Beyonce Merch
Beyonce Merch - Destiny's Child
Teaming up with her cousin Kelly Rowland and two classmates, Knowles formed an all-female singing group. Her father, Matthew Knowles, served as the band’s manager. The group went through some name and line-up changes before landing a record deal in 1997 with Columbia Records.
Destiny’s Child soon became one of the most popular R&B acts, with the release of their first, self-titled album. Gaining momentum, the group scored its first No. 1 single on the pop charts with “Bills, Bills, Bills,” off their second album. The recording also featured another smash hit, “Say My Name.”
While enjoying her group’s success, Knowles began exploring other projects. She made her acting debut in 2001 with a starring role in Carmen: A Hip Hopera. She then co-starred with Mike Myers in the Austin Powers spy parody Goldmember the following year.
Awards, Accolades and Surprise Album
At the 2010 Grammy Awards, Knowles walked away with six honors — the most wins in a single night by a female artist. Her record was matched two years later by pop/soul artist Adele. In 2010, she also tied the record for most No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, which is based on radio airplay. In 2011, she made the Forbes Top 10 list of entertainment’s highest-earning women. By 2013, Knowles had won 16 Grammys.
Knowles broke records once again on December 13, 2013, with her fifth studio album, self-titled Beyoncé. The album surprised fans and critics alike, as no promotion for the album had been announced prior to its release. The record, which Knowles called a “visual album,” was released exclusively on iTunes, with physical discs available for purchase after December 18. The record-breaking album sold more than 800,000 copies throughout the weekend it was released alone.
The collection — which was the fastest-selling album ever distributed by iTunes—also marked Knowles’ fifth studio album to debut at No. 1, making her the first woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with her first five albums. She released the Platinum Edition of the album in 2014, and the following year won three additional Grammys, including a Best R&B Performance award for “Drunk in Love.”