Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, known mononymously as Beyoncé, is an R&B and pop singer-songwriter, fashion designer, and actress.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child and rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child. Managed by her father Mathew Knowles, the group became one of the world’s bestselling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of Beyoncé’s debut album, Dangerously in Love, which established her as a solo artist worldwide; it sold 11 million copies, earned five Grammy Awards, and featured the Billboard #1 singles “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy.”

Following the disbandment of Destiny’s Child in 2005, she released her second solo album, B’Day, which contained hits “Déjà Vu,” “Irreplaceable,” and “Beautiful Liar.” Beyoncé also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe-nominated performance in Dreamgirls, and starring roles in The Pink Panther and Obsessed. Her marriage to rapper Jay-Z and portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records influenced her third album, I Am… Sasha Fierce, which saw the birth of her alter-ego Sasha Fierce and earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010, including Song of the Year for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”

Beyoncé took a hiatus from music in 2010 and took over management of her career; 2011’s 4 was subsequently mellower in tone, exploring 1970s funk, 1980s pop, and 1990s soul. Her fifth studio album, 2013’s Beyoncé, was critically acclaimed and was distinguished from previous releases by its experimental production and exploration of darker themes.

In 2016, she released her sixth studio album, Lemonade, which would become the bestselling album of 2016. Lemonade is a concept album widely believed to be about her husband Jay-Z’s infidelity. In addition to the album itself, Lemonade was a one-hour film that aired on HBO. When Lemonade debuted on the Billboard charts at #1, it made Beyoncé the first act in Billboard history to have their first six studio albums debut atop the chart; she broke a record previously tied with DMX in 2013.

Beyoncé starred in the voiceover role of Nala in the live-action remake of The Lion King, which was released on July 19, 2019. Earlier that same year, Homecoming, a documentary and concert film focusing on Beyoncé’s historic 2018 Coachella performances, was released by Netflix and was accompanied by the surprise live album Homecoming: The Live Album.

Black Is King, a visual album based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, premiered globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. The film was written, directed, and executive produced by Beyoncé, and Disney described it as “a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience.”

A self-described “modern-day feminist,” Beyoncé’s songs are often characterized by themes of love, relationships, and monogamy, as well as female sexuality and empowerment. On stage, her dynamic, highly choreographed performances have led to critics hailing her as one of the best entertainers in contemporary popular music.

She has sold over 118 million records as a solo artist, making her one of the bestselling musical artists of all time. In 2009, Billboard named her the Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade, the Top Female Artist of the 2000s, and their Artist of the Millennium in 2011.

Beyoncé is the most nominated woman at the Grammy Awards and has the second-most wins for a woman with a total of 24, including her work with Destiny’s Child. She is also the most awarded artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, with 24 wins, including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

In 2014, she became the highest-earning Black musician in history and was listed among Time’s 100 most influential people in the world for the second year in a row. Forbes ranked her as the most powerful female in entertainment on their 2015 and 2017 lists. She occupied sixth place for Time’s Person of the Year in 2016, and in 2020, was named one of the 100 women who defined the last century by the same publication. Beyoncé was also included on Encyclopædia Britannica’s 100 Women list in 2019, for her contributions to the entertainment industry