B'Day

B'Day
Studio album by Beyoncé Knowles
Released	September 1, 2006 (2006-09-01) September 4, 2006 (2006-09-04) September 5, 2006 (2006-09-05)
Recorded	April 2006 at Sony Music Studios (New York City, New York)
Genre	Funk, hip-hop soul, R&B
Length	37:40 (US standard) 52:19 (Europe/Australia) 99:13 (deluxe edition)
Label	Columbia, Music World
Producer	Beyoncé Knowles (executive producer), Swizz Beatz, Sean Garrett, Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins, Walter Millsap III, The Neptunes, Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, Stargate, Cameron Wallace,
Professional reviews
About.com Allhiphop.com All Music Guide Blender Entertainment Weekly (B+) The Guardian PopMatters Rolling Stone Slant Magazine
Beyoncé Knowles chronology
True Star: A Private Performance (2004) B'Day (2006) Green Light: Freemasons EP (2007)
Alternate cover
Deluxe edition cover

B'Day is the second album from American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, released worldwide on September 4, 2006 to coincide her twenty-fifth birthday, through Columbia Records in collaboration with Sony Urban Music and Music World Music (see 2006 in music). The title was coined from mixing her nickname "B" and "Day" from birthday for the album was slated during that day. The album was originally planned for a 2004 release as a follow-up to her debut album Dangerously in Love; however, Beyoncé had priorities, one being the recording of her former group Destiny's Child's final album and the other was her role in the movie Dreamgirls, which caused her to put any musical projects on hiatus. After filming Dreamgirls, while having a vacation, Beyoncé called up three producers and booked each of them on studio, along with other contemporary songwriter-producers in the US, finishing the album in three weeks. Most of the lyrical content of the album were inspired by Beyoncé's fictional role in the film. The musical style of the songs have a variety of influences, from the '70s to '80s soul and balladry to urban contemporary suited elements like hip hop and R&B, and have several live instrumentations. B'Day was successful on album charts topping US's Billboard 200 on its debut. It racked up 541,000 units sold on its first week, beating its predecessor, Dangerously in Love, in terms of sales. The album was also successful on other markets, charting above the top fifteen on most chart it appeared on. Most of its rank were its debut positions. B'Day was re-released as an expanded double-disc deluxe edition and yielded six singles, one of which is non-US. It had a counter-part released DVD, featuring ten music videos on the album's songs. The album was certified multi-platinum and received several awards, yet it divided pop critics.

Production

Background and inspiration

In the making of Dangerously in Love in 2002, Beyoncé had a generative studio process, recording up to forty-five songs. After the success of her debut album Dangerously in Love that hit in 2003, as early as the next year, Beyoncé planned to produce another album because of the several left-over songs yielded from her previous effort. However, on January 7, 2004, her plans were put on hiatus as stated by a spokesperson of her record label, Columbia; this was to give time Beyoncé to concentrate on her former group's recording of their final album, which her group also was given a break when they temporarily parted to try on as a solo artist. The group also reserved the month of March besides from recording to give Beyoncé the time to prepare for her singing the America's national anthem at the Super Bowl and for her attendance on the 48th Grammy Awards held on February 8, 2006, where she gained five awards on that single event.^[1]

Beyoncé singing "Listen." "Listen" is one of songs in the album that were inspired by Beyoncé's fictional life in her role in the Broadway musical adaptation 2006 Dreamgirls film.

In early 2006, Beyoncé was preparing for a role offered to her. Dreamgirls, which premiered on cinemas in December, is an adaptation of the hit Broadway musical of the same name that scored eight Tony Awards in 1981. The story revolves around the Dreams, a fictional '60s group of three female singers who had changed in plight when they reached the zenith of their fame. The flick is starred with her playing Deena Jones along with former "American Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson and Tony Award-winning actress Anika Noni Rose. It also includes acclaimed actors namely Danny Glover, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx. As a result, she had to hold any musical plans she had at the moment to allow six months solely to do filming.^[2] She herself refused to go to studios not to be confused with her role in the film.^[3] In the story, Beyoncé experienced career and personal relationship struggles that later played an important role influencing the feel and music to most of the songs in the album.^[3] In the bonus track, "Encore for the Fans," Beyoncé expressed, "Because I was so inspired by Deena. I wrote songs that were saying all the things I wish she would have said in the film." In part of the movie, Beyoncé co-wrote "Listen," which was suggested by Bill Condon, the director of the film, because of the need of the second half of the movie to have an accompanying song. She had the chance to perform the song when her fictional life in the story changes direction.^[4] "Listen" was later included in the album as a hidden track. B'Day was coined from the combination of Beyoncé's nickname "B" and "Day" as a contracted form of birthday because the album was slated during that day.^[5]

Writing and recording process

American R&B singer–songwriter Ne-Yo is one of the many collaborators of B'Day along with Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins and Sean Garrett.

While having a month-long break after her half-year filming of Dreamgirls, after several days, Beyoncé rushed to studios to start her suspended second album. She said that "she had so many things bottled up, so many emotions, so many ideas,"^[3] that prompted her to do recording without even telling father Mathew Knowles, who happened to be her record label manager.^[6] Beyoncé called up songwriter-producers Rich Harrison, who produced her number-one 2003 debut "Crazy in Love," Rodney Jerkins and Sean Garrett who also had previous work with her.^[6] She also hooked up with several studio personalities: Cameron Wallace; the Neptunes, who had previous work with Beyoncé on the 2002 Austin Powers in Goldmember soundtrack "Work It Out"; Norwegian production duo Stargate; American hip hop producer-rapper Swizz Beatz who co-produced her 2005 multi-platinum "Check On It"; and Walter Milsap. Two female song-writers were also included in the production team who helped structure B'Day. Beyoncé enlisted her cousin Angela Beyincé, had many previous collaborations with her debut album, and up-and-coming songwriter Makeba Riddick, who actually made her way onto the team after writing "Déjà Vu," the lead single of the album.^[3] Jerkins, who produced "Déjà Vu," demoed the record to Makeba singing the lyrics and slid to Beyoncé, who later approved.^[3] Jay-Z, who is featured in the song with a rap, was originally never planned to collaborate with her; but when Beyoncé saw his lips moving when he first heard the song, she asked him to go to the studio and record what he just did.^[7]

"She had multiple producers in Sony Studios. She booked out the whole studio and she had the biggest and best producers in there. She would have us in one room, we would start collaborating with one producer, [and] then she would go and start something else with another producer. We would bounce around to the different rooms and work with the different producers. It was definitely a factory type of process."

—Makeba Riddick, Billboard[3]

Jay-Z usually has a number of producers in the studio at one time in different rooms; inspired by his approach when working in studios, Beyoncé followed his system the time she started her recording for B'Day.^[7] She rented the whole Sony Studios in New York City and booked Harrison, Jerkins and Garrett, each with own room to work in.^[6] In the process of writing, Beyoncé would go to each room after the other to check the progressions her collaborators had made.^[6] The group worked together everyday reaching fourteen hours a day during the recording process.^[3] They would sometimes start the sessions at eleven o'clock.^[3] When Beyoncé got another idea of a potential song, she would tell the group who would later check out and talk about it.^[3] After three hours, the songs would come.^[3] While Beyoncé and the other in the team wrote words into lyrics, other collaborators from the Neptunes to Jerkins, whose team same with a team he's used on Jennifer Lopez's records,^[8] and to Swizz Beatz would simultaneously produce the tracks.^[3] Garrett, who had previous work with Beyoncé's 2005 single "Check on It," also came to studio after being called by Beyoncé, ending four co-produced songs for the album.^[3] Beyoncé arranged, wrote and produced all the songs in the album along with the collaborators for the album,^[6] and yielded twenty songs^[9] recording three tracks a day. After working in the studios, the B'Day was finished in three weeks ahead of the originally planned six-week toil,^[10] and is Beyoncé's first full-length studio album.^[11] In addition, Beyoncé co-worked with American R&B singer Ne-Yo, who co-wrote "Irreplaceable";^[12] sister Solange Knowles who was credited for co-writing several songs; and T.I. who recorded a verse of Swizz Beatz co-produced "Upgrade U" but did not make the cut.

Lyrical content

Most of the lyrical content of the album involves woman empowerment channeled through the different aspects of a relationship between a man and a woman; from being a "Suga Mama" to admonishing a girl's guy that they are "Irreplaceable."

B'Day offers more forceful, aggressive and assertive content, that it came to an extent her relationship with long-time boyfriend Jay-Z is being focused. However, her statement in the bonus track "Encore for the Fans" answered it all.^[13] In addition, it shows the spirit and power of a woman who carries her sexuality and spirit with authority.^[13] In an interview, Beyoncé said, "This is about female empowerment. This album is different, it's conceptual, and I do things with my voice that I haven't done before."^[6] Most of the lyrics are influenced by the central theme of the movie Dreamgirls. In the movie which chronicles the suppressed energy of a woman who has been surrounded by a controlling and authoritarian man, is being counter-challenged by Beyoncé channeled through the lyrical content of the songs.^[13] Deprived from her fictional role in the movie, Beyoncé expresses woman empowerment in the album. "Listen," which was originally written as a soundtrack for the movie, primarily speaks about the plight of her fictional life played in the story.

Some songs in the album speaks of luxuries like "Suga Mama" and "Upgrade U" which is accompanied by a gold-motif music video.

Other songs reveal some conflicted ideas about gender politics and civil-rights history.^[14] "Ring the Alarm" which uses flaring sirens to back her aggressive tone in the song saying what everyone thinks but is too afraid to say,^[15] impersonating a threatened girlfriend,^[16] and "Upgrade U" which expresses empowerment rather that emasculation.^[17] In "Suga Mama," Beyoncé literally acts as a sugar mommy who does not mind to give what she have just to make her man happy, and even tells him to sit on her lap.^[15][18] As the title itself, Beyoncé reassured in "Irreplaceable" her boyfriend to be replaced by another guy momentarily.^[14] The song sounds like a warning and being independent with conditional statement incorporated in the lyrics,^[16] though its video depicts an already replaced boyfriend. "Kitty Kat" warns all restless boys that girls too, become restless.^[19] In "Flaws and All," Beyoncé expresses "melismatic" gratitude that workaholic bitches merit love.^[20]

Music and style

B'Day uses a variety of live instrumentations from old school horns and bass guitars to Spanish guitars and Arabic percussions.

B'Day is musically created largely from a variety of American genres, and like the roots of her previous efforts, incorporates R&B and hip hop elements and other genres suited for urban contemporary markets. "Déjà Vu" uses R&B-funk melody to a hybrid of soul and hip-hop.^[18] Similarly, "Freakum Dress" is a modern funk.^[19] Other songs in the album are also dance tracks,^[14] and to fit the assertive thoughts Beyoncé laid down on the lyrics, she used aggressive tempos.^[15] It has more influences on the '70s and '80s styles inspired through sampling old records. "Suga Mama," which gets blues-guitar samples^[21] on Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers' song "Searching for Soul" has a '70s-funk-flavored and '80s go-go influenced melody.^[18] "Upgrade U" is sampled from the Betty Wright's 1968 "Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do" and features a sample from Betty Wright recording "Girls Can’t Do What the Guys do (and still be a lady)." "Resentment," on the other hand, samples Curtis Mayfield's 1972 "Think (Instrumental)," from the Superfly (soundtrack). "Green Light" is a classic groove,^[19] "Déjà Vu" is '70s inspired,^[17] and "Get Me Bodied" having influences from her origin—the use of Texas twang.^[22] Beyoncé added live instrumentation on most songs in B'Day. "Déjà Vu," which utilizes bass guitar, hi-hat, and the 808 instruments and sound system, is purely instrumental.^[19] In an interview, Beyoncé said, "When I recorded 'Deja Vu' ... I knew that even before I started working on my album, I wanted to add live instruments to all of my songs. It's such a balance [of music on the song], it has live congas, live horns, live bass. It's still young, still new and fresh, but it has the old soul groove."^[3] While "Déjà Vu" employs a production of old school horns,^[23] "Ring the Alarm" handles a clattering percussion^[24] and "Irreplaceable" that has a guitar-driven melody. "Listen" opens with a piano chords and uses a soft cymbal rolls until the drums comes in.^[25] More differently, Beyoncé uses Arabic percussion along with different strings for "Beautiful Liar" and Spanish guitars for "Amor Gitano" backed with gypsy chants.

Songs

Beyoncé performing Déjà Vu, the first single off B'Day.

"Déjà Vu" is the opening song off the album with an extended rap performed by Jay-Z.^[8] Set as the album's lead single, it was released on July 2006 to mixed reviews. The song was noted for being "catchy" but it was panned by critics saying that "it lacks a consistent melody"^[8] and "a sense of true exhilaration."^[23] Andy Killman's review for Billboard magazine called the song that "it had the audacity to not be as monstrous as 'Crazy in Love.'" The single reached number four in the US, however, it failed to match the success of its predecessor, lead single "Crazy in Love," which topped the chart for several weeks. "Déjà Vu" was more successful in the UK, peaking the chart at number one. It was accompanied by a couture-motivated music video,^[19] and was the subject of a petition from 7,000 fans calling for a re-shoot.^[26] "Get Me Bodied," an R&B-dance song which uses fifty dancers and eighty dresses in its '60s influenced music video featuring a mini-reunion with former band-mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams and special guest sister Solange Knowles, is the second track of the album and set as the fifth single in the US. The song drew comparison to Gwen Stefani's 2005 "Hollaback Girl" as its glorified version.^[27] It was the record's most unsuccessful US released singles only reaching the Billboard Hot 100 below top fifty compared to the album's previous releases which entered the top twenty to top five. The extended version of the track was used for its video. The Rich Harrison-produced "Suga Mama" is set as the third track. The song's accompanying music video features Beyoncé riding a mechanical bull.

The non-official single "Upgrade U" is the album's fourth track. It is Beyoncé's second collaboration from Jay-Z and the song talks about luxuries a girl have to elevate his boy. In its video, Beyoncé acts as Jay-Z during his rap but he later appeared to finish his part. The Swizz Beatz-produced "Ring the Alarm," which is the album's second released single, is noted for its use of siren in its melody which was called as a song that "shows a harder edge to Beyoncé's sound."^[6] The single was released on October 3, 2007 to mixed reviews. Kellman described it "angered, atonal, and out-of-character song with an accompanying video that invited all kinds of perplexed analysis,"^[17] and Friedman who was equally unimpressed calling it "annoying siren and is accompanied by a bizarre video depicting a wildly angry and unappealing Beyoncé."^[8] "Kitty Kat," produced by Pharrell Williams from The Neptunes duo, is the sixth track of the album. The video features Beyoncé with cats trained for the production. Kellman quoted the song as a "deceptively sweet, rainbow-colored track -- where what sounds like purrs are more like claws-out dismissals -- that could've been pulled from one of the first three Kelis albums."^[17] "Freakum Dress," the next track, "advises women who have partners with straying eyes to put on sexy dresses and grind on other guys in the club to regain their affections."^[14] Its accompanying video uses thirty dresses for the production.^[28] The album's non-US single "Green Light" is the seventh track and was released in the UK on July 30, 2007 as the fifth single. Its use of the "uh-huh huh huh" vocals and brassy stabs are a direct echo of "Crazy in Love."^[26] A three day-shoot music video, it is remembered for giving Beyoncé a blistered foot and muscle spasms after an 18-hour filming because of wearing ballet-pointed heels.^[28]

Beyoncé performing "Upgrade U."

When Beyoncé re-issued B'Day, several new songs and Spanish versions and remixes were included in the issue. "Beautiful Liar," which features contemporary artist Shakira, is set as the deluxe edition's opening track. The single holds the distinction of having the largest upward movement on the Billboard Hot 100, moving ninety-one positions from number ninety-four to number three the on April 7, 2007. It received several awards, one of which is MTV's Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration accolade, yet it polarized music critics. Entertainment Weekly called the song as the album's "minor downer."^[20] The single's music video features Beyoncé and Shakira in a scene belling dancing together, having learned the choreography for forty minutes.^[28] "Welcome To Hollywood," third collaboration with Jay-Z, and "World Wide Woman" are up beat songs set as the fifth and ninth track respectively. It also includes another ballad songs entitled "Flaws and All," set as the edition's seventh track; "If," as the eight track; and the last recorded "Still in Love (Kissing You)" which was not intended for the re-lease.^[28] "Beautiful Liar," "Irreplaceable" and "Listen" were recorded as Spanish included in the disc two of the US deluxe edition along with remixes. "Amor Gitano" or "Gypsy Love" is a flamenco-pop song duet with Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández, a soundtrack for Telemundo's "El Zorro" telenovela.^[29] It is the opener of the second disc of the deluxe edition.

Release, song appearances and album promotion

Beyoncé performing "Flaws and All," one of the new tracks included in the deluxe edition.

B'Day was released through Columbia Records in collaboration with Sony Urban Music and Music World Music on September 4, 2007 to coincide Beyoncé's 25th birthday.^[11] Subsequently, it was released on September 5 in North America. An expanded double-disc deluxe edition of the album was released on April 3, 2007,^[30] seven months from the release of the original version. It was later released on April 23 in the UK.^[31] The new edition features an all-new track: "Beautiful Liar," which is a duet with Columbian singer Shakira, "If," "Flaws and All," "Welcome to Hollywood," originally from Jay-Z, and "World Wide Woman,"^[30] and "Still In Love (Kissing You)," a version of British singer Des'ree's own cover of Kissing You, which was originally recorded since 1996,^[32] were all put together along with the twelve original track-listing. In addition, six Spanish tracks were added, set as the second disc of the new edition: it includes "Amor Gitano" (Gypsy Love); a Spanish version of "Listen" (Oye), "Irreplaceable" (Irreemplazable) and "Beautiful Liar" (Bello Embustero)"; and an additional Spanglish version and a remix of "Beautiful Liar."^[30] Simultaneously, a video anthology DVD of B'Day was released featuring ten videos, including the director's cut of "Listen" and the extended remix of "Get Me Bodied." Other editions of the deluxe in several countries do not include the Spanish songs, instead the ten music videos in the DVD.^[33] Late in April 2007, the release of B'Day was pulled by Beyoncé's management due to a lawsuit filed by Des'ree.^[32] Des'ree's permission was not to alter the title of the song and not allowed for an accompanying video; however, Beyoncé changed the title with an additional video. After the infringement issue, the present version of the re-issue does not include the track.^[34] The "Beautiful Liar" and "Upgrade U" videos were premiered on February 28, 2007 on BET's 106 & Park to promote the deluxe edition of B'Day. Beyoncé embarked on her 2007 "The Beyoncé Experience" world tour to promote the album. Middle in 2006, Beyoncé looked for an all-female band to accompany her during the tour. She held an audition for keyboard players, bassists, guitarists, horn players, percussionists and drummers around the world.^[35] The performing group started off Japan on April 10, 2007 and ended on December 30, 2007 in Las Vegas. The tour had several legs around the world with over ninety+ venues visited.

Reception

B'Day received polarized reactions mainly because of the short-span of the production and its many collaborators.

Bill Lamb of About.com approved positively on the album for exuding the "work of a woman with focus, energy, empathy, and vocal firepower to spare," giving it four ad half stars out of five.^[13] On other hand, Eb Haynes of Allhiphop.com quoted that Beyoncé "ignites into a bonfire of seductive forces throughout B'Day," giving the album a rated of four stars.^[19] Entertainment Weekly's Jody Rosen remarked that "the songs [in the album] arrive in huge gusts of rhythm and emotion, with Beyoncé's voice rippling over clattery beats," rating the album an A-.^[36] Jonah Weiner of Blender approved the album with four stars for "producing up-tempo beats bringing the dance floor never cool down."^[24] Tim Finney of Pitchfork Media stated that "so far, [the album] is good, but what prevents this from being the classic pop album is that, well, Beyoncé simply isn't making classic pop anymore. By resolving the criticisms of her earlier work, Beyoncé has weakened her perfect pop technique. B'Day lacks the precision with which her earlier hits were crafted."^[27] The much collaboration and the short-time production of the album were criticized. Roger Friedman of FOX News was less emphatic stating that "the result of so many cooks in the kitchen, and none of them objective, is that post-Destiny's Child Beyoncé serves up a mixed bag of Tina Turner-inspired videos, shrill singing and invariably tuneless songs."^[8] The Boston Globe's Sarah Rodman, however, stated that the production team helped Beyoncé "focus on edgier, up-tempo tracks that take her sweet soprano to new places."^[14] Andy Kellman for his Billboard Magazine review was equally unimpressed who stated that Beyoncé's "hurryness" in the album produced "no songs with the smooth elegance of "Me, Myself and I" or "Be with You," while insulting the album's title that it can be pronounced as "bidet" which literally has delicate meaning.^[17] He further closed his review "that there is nothing desperate or weak about this album."^[17] Mike Joseph of PopMatters had a polarized reaction stating that "the album is solid," but because of its rushed production, he counter-argue that "aside from its relatively short running time, its sound suspiciously under produced," giving the album six out of ten stars.^[22] He later said, "The spare instrumentation is a recurring theme to this album, as some of the songs are stripped to the point that they sound incomplete, or even worse, boring."^[22] Parallel to the latter's criticisms, Norman Mayers of Prefix Magazine quoted that "B'Day is a joyous uptempo album full of vibrant vocals, fierce production, and boundless energy with a fresh approach of every track in terms of production" but "still, at only ten tracks, feels slightly incomplete."^[37] Her spoken prelude in "Listen" which states "effortlessly" was panned by Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt who averred that "while the mostly up-tempo disc never lacks for energy, some of the more beat-driven tracks (such as the throwaway 'Freakum Dress') feel harmonically and melodically undercooked, with hooks that don't live up to 'Crazy in Love' or the best Destiny's Child hits."^[21] But he further stated that "there is endless pleasure in the gliding transitions from Jay-Z's staccato rhymes to Beyonce's own honeyed flow, and there's plenty of seductive wit and charming Independent Woman feminism here [in the album]."^[21] B'Day was nominated for five 48th Grammy Awardss, including "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for "Ring the Alarm," "Best R&B Song" for "Déjà Vu," "Best Contemporary R&B Album," "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" for "Déjà Vu," and "Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical" for "Déjà Vu" (Freemasons club mix - no rap) (remixed by Russell Small and James Wiltshire). B'Day won the Best Contemporary R&B Album.

Chart performances, sales and certifications

B'Day paralleled the success of Dangerously in Love.

B'Day peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, the official album chart in the US, on September 23^[38] after its release, above Audioslave's third full-length effort, Revelations which proceeds at number two. It was the chart's highest debut.^[39] B'Day gave Beyoncé her second highest charting album since Dangerously in Love which topped the chart also on its debut. The album racked up 541,000 units sold after a week of release, 224,000 higher than Dangerously in Love's 317,000 sales, but 122,000 lower that her former group's Survivor earning 663,000 on its start. According to Nielsen SoundScan, a music source provider, B'Day was the chart's best sales number since Tool's 10,000 Days selling 564,000 copies in May of the same year.^[38] Simultaneously, B'Day also charted at the number one position on the Billboards's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums tally^[38] and later on Billboard Top Internet Albums.^[40] On the chart dated September 29, 2006, the album was succeeded by Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), staying the top spot in one week. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over half a million copies, then to platinum on October 6, 2006. On December 11 of the same year, it received double platinum certification. On Billboard 2006 Year Ender, B'Day charted at number thirty-eight.^[41]

Most of the highest position earned by B'Day are positions gained on its debut.

After the first week release of the deluxe edition of B'Day, the album's number sixty-three position surges back to number three,^[42] and charted again at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It sold up to 126,000 scans having the sales increased by 903 percent, making "American Idol" season-five finalist Chris Daughtry's album slips from the top spot to number seven with 98,500 copies sold.^[42] Later on April 16, 2007, Recording Industry Association of America re-certified B'Day as triple platinum. In Europe, B'Day reached the top fifteen on most charts it appeared on. The album first premiered on Ireland at number three on September 7, 2007,^[43] and was the album's first appearance on charts along with other European countries and in the United World Chart and the US.^[39] It did not peak any higher position and stayed the chart for forty weeks.^[39] In the UK, B'Day debuted at number three on September 11, 2007.^[44] Like the album's performance in Ireland, it did not reach any higher position and stayed on the chart for thirty-eight weeks. The British Phonographic Industry certified B'Day double platinum for selling 807,000 units. B'Day reached the top fifteen in Austria, France and Sweden and number twenty-three in Finland which is the album's lowest position earned. It reached the top ten in Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland. Most of the B'Day's peak position are its debut position.^[39] Across Oceania, B'Day had the same reception debuting on Australian Albums Chart and New Zealand Albums Chart both at number eight on the same week, September 11, 2006.^[39] It stayed at the stop position on two weeks in New Zealand. B'Day remained the charts for twenty and twenty-five weeks respectively.^[39] In the United World Chart, B'Day opened at number one simultaneously with the US Billboard 200, and was the chart's highest debut. It's last position charted before 2006 ends was at number twenty.^[45] On the 2006 Year End, the album charted as number 12 for earning 3,113,000 points in the inclusive year.^[46] In 2007, B'Day opened at number fourteen.^[47] The album's last position was at number twenty eight on December 8, 2007 before it was taken out.^[48] It stayed the chart for forty-one non-consecutive weeks.^[39]

Track listings

Main edition

Deluxe edition

Note: Track-listings for the deluxe edition of B'Day varied from every release to different countries. For a complete list of track-listings, see external links.

Chart

Credits

Notes

External links

• Official B'Day website
• Tracklistings
  • B'Day deluxe edition (main)
  • B'Day deluxe edition (Spanish version)