise album)

Music · 2013 · Notable

45Editable slideCertificate

An unannounced visual album sold 828,773 copies worldwide on iTunes in three days.

Clip · Spectrum Pulse on YouTube
Clip · BeyoncéVEVO on YouTube
Clip · Beyoncé on YouTube
BEYONCÉ by Beyoncé on Apple Music
Beyoncé / Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Beyonce’s surprise album 1 year on: 10 amazing #ChartFacts
Official Charts Company
It's Official: Beyonce Makes History With Fifth No. 1 Album
Billboard
Beyoncé Liberated
Out
Beyonce in London
Rolling Stone
Beyoncé performing in London on March 6, 2014, during the album’s tour period.
J.ébey / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
beyonce-music-industry
TIME
Beyoncé - XO (Video)
BeyoncéVEVO on YouTube
"Self-Titled": Part 1. The Visual Album
Beyoncé on YouTube
Beyonce Leads for Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart
Billboard
The business of being Beyoncé — Harvard Gazette
Harvard Gazette
How Beyonce's 'Beyonce' Stayed Secret Until the Day of Release, Its First Singles
Billboard
Beyonce's Surprise Album: 20 Tweets From Mind-Blown Musicians
Billboard

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth60Velocity65Longevity1645

Numbers

Seed to peak proxy
same day
Dec 13 ’13 to Dec 13 ’13
Platforms
6
Started on Audio
Origin
Mixed
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • TransgressionPrimary
  • Response chain
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

Beyoncé released a complete visual album on iTunes without advance notice. Fans and musicians reacted online, and radio played the tracks. Apple reported an iTunes sales record; Target and Amazon withheld the CD. Covers and lyric merchandise followed.

Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak.

Google searchesMar ’13MayAugNovJan ’14MarMayAugNovFeb ’15Peak proxyOpen webAudioPressXYouTubeRetail
Open webAudioPressXYouTubeRetail

12 more events on this chart

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Timeline (15)

  1. March 2013

    Beyoncé precursor · Mar 17 ’13

    Beyoncé posted Bow Down/I Been On on her website.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. December 2013

    Beyoncé / Parkwood / Columbia seed · Dec 13 ’13

    Beyoncé released her self-titled visual album exclusively on iTunes without an advance announcement.[2][3][4]

    How Beyonce's 'Beyonce' Stayed Secret Until the Day of Release, Its First Singles

  3. BBC News press · Dec 13 ’13

    BBC News reported the surprise release and the videos accompanying every song.[3]

  1. platform jump · Dec 13 ’13

  2. peak proxy · Dec 13 ’13

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Music · Audio · 201450

U2 “Songs of Innocence” iTunes giveaway

U2 / Island Records / Interscope Records; Apple (distribution partner)

Apple offered U2's album to over 500 million accounts, then built a tool to remove it.

28K sold

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.