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Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( bee-ON-say; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most significant figures of the 21st century through her vocal ability, musical versatility, live performances, and culturally important works. Credited with revolutionizing the sound of popular music, Beyoncé is often deemed one of the most influential artists of all time. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013, 2014, and 2023.

Beyoncé rose to fame in 1997 as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love (2003), became one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century; the R&B-influenced B'Day (2006) was her first release following Destiny's Child's disbandment in 2005; and her marriage to rapper Jay-Z inspired the pop, R&B and folk-imbued record I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). The albums contained the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love", "Baby Boy", "Check on It", "Irreplaceable", and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". Beyoncé's career shifted after forming her own management company Parkwood Entertainment in 2010, creating monocultural events through acclaimed concept albums.

Beyoncé's albums 4 (2011), Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016) explored themes of empowerment, introspection, and social commentary, respectively. Beyoncé is credited with popularizing the visual album and surprise album and inspired setting Friday as the Global Release Day, while Lemonade was the best-selling album worldwide in 2016. Her ongoing trilogy project—currently consisting of the queer-inspired dance album Renaissance (2022) and Americana epic Cowboy Carter (2024)—has highlighted the contributions of Black pioneers to American musical and cultural history, spawning the U.S. number-one singles "Break My Soul" and "Texas Hold 'Em". She made her film debut in 2002 with the spy comedy Austin Powers in Goldmember and has since starred in several other films.

Beyoncé is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 200 million records. She is the only female artist to debut all of her eight studio albums at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. Beyoncé is the most awarded and nominated artist in the history of the Grammy Awards, as well as the most awarded artist at the BET, NAACP Image and Soul Train Music Awards. Her inductions include the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame and the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. The first woman to headline an all-stadium tour, Beyoncé is among the highest-grossing live acts in history. Billboard named her the Top Female Artist of the 2000s and the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century, while Rolling Stone listed her as one of the greatest singers of all time. Her albums, singles, music videos, and live performances have been described by critics as some of the greatest of all time.

Full article: Beyoncé