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Beyonce has made history by becoming the first woman ever in the US to top the charts with every single one of her first five albums.
The superstar, who unexpectedly dropped her self-titled record on December 13, sold 617,000 copies on iTunes in three days, making it the biggest opening week ever for the singer. Her previous best was her second album B'Day, which shifted 541,000 units upon its release in 2006.
The record has been described as "game changing" by fans, and is now the fastest selling album on iTunes ever.
In a recent iTunes Radio commentary, Beyonce spoke about the record. "It's a visual album that reflects the picture in my mind when I'm recording the song. It's very vivid, so sometimes it's a story or a fantasy - it's personal."
Prolific collaborator Sia penned the soaring album opener 'Pretty Hurts', and Beyonce praised the songwriter, dubbing her a "genius". "It's really difficult to find a song with such a strong message that doesn't feel preachy," said Beyonce of the track. "Sia is such a genius. The second I heard the song I'm like, I have to sing this song. I don't care how hard I have to fight for the song, this is my song!"
Listen to Beyonce's full commentary below:
The record, was released with zero promotion or announcements, and is described as a "visual album", with the fourteen tracks accompanied by seventeen full length music videos. Husband Jay-Z, Drake, and Frank Ocean all make appearances on the album.
Below - the best bits from all 17 of Beyonce's new music videos:
