Maps of Music

B'Day (2006)

Where the lyrics of B'Day take you, and where it was really made.

The album was named after Beyoncé's birthday, but it was first scheduled for 2004 and delayed twice before its 2006 release.

Key places

Sony Music Studios, New York City (2006)

Recording site Sony Music Studios — Beyoncé rented Sony Music Studios in New York City and used several rooms at once during the sessions. The source names this studio as the place she booked for the recording. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Record Plant, Los Angeles (2006)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Kitty Kat and Green Light were recorded at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, and Déjà Vu was assisted there. The point marks the studio's city-level location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Great Divide Studios, Aspen (2006)

Recording site Honey Snow Studios — Freakum Dress was recorded at Great Divide Studios in Aspen, Colorado, which is one of the studios outside the New York and Los Angeles sessions. The point sits at the city center. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Lair Studios, Los Angeles (2006)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — Irreplaceable was recorded at Lair Studios in Los Angeles, one of the additional studios the source lists. The point marks the city center, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• B'Day: second studio album by Beyoncé
• Released in September 2006 by Columbia Records, Music World Entertainment, and Sony Urban Music
• Produced by Beyoncé with several producers, including Darkchild, Nellee Hooper, Ne-Yo, The Neptunes, Stargate, and Swizz Beatz
• Two guest appearances by Jay-Z, then Beyoncé's boyfriend
• Title refers to Beyoncé's birthday
• Six singles released from the album
• Certified multi-platinum in several countries; over 8 million copies sold worldwide as of 2013

Background

• Originally scheduled for release in 2004 as the follow-up to the solo debut Dangerously in Love (2003)
• Delayed to accommodate the recording of Destiny's Child's final studio album Destiny Fulfilled (2004)
• Delayed again for Beyoncé's starring role in the film Dreamgirls (2006)
• Many lyrics were inspired by her role in that film, which centers on a fictional 1960s female group
• Musical styles range from 1970s–1980s funk and balladry to hip hop, pop, and R&B
• Live instrumentation was used on most tracks, as part of her vision for a record with live instruments

Recording

• Recorded in April 2006, during a month-long vacation after filming Dreamgirls
• Beyoncé rented Sony Music Studios in New York City and used four recording studios at the same time
• Recording was completed within two weeks
• She kept the work quiet from her father and then-manager Mathew Knowles at first

Cover

• Cover artwork revealed on July 18, 2006
• Beyoncé looks into the distance in a golden low-cut dress and small golden hoop earrings, with dark eyeliner and hair piled high
• Cover and booklet photographs by Max Vadukul

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups in history.
• Solo debut album Dangerously in Love (2003) became one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century.
• Destiny's Child disbanded in 2005 after the Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It tour.

Career

• Released B'Day (2006), I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), 4 (2011), Beyoncé (2013), Lemonade (2016), Renaissance (2022), and Cowboy Carter (2024).
• Renaissance and Cowboy Carter form a trilogy highlighting the overlooked contributions of Black pioneers to dance music and country music.
• Estimated sales of over 200 million records; the most-certified female artist by the RIAA.
• Holds a record 35 Grammy Awards, 30 MTV Video Music Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
• Headlined Super Bowl XLVII halftime show (2013) and the Coachella festival (2018).
• Acted in films including Dreamgirls (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), and The Lion King (2019).

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Generally favorable reviews from music critics, with most praise for the sound quality and Beyoncé's vocal performance
• Metacritic weighted average score of 70 based on 23 reviews
• Entertainment Weekly: Jody Rosen wrote that the songs arrive in huge gusts of rhythm and emotion
• Blender: Jonah Weiner wrote that sweaty up-tempo numbers prove the best platform for Beyoncé's rapperly phrasing
• AllMusic: Andy Kellman felt the album is lean in a beneficial way
• Boston Globe: Sarah Rodman said the production team helped Beyoncé focus on edgier, up-tempo tracks
• Rolling Stone: Brian Hiatt felt some beat-driven tracks were undercooked, with hooks that do not live up to Crazy in Love
• NME: Priya Elan named only Freakum Dress and Ring the Alarm as highlights
• The New York Times: Jon Pareles found the album tense, high-strung and obsessive

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling over 541,000 units in its first week
• Number one in Canada, Taiwan, and the United States
• Debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart
• Peaked at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart
• Top five in Germany, Greece, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom
• Won Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007)
• Certified platinum by the RIAA by the end of 2006
• Over 8 million copies sold worldwide as of 2013

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Beyoncé rented Sony Music Studios in New York City and used four recording studios at once, moving between rooms to check on her producers
• When she presented a song idea to the group, the song was completed within three hours
• A fan petition demanded a reshoot of the Déjà Vu video, with over two thousand signatures by July 2006 and over five thousand more by the end of August 2006
• Ring the Alarm cover art used alligators, which drew criticism from PETA; a biologist wrote to Beyoncé about it
• Ne-Yo said he had originally written Irreplaceable for himself before giving it to Beyoncé, and the song's writing credits became a controversy

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact