Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Blender
Entertainment Weekly	B+
The Guardian
MSN Music	A−
NME	5/10
Pitchfork Media	7.2/10
Q
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine

B'Day is the second studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released to coincide with her twenty-fifth birthday on September 4, 2006, by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Music and Sony Urban Music. The record was originally planned as a 2004 follow-up to Beyoncé's debut studio album Dangerously in Love (2003), although it was delayed to accommodate the recording of Destiny's Child's final studio album Destiny Fulfilled (2004) and her starring role in the film Dreamgirls (2006). While on vacation after filming Dreamgirls, Beyoncé began contacting various producers; she rented Sony Music Studios, and completed B'Day in three weeks. Most of the lyrical content of the album was inspired by Beyoncé's role in the film. The album's musical style ranges from 1970s–80s funk influences and balladry to urban contemporary elements such as hip hop 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.

Upon its release, B'Day received generally positive reviews from most music critics and has since earned Beyoncé several accolades, including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2007 Grammy Awards. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 541,000 copies in its first week, the second-highest debut-week sales for Beyoncé. The album has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It was also successful in international music markets and yielded six singles, including three commercial hits: "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". B'Day Anthology Video Album, which features thirteen music videos to accompany the songs, was released alongside the deluxe edition of B'Day. Beyoncé then embarked on her second solo concert tour in 2007, which she titled The Beyoncé Experience. A live album, The Beyoncé Experience Live, was released which featured footage from the tour. As of June 2015, B'Day has sold 8 million copies worldwide.

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