A visual album is a type of concept album in which the album is accompanied by a feature-length film or individual music videos for every song. Usually, the film, or "visuals", emphasize the album's overall theme and serve as the "visual vehicle" that enhances the experience. [1]
Though music films and videos accompanying albums are not new in popular culture, the term achieved prominence in modern usage after the release of American singer Beyoncé's 2013 self-titled album. [2] [3] Prior to Beyoncé, she had also released music videos for thirteen tracks from her second studio album B'Day (2006); all videos were included in B'Day Anthology Video Album (2007). [4] [5] Jonna Lee's project iamamiwhoami is said to have been promoting the "audio-visual album" format since 2009, [6] and the band Animal Collective had similarly earlier described their experimental 2010 album ODDSAC as a "visual record". [7]
The definition of what constitutes a visual album remains a subject of debate. Being a largely experimental medium, its execution varies from artist to artist. According to Screen Rant's Megan Summers, "visual albums are linked music videos or films released in conjunction with a record". [8] In one of the first articles written about the artform, Landon Palmer of Film School Rejects notes that "visual albums stage, sometimes with interruptions, the majority of a musician or band’s LP...proclaiming albums to be cohesive works of musical artistry rather than conveniently divisible bits of audio information". [9] According to Judy Berman of Pitchfork, visual albums result from the "synergistic connection between music and cinema that dates back to the latter art form’s birth". [10] While films like Purple Rain and A Hard Day's Night are classics that combine music and longform visuals, Kylie Lynne of AllMusic argues that such films "had the corresponding album as a soundtrack with the majority of focus on the storyline and dialogue when the music was not playing", separating them from visual albums in which the music is the primary audio component. [11]
The synergy between music and cinema has existed since cinema's early history, with the first talkie in 1927, The Jazz Singer , being a musical. When it became clear that talkies were to become the dominant form of cinema, there was a significant rise in musicians making use of the visual medium to bring their music to new audiences. Artists like Bessie Smith and Fred Astaire took advantage of this and appeared on television performing their songs. Soon enough, the music film as a concept would become a cultural phenomenon in 1964, at the height of Beatlemania, when the Beatles released A Hard Day's Night. [12] The following decade saw a massive leap in the music industry's use of visual media, with Blondie's Eat to the Beat , released in 1979, being the first album in the rock era to be accompanied by videos for every song. [10]
The rise of MTV and the popularity of Michael Jackson in the 80s cemented the status of music videos as integral to the music industry. Jackson would eventually stretch his cinematic ambitions to feature-film length with 1988's Moonwalker, just as Prince had done four years earlier with Purple Rain. Janet Jackson also released a similar form of visual album with her Rhythm Nation 1814 film short in 1989. While these were important in the eventual development of the visual album, none of these would fit into the modern definition of the term. Lemon Jelly's 2005 album '64-'95 , and Beck's 2006 album The Information were both released with videos for each track. Beyoncé's B'Day Anthology Video Album marked another significant release in this era, which companioned the deluxe edition of 2006's B'Day and featured videos for every song. [13]
The beginning of the streaming era offered artists several options of making their musical projects easily accessible to fans. The Swedish electropop group iamamiwhoami published a series of music videos in 2010. Described as an audiovisual project, [14] it was later released on their "audiovisual album" Bounty . [15] The band continued the tradition, releasing Kin in 2012, Blue in 2014, and their subsequent albums in an audiovisual format. [16] [17] [18] R.E.M.'s final studio album, 2011's Collapse into Now also featured at least one music video for every song, spearheaded by vocalist Michael Stipe. [19]
The next instance of a visual album was Beyoncé's 2013 self-titled release. Having started recording the album in the summer of 2012, she had the idea to make it a visual album in early 2013 [20] and hence began filming videos for every song secretly across the globe as she embarked on The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. [21] The album, having had no prior announcement or promotion, was then released as a complete surprise in the early hours of December 13, 2013. Unlike B'day's year-long wait for a complete visual companion in 2007, Beyoncé and its 17 videos were made available exclusively through the iTunes Store immediately upon release. [20] The music and videos were "designed to be consumed as a comprehensive audio/visual piece". [2]
“Lemonade” draws from the prolific literary, musical, cinematic, and aesthetic sensibilities of black cultural producers to create a rich tapestry of poetic innovation. The audacity of its reach and fierceness of its vision challenges our cultural imagination, while crafting a stunning and sublime masterpiece about the lives of women of color and the bonds of friendship seldom seen or heard in American popular culture.
—Peabody Entertainment Awards on " Lemonade " [22]
Beyoncé would reinvent the visual album format again with her following studio album Lemonade in 2016. [23] Instead of filming separate videos for every song, she opted to create an hour-long feature film to companion the album. Releasing a cryptic trailer 6 days before the film's exclusive premiere on HBO, Lemonade was described as a "world premiere event". [24] The project's true purpose as a companion film for Beyoncé's sixth studio album was revealed on April 23, 2016 as the film premiered. [25] The film has since exclusively streamed on Tidal. [26] It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards [27] and won a Peabody Award for its "contributions to the greater cultural landscape." [28]
The third studio album by the English musician Thom Yorke, Anima, was released on 27 June 2019 in conjunction with a 15-minute visual album of the same name on Netflix. [29] Ed Sheeran's sixth studio album, - ("Subtract"), was released on 5 May 2023 with music videos for every song.
Other artists like Frank Ocean, [10] Kanye West, [10] Solange, Halsey, Twenty One Pilots, [30] and Sia [31] have all released projects described as visual albums to different streaming services. Though the films often accompany the albums, the visuals are at times released at a later date, as in the case of Black Is King (2020), the visual accompaniment to Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift (2019) . [32]
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter, and businesswoman. Nicknamed "Queen Bey", she is regarded as a prominent cultural figure of the 21st century and has been recognized for her artistry and performances, with Rolling Stone naming her one of the greatest vocalists of all time.
American singer and songwriter Beyoncé has released eight studio albums, five live albums, three compilation albums, five EPs, one soundtrack album, and two karaoke albums. To date, Beyoncé has sold over 200 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard ranked her as the 37th greatest artist of all time.
B'Day is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on August 31, 2006, by Columbia Records, Music World Entertainment and Sony Urban Music. Originally set to be released in 2004, B'Day was planned as a follow-up to Beyoncé's solo debut Dangerously in Love (2003); however, it was delayed to accommodate the recording of Destiny's Child's final studio album Destiny Fulfilled (2004) and Beyoncé's starring role in the 2006 film Dreamgirls. While on vacation after filming Dreamgirls, Beyoncé began contacting various producers and rented Sony Music Studios, completing the album within two weeks. Most of the lyrical content of the album was inspired by Beyoncé's role in the film, with its musical style ranging from 1970s–1980s funk influences and balladry to urban contemporary elements such as hip hop, pop, and R&B. Live instrumentation was employed in recording most of the tracks as part of Beyoncé's vision of creating a record using live instruments.
"Ring the Alarm" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her second studio album, B'Day (2006). It was written by Knowles, Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and Sean Garrett. Columbia Records released "Ring the Alarm" as the second single from B'Day in the United States on October 17, 2006, while "Irreplaceable" (2006) was serviced as the album's second international and third US single. The song's development was motivated by Knowles' role in the Broadway musical adaptation Dreamgirls (2006). The cover art of "Ring the Alarm" proved controversial because Knowles used alligators during the photography session. PETA declared that Knowles' posing with a baby alligator was arguably abusive to an animal.
"Upgrade U" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé from her second studio album B'Day (2006). The song features additional vocals from American rapper Jay-Z. It was composed by Swizz Beatz, Cameron Wallace, Beyoncé, MK, Makeba, Sean Garrett, Angela Beyincé, Jay-Z, Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Beyoncé's sister, Solange. Columbia Records released "Upgrade U" as a promotional single on October 8, 2006 in the United States only. "Upgrade U" draws from the genres of hip hop and contemporary R&B. The concept of the song is that of a woman describing herself as the key to upgrading a man's lifestyle.
B'Day Anthology Video Album is the third DVD by American singer Beyoncé. It was released through Columbia Records, Sony Music and Music World Entertainment exclusively through Walmart stores on April 3, 2007 alongside the deluxe edition, but was later serviced to other retailers. The DVD features thirteen music videos for songs from her second studio album, B'Day (2006) and its deluxe edition (2007). Beyoncé shot nine videos for the album, and four pre-filmed videos were also included. B'Day Anthology Video Album has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Outside North America, the album was featured as a bonus disc to the deluxe edition of B'Day. The "Still in Love " video was the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit, therefore only initial pressings of the album contain its video.
"Flaws and All" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé from the deluxe edition of her second studio album, B'Day (2006). It was composed by Ne-Yo, Shea Taylor, Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, while Beyoncé Knowles and Taylor produced it. In the R&B song, Beyoncé shows appreciation for the love given by her man, who sees through all of her flaws and loves her unconditionally. "Flaws and All" received positive reviews from critics, who lauded Beyoncé's emotion and vulnerability on the track. Some critics also noted that the song was better than some of the songs on the standard edition of B'Day.
Jonna Emily Lee is a Swedish singer, songwriter, record producer and visual director. Lee is the creator and artist of audiovisual online project iamamiwhoami who since 2009 have released their audiovisual series online, gathering a huge online following. Since her first solo album, she has collaborated with music producer and artist Claes Björklund who is also a member of iamamiwhoami. In 2017, Lee started using the moniker ionnalee for her new solo project. In February 2018 she released her debut solo album, Everyone Afraid to Be Forgotten. With the album she also created her own world tour co funded by her fans via Kickstarter. The tour sold out their venues all over the world during 2018. ionnalee remixed Moby's "The Ceremony of Innocence" which was released in December 2018, and in February, her sophomore solo album Remember the Future was announced with the release date 31 May 2019.
American singer Beyoncé has appeared in numerous music videos, documentaries and films. She has also directed eight full-length films, including five concert films and two musical films. Her films have grossed over $2.5 billion worldwide at the box office. She first appeared in the 1997 music video for Destiny's Child's "No, No, No", after which she made her film debut as the lead in the direct-to-video musical Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001). Beyoncé's first solo music video was the soundtrack single "Work It Out" for Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), which also featured her debut theatrical film role. She released her first music video as a solo artist for "Crazy in Love" from Dangerously in Love (2003).
Kin is the debut studio album by Swedish audiovisual project iamamiwhoami, led by singer and songwriter Jonna Lee. It was released on 11 June 2012 on Lee's label To whom it may concern. and distributed by Cooperative Music. Formats include digital, CD, LP and DVD. The album's lead single "Sever" was released digitally on 15 February 2012, followed by the release of each of the album's tracks once every fortnight throughout the spring of 2012. The physical DVD of Kin contains all the music videos which play together as a 45-minute film.
Parkwood Entertainment is an American management, production, entertainment company and record label founded by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé in 2010. The company began as a production unit for films and videos in 2008. It has offices located in New York City and Los Angeles. Its involvements include products for music production, motion pictures and television specials related to Beyoncé. The company's first release was the film Cadillac Records (2008).
Beyoncé is the self-titled fifth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on December 13, 2013, through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Developed as a visual album, every song is accompanied by a non-linear short film that illustrates the musical concepts. Beyoncé's desire to assert her full artistic freedom served as inspiration for the album's dark, personal subject matter, which incorporated feminist themes of sex, monogamy, beauty standards and relationship problems.
Blue is the third studio album by Swedish audiovisual project iamamiwhoami, led by singer and songwriter Jonna Lee. It was released on 7 November 2014 on Lee's label To whom it may concern. The album was announced on 8 July 2014 through a trailer on YouTube, and on the same day, it was made available for pre-order on To whom it may concern.'s website. Blue was musically produced by Claes Björklund and visually directed by Swedish collective Wave, with costume design by Mathieu Mirano.
Lemonade is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on April 23, 2016, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records, accompanied by a 65-minute film of the same title. It follows her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), and is a concept album with a song cycle that relates Beyoncé's emotional journey after her husband's infidelity in a generational and racial context. Primarily an R&B and art pop album, Lemonade encompasses a variety of genres, including reggae, blues, rock, hip hop, soul, funk, Americana, country, gospel, electronic, and trap. It features guest vocals from Jack White, the Weeknd, James Blake and Kendrick Lamar, and contains samples and interpolations of a number of hip hop and rock songs.
"Sandcastles" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016). The song's music video is part of a one-hour film with the same title as its parent album, originally aired on HBO.
"Sorry" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé from her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016). It was written and produced by Beyoncé, Diana Gordon, and MeLo-X, with Hit-Boy serving as a co-producer and Stuart White as an additional producer. Columbia Records serviced the song to radio stations as the album's second single on May 3, 2016. "Sorry" is an electro-R&B song with a thumping rhythm created by drum beats, synthesizers and bells. The song's lyrics revolve around the protagonist dealing with the betrayal of a partner with another woman.
Lemonade is a 2016 musical film and visual album by American singer Beyoncé, and serves as a visual companion to her 2016 album of the same name. Beyoncé also contributes as a director and executive producer for the film. The film was released on April 23, 2016, premiering on HBO, and bundled with the album on CD/DVD, Tidal and iTunes Store, which released on the same day.
"Freedom" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé featuring American rapper Kendrick Lamar for her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016). The song was written by Jonny Coffer, Beyoncé, Carla Marie Williams, Dean McIntosh and Lamar; it contains samples of "Let Me Try", written by Frank Tirado, performed by Kaleidoscope; samples of "Collection Speech/Unidentified Lining Hymn", recorded by Alan Lomax in 1959, performed by Reverend R.C. Crenshaw; and samples of "Stewball", recorded by Alan Lomax and John Lomax, Sr. in 1947, performed by Prisoner "22" at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Its production was handled by Beyoncé, Coffer and veteran hip hop record producer Just Blaze.
In Concert is the first live audiovisual performance installation by Swedish audiovisual project iamamiwhoami, and also their first full-length release. The performance video was streamed on the website of the project's independent label, To whom it may concern., on 16 November 2010, and released as a digital album on 4 December, the same year, the project's one-year anniversary. For the project's seven-year anniversary, in 2016, the film was made available for download and streaming, and released on DVD on 17 April 2017.