Beyonce has unexpectedly released her fifth album on iTunes overnight, with 14 new songs and 17 music videos.
The self-titled record is the follow-up to 2011's 4, and features guest spots from her husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy.
"Surprise!" wrote the 32-year-old in a press release, adding she was "bored" of releasing music the traditional way.
The instantaneous release means "I am able to speak directly to my fans," she continued.
It also means the pop star's record is one of the few major releases of recent years not to leak in advance.
Many records are leaked during the manufacturing and distribution stage - but,according to Billboard, Beyonce's record is exclusive to iTunes for a week, with physical copies not expected until 21 December.
Beyonce follows in the footsteps of David Bowie who, in January this year, came out of retirement by releasing a single with no prior warning.
However, her project is on a much larger scale, with every track on the album accompanied by its own music video.
The singer explained she had been inspired by her memories of watching Michael Jackson's Thriller video premiere in 1983.
"I miss that immersive experience," she said. "Now people only listen to a few seconds of song on the iPods and they don't really invest in the whole experience.
"It's all about the single, and the hype. I felt like, I don't want anybody to get 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."
Source: BBC News
