December 13th marks the 10th anniversary of Beyoncé’s self-titled fifth studio album.
Released unexpectedly on iTunes in 2013, the project showcased 14 songs, each accompanied by its own visual companion, along with three additional clips. One notable track, “Grown Woman,” was absent from the original audio tracklist but gained attention through a Pepsi commercial in April 2013, preceding the album’s full release.
In celebration of the album’s decade milestone, Beyoncé has now made the Timbaland-produced “Grown Woman” available on various streaming platforms. Fans can now enjoy the track that captured attention even before the album’s official release. Stream it below and relive the magic.
In the catchy chorus of “Grown Woman,” Beyoncé boldly declares, “I’m a grown woman / I can do whatever I want/ I can be bad if I want/ I can say what I want/ I can live fast if I want/ I can go slow all night long.”
The music video for “Grown Woman” seamlessly weaves together snippets from Beyoncé’s personal home movies with footage of her as an adult. Fueled by African-inspired drums and the powerhouse vocals of the pop icon, the video has garnered an impressive 145 million views on YouTube.
In reflecting on the essence of the album, Beyoncé shared, “My message behind this album was finding the beauty in imperfection. I envisioned this image of a trophy, accepting awards and training myself to be a champion. But at the end of the day, after going through all these experiences, you question, ‘Is it worth it?'”
She continued, expressing the internal struggle, “You receive this trophy, and you think, ‘I basically starved. I neglected all the people I love. I conformed to what everybody else thinks I should be. And I have this trophy. What does that mean?’ The trophy symbolizes all the sacrifices I made as a kid. The time lost on the road and in the studios as a child—I just want to blow that up.”
