BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, born September 4, 1981, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. She gained prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, was released in 2003 and became one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century. After Destiny's Child disbanded in 2005, she released the album B'Day in 2006 and starred in the film Dreamgirls the same year. Her marriage to rapper Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in the film Cadillac Records influenced her 2008 album I Am... Sasha Fierce. Throughout the 2000s, she achieved multiple number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, including "Crazy in Love," "Baby Boy," "Check on It," "Irreplaceable," and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." She established the management company Parkwood Entertainment and continued to release music that embraced traditional R&B and soul, notably on her 2011 album 4. Known for her vocal ability, artistic reinventions, and live performances, she is regarded as a highly influential figure in contemporary music and entertainment.