How Beyonce's 'Beyonce' Stayed Secret Until the Day of Release?!

Without announcement or fanfare, Beyonce’s fifth album, simply entitled ‘Beyonce,’ arrived Friday morning at midnight, and was released without a lead single being released, without promotional video being released, no special performance, and no marketing campaign.  14 Tracks and multiple producers and no one knew it was coming!  How did she do this without a single leak?! 

A lot of code names!  Not only did Beyonce use a lot of code names (according to Andrew Hampp of Billboard Magazine), King Bey used a lot of shifting deadlines which meant that producers and her team were unsure of the actual release date f her album.  What’s more, the final plans regarding the release wasn’t in place until last week.  To tell you how important Bey’s fans are to her, she says “I miss that immersive experience," she says, of watching music videos like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as a family, as a mass event. "Now people only listen to a few seconds of a song on the iPods and they don’t really invest in the whole experience. It’s all about the single, and the hype. It’s so much that gets between the music and the art and the fans. 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." 

On the executive level, final meetings were held with Columbia, Parkwood (Beyonce’s management company) late last week, and with iTunes to finalize plans for the album, which was code-named “Lily” to avoid leaks. Another final meeting announcing the album to employees and producers was held at Columbia on Thursday, Dec. 12. Only the most senior executives at iTunes, the album’s exclusive distributor until a planned physical release on Dec. 21, were clued in on the plans. 

As for promo plans, Beyonce is in the midst of wrapping up the U.S. leg of her Mrs. Carter Tour, which plays New York’s Barclays Center next Thursday (Dec. 19.) Though plans were still being finalized, a screening event featuring a theatrical presentation of the 14 videos are being prepared.