Beyonce & Fans to Celebrate Superstar's 25th Birthday With Eagerly Awaited New Solo Album, 'B'Day,' Coming in September

Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia Records will release B'Day, the much-anticipated new solo album from Beyonce, on Tuesday, September 5.

B'Day will be released worldwide on September 4, Beyonce's 25th birthday.

The pop music superstar's sophomore studio album premieres all new music co-produced, written and arranged by Beyonce. "Deja Vu," the album's first single, features guest artist Jay-Z with co-production by Rodney Jerkins. Beyonce's co-producers on B'Day include Rich Harrison, The Neptunes, and Swizz Beatz.

Beyonce's new album is the artist's first full-length solo work since her #1 multi-platinum 2003 solo debut, "Dangerously In Love," which earned her five 2004 Grammy Awards including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best R&B Song ("Crazy In Love"). With her five-in-one-year Grammy win, Beyonce tied the record for the most Grammys to be won in a single year by a female artist. "Dangerously In Love" and "Crazy In Love" made chart history when both album and single simultaneously hit #1 in the U.S. and the UK (which hadn't happened since 1983). Beyonce toured for the first time as a solo artist in 2003 in support of "Dangerously In Love," which has sold more than 11 million records worldwide.

Beyonce finished work on her new studio album three weeks after the wrap of her upcoming film, "Dreamgirls," slated to open nationwide on December 22, 2006. The film version of the smash Broadway musical -- loosely based on the R&B-to-pop crossover saga of The Supremes -- is directed by Bill Condon ("Gods & Monsters," "Kinsey") and stars Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Danny Glover. "Dreamgirls" and its soundtrack featuring Beyonce are among this year's most avidly-awaited holiday events. The "Dreamgirls" soundtrack is Beyonce's first joint venture with Sony Urban Music/Columbia Records under the Music World Music umbrella.

Beyonce made her acting debut in 2001 in the made-for-television production "MTV's Hip Hopera: Carmen." In 2002, she co-starred as "Foxxy Cleopatra" opposite Mike Myers in "Austin Powers In Goldmember," cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for achieving the Highest Box Office Comedy Film Gross ($71.5 million over first three days) in film history. 2003 saw Beyonce appearing with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the gospel-music inspired family film, "The Fighting Temptations."

The iconic performer took home her 9th Grammy Award (for her duet with Stevie Wonder, "So Amazing") in 2006. Her then-current single -- "Check On It" -- topped the Billboard Hot 100 (for the third week in a row) and became the nation's #1 ringtone, #1 Sales single and #1 Dance single. Both "Austin Powers in Goldmember" and her last film, "The Pink Panther," co-starring Steve Martin, opened nationwide at #1.

In 2005, Beyonce (whose celebrity endorsements include Pepsi, L'Oreal, and Tommy Hilfiger True Star fragrances) and her mother, Tina Knowles (clothing and fashion stylist for Destiny's Child) launched a fashion line, House of Dereon, named for Beyonce's maternal grandmother.

Beyonce rose to international fame as a founding member of Destiny's Child, the top-selling all-female recording group of all-time, according to the World Music Awards.

On Saturday, June 11, 2005, Destiny's Child announced the group's impending retirement from the stage of a sold-out concert in Barcelona, Spain, saying that the individual members would continue to pursue personal goals and careers in music, theater, television and film.

"#'1's," a Destiny's Child "greatest hits" collection was released in October 2005 and entered the Billboard 200 best-selling albums chart at #1.

Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland -- along with Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles and Solange Knowles-Smith -- formed the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas, area. The Survivor Foundation extends the philanthropic mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center For Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston.

  Fan club: http://www.welovebeyonce.com/
            http://www.beyonceonline.com/
            http://www.houseofdereon.com/
            http://www.columbiarecords.com/

SOURCE: Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia Records

CONTACT: Yvette Noel-Schure of Sony Urban Music, New York,
+1-212-833-4483, Yvette.Noel-Schure@sonybmg.com

Web site: http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.welovebeyonce.com/
http://www.beyonceonline.com/
http://www.houseofdereon.com/