Beyonce surprised the world on Friday December 13 by releasing her fifth album without warning on iTunes. The artist chose not to trail the release or do any prior interviews. Even her album artwork is surprising in its lack of detail.

She said in a statement "I didn't want to release my music the way I've done it. I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans. There's so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans. I felt like I didn't want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it's ready and from me to my fans."

The new record is described as a 'visual album' and contains not just 14 tracks but also 17 videos.

The press statement regarding the sudden release of the album claimed it was 'strategic' as the artist had been a target of leaked tracks in the past.