What you might not know about the American author
Her full name is Beyoncé Giselle Knowles Carter. Her name was given to her as an homage to her mother's maiden name, Beyoncé.
At seven years old, she won a singing competition at school for her performance of 'Imagine' by John Lennon.
Beyoncé and Solange went to therapy as children so there would be no hard feelings between them after Beyoncé's early success, this according to Elle.
In the film, Beyoncé plays Xania, the girlfriend of the French soccer coach who is found dead at a game. The movie focuses on the search for the Pink Panther, a diamond that belonged to the coach.
Bey's favorite films are 'A Star Is Born' and 'Sparkle.' She was even tied to the remake of 'A Star Is Born.'
A queen amongst us mere mortals, she voiced a future queen, Nala, in the 2019 adaptation of Disney's 'The Lion King.'
She starred opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. in this 2003 flick.
'Austin Powers in Goldmember' (2002) was Bey's first big movie. She had a major role in the comedy as Foxxy Cleopatra.
Beyoncé went into the 2021 Grammys with nine nominations, the most of any artist for the night, and she left after breaking the record for the most Grammys won by any female artist, as well as any singer ever, with a whopping 28 awards to her name. She started her streak alongside her then-nine-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter as they won Best Music Video for 'Brown Skin Girl.' Then Beyoncé and fellow Houston native Megan Thee Stallion made history as the first pair of women to ever win Best Rap Performance with the remix of Megan Thee Stallion's 'Savage,' which also earned Best Rap Song. Then finally it was Beyoncé's win for Best R&B Performance for 'Black Parade' that cemented her, yet again, in history—before she would break her own record in 2023.
Bey decided to lend her talents to the film industry once again after a screening of the inspiring 2021 Will Smith movie, 'King Richard.' Smith stars as Richard Williams, the father of star tennis players Venus and Serena Williams. It tells the story of their unusual start in the world of tennis. Beyoncé reportedly offered to provide a song for the soundtrack after watching the movie, and released the single 'Be Alive.' The empowering anthem is the perfect match for a movie that documents the strength of two young girls finding success in a world that was slow to accept them. “The marriage of a movie and a song is a kind of magic that’s unmatched in entertainment,” Smith said in an interview. “I was so happy when Beyoncé called.”
In 2020, she released a visual album called 'Black Is King,' based on the music off of 'The Lion King: The Gift,' Bey’s album which was inspired by Disney’s 2019 adaptation of 'The Lion King,' which starred Beyoncé as the voice of Nala. The artist's production company calls 'Black Is King' a "celebratory memoir for the world on the black experience.”
Beyoncé had us waiting since 2016's 'Lemonade' for the arrival of her seventh solo album. 'Renaissance' was released on July 29, 2022, to rave reviews. The joyful maximalist album was a celebration of her power as an artist and as a woman, while also paying tribute to the queer community that uplifts and inspires her, making several references to her "Uncle Johnny" who died during the AIDS crisis. Critics described it as a breathtaking tour de force.
A week before the album dropped, Beyoncé released the first single 'Break My Soul.' The house music hit samples Robin S's 1993 hit 'Show Me Love' and Big Freedia's 'Explode.' Within a couple of weeks of its release, 'Break My Soul' helped Beyoncé to break yet another record. She became the first woman in music history to have 20 top 10 titles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Only two other artists have achieved this milestone; Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. Her titles include four No. 1s as a member of Destiny's Child and seven No. 1s as a solo artist.
The thriller directed by Steve Shill tells the story of Derek Charles (Idris Elba), a financial consultant married to Sharon (Beyoncé). He has the perfect life until he gets involved with Lisa (Ali Larter), who is capable of ruining everything for Derek.
At the 2023 ceremony, Beyoncé officially became the most decorated artist in Grammy history. She took home four awards—Best R&B song for 'Cuff It,' Best Dance/Electronic Recording for 'Break My Soul,' Best Traditional R&B Performance for 'Plastic Off the Sofa,' and Best Dance/Electronic Album for 'Renaissance'—bumping up her previous 28, which broke the record for the most Grammys won by any female artist, as well as any singer ever, to an all-time record-breaking 32. She was nominated for nine Grammys that year for her explosive 2022 album 'Renaissance,' which also brought her up to 88 nominations total, tying her with her husband Jay-Z for the most Grammy nominations of all time. In her emotional speech for her historic win, Beyoncé thanked her family, including her late Uncle Johnny, as well as "the queer community for your love and for inventing the genre."
In 2023, Beyoncé kicked off her monumental Renaissance World Tour—her first tour in almost five years. The Guardian described it as a "dizzying three-hour spectacular," crossing disco with sci-fi and Black pride. The 36-song setlist included the tunes from the 'Renaissance' album along with classics like 'Formation' and 'Crazy in Love.' She closed the night by paying homage to Bianca Jagger's iconic Studio 54 moment, but her white horse was encrusted in glitter, of course.
When the nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards were announced in November, Beyoncé was recognized in 11 different categories for her pioneering country album, 'Cowboy Carter.' This brought her total nominations to 99, making her the most nominated artist in Grammy history by a long shot.
Billboard decided to make that official on December 3, 2024, when they named her the greatest pop star of the 21st century. The magazine revealed its ranking of the top 25 pop stars of the last 25 years, with stars like Taylor Swift (second place), Rihanna (third place), and Drake (fourth place), narrowly missing out on the top spot.
The 2024 single 'Texas Hold 'Em' reached number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart marking a historic achievement. Beyoncé is the first Black woman to top this chart and the first artist to have number-one hits on both the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
For the first time in her career, Beyoncé won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, taking home the prestigious honor for her groundbreaking country album 'Cowboy Carter.' Following its release in March 2024, the album quickly soared in popularity, cementing its place as a major musical achievement. The global superstar edged out formidable competitors, including Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, to finally claim the award that had long eluded her. With this latest triumph, Beyoncé now holds an impressive total of 35 Grammy wins.
Beyoncé has been breaking records throughout her career. She is likely the most well-known singer in the world, and she's one of the few stars who has achieved such a legacy through an almost unbelievably clean, uphill trajectory. Each time she takes on a new project or steps onto the stage, she exceeds her own past accomplishments. At this point, she is competing only with herself at the top, and there’s no sign of anything standing in her way.Want to know more about Beyoncé's story so far? From her style inspiration to her favorite film, once you're done here you may as well be a part of the BeyHive (if you aren't already).
Beyoncé's road to pop culture royalty and country stardom
Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman ever to top Billboard’s country chart
CELEBRITY Retrospective
Beyoncé has been breaking records throughout her career. She is likely the most well-known singer in the world, and she's one of the few stars who has achieved such a legacy through an almost unbelievably clean, uphill trajectory. Each time she takes on a new project or steps onto the stage, she exceeds her own past accomplishments. At this point, she is competing only with herself at the top, and there’s no sign of anything standing in her way.Want to know more about Beyoncé's story so far? From her style inspiration to her favorite film, once you're done here you may as well be a part of the BeyHive (if you aren't already).