Beyonce & Fans to Celebrate Superstar's 25th Birthday With Eagerly Awaited New Solo Album, 'B'Day,' Coming in September

Multi-Platinum Grammy-Winning Artist's Second Solo Album Slated For US
Release On Tuesday, September 5, 2006
'B'Day' To Be Released Worldwide On September 4, Beyonce's 25th Birthday

NEW YORK, May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Music World Music/Sony Urban
Music/Columbia Records will release B'Day, the much-anticipated new solo
album from Beyonce, on Tuesday, September 5.
B'Day will be released worldwide on September 4, Beyonce's 25th
birthday.

The pop music superstar's sophomore studio album premieres all new
music co-produced, written and arranged by Beyonce.

"Deja Vu," the album's first single, features guest artist Jay-Z with co-production by Rodney
Jerkins. Beyonce's co-producers on B'Day include Rich Harrison, The
Neptunes, and Swizz Beatz.

Beyonce's new album is the artist's first full-length solo work since
her #1 multi-platinum 2003 solo debut, "Dangerously In Love," which earned
her five 2004 Grammy Awards including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best
R&B Song ("Crazy In Love"). With her five-in-one-year Grammy win, Beyonce
tied the record for the most Grammys to be won in a single year by a female
artist. "Dangerously In Love" and "Crazy In Love" made chart history when
both album and single simultaneously hit #1 in the U.S. and the UK (which
hadn't happened since 1983). Beyonce toured for the first time as a solo
artist in 2003 in support of "Dangerously In Love," which has sold more
than 11 million records worldwide.

Beyonce finished work on her new studio album three weeks after the
wrap of her upcoming film, "Dreamgirls," slated to open nationwide on
December 22, 2006. The film version of the smash Broadway musical --
loosely based on the R&B-to-pop crossover saga of The Supremes -- is
directed by Bill Condon ("Gods & Monsters," "Kinsey") and stars Beyonce
Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Danny Glover. "Dreamgirls" and its
soundtrack featuring Beyonce are among this year's most avidly-awaited
holiday events. The "Dreamgirls" soundtrack is Beyonce's first joint
venture with Sony Urban Music/Columbia Records under the Music World Music
umbrella.
Beyonce made her acting debut in 2001 in the made-for-television
production "MTV's Hip Hopera: Carmen." In 2002, she co-starred as "Foxxy
Cleopatra" opposite Mike Myers in "Austin Powers In Goldmember," cited in
the Guinness Book of World Records for achieving the Highest Box Office
Comedy Film Gross ($71.5 million over first three days) in film history.
2003 saw Beyonce appearing with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the gospel-music
inspired family film, "The Fighting Temptations."

The iconic performer took home her 9th Grammy Award (for her duet with
Stevie Wonder, "So Amazing") in 2006. Her then-current single -- "Check On
It" -- topped the Billboard Hot 100 (for the third week in a row) and
became the nation's #1 ringtone, #1 Sales single and #1 Dance single. Both
"Austin Powers in Goldmember" and her last film, "The Pink Panther,"
co-starring Steve Martin, opened nationwide at #1.
In 2005, Beyonce (whose celebrity endorsements include Pepsi, L'Oreal,
and Tommy Hilfiger True Star fragrances) and her mother, Tina Knowles
(clothing and fashion stylist for Destiny's Child) launched a fashion line,
House of Dereon, named for Beyonce's maternal grandmother.
Beyonce rose to international fame as a founding member of Destiny's
Child, the top-selling all-female recording group of all-time, according to
the World Music Awards.
On Saturday, June 11, 2005, Destiny's Child announced the group's
impending retirement from the stage of a sold-out concert in Barcelona,
Spain, saying that the individual members would continue to pursue personal
goals and careers in music, theater, television and film.
"#'1's," a Destiny's Child "greatest hits" collection was released in
October 2005 and entered the Billboard 200 best-selling albums chart at #1.

Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland -- along with Mathew Knowles, Tina
Knowles and Solange Knowles-Smith -- formed the Survivor Foundation, a
charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing
for Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas,
area. The Survivor Foundation extends the philanthropic mission of the
Knowles-Rowland Center For Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach
facility in downtown Houston.

Fan club: http://www.welovebeyonce.com
http://www.beyonceonline.com
http://www.houseofdereon.com
http://www.columbiarecords.com

SOURCE Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia Records
[Edited 5/27/06 6:30am]

"Deja Vu," the album's first single, features guest artist Jay-Z"

Deja Vu, indeed.

VoicesCarry said:

hehehe

ditto for the album's producer roster: Rodney Jerkins, Rich Harrison, The Neptunes, and Swizz Beatz.

CinisterCee said:

I actually didn't expect her to go the formulaic route. Maybe she wants to focus on her film career or something. From what I can make out she is on autopilot with this one.

Well it was definitely formulaic to cold-call those people for her debut, but it's possible she has since developed some chemistry with those exact people too.
[Edited 5/27/06 7:20am]

CinisterCee said:

Let's hope so considering it took them only two weeks to make this album.

VoicesCarry said:

Oh, to hell with the cd, the bigger news here is that upon checking out the Dereon site, I've come to find out that her mom designs rather cute evening shoes !

I would like to see her in Playboy magazine, but a new CD? No, no, no!!!

Ottensen said:

Sadly, the clothing is another story...

VoicesCarry said:

I didn't either.

I'm a huge fan and expected her to launch the next music trend with this album.

I think she musta been spoiled by the easy success of "Check On It."

Just like that threadbare song (which I love ) these songs will likely be as thin artistically...which is not going to help her music legacy is she wants to be a legend like Diana and Tina.