--- title: Beyoncé Album One Year Later: What Have We Learned? description: An album about marriage and hard work still holds up despite the headlines and gossip canonical: https://time.com/3631603/beyonce-album-one-year-later/ author: Nolan Feeney article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-12-12T17:45:27.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:06:42.773Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Beyoncé One Year Later: What If It's a Breakup Album? og:description: On the anniversary of her surprise album, a look at what we've learned og:url: https://time.com/3631603/beyonce-album-one-year-later/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt383d4df7a1779837/69876e70cd1bba238f6f4221/beyonce.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Beyoncé and Jay Z og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Beyoncé One Year Later: What If It's a Breakup Album? twitter:description: On the anniversary of her surprise album, a look at what we've learned twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt383d4df7a1779837/69876e70cd1bba238f6f4221/beyonce.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # _Beyoncé_, One Year Later: What Have We Learned? > Sponsored content. 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No monthly maintenance fees. No overdraft fees, no hidden fine print, no hoops for better rates. * 24/7 human support from real humans, not bots. ### FAQ #### Who is Ally Bank? Ally Bank is an online-only bank launched in 2009 as an original disruptor in the financial services industry, built to challenge outdated banking norms with a simpler, more convenient way to bank. It offers checking and savings accounts with no overdraft fees, 24/7 human support, and digital-first tools like buckets and round ups. Deposits are FDIC-insured up to the maximum amount allowed by law. #### Is Ally good for everyday banking? Ally is built for everyday banking, spending, and saving. Its Spending Account is a checking account that includes early direct deposit (paychecks up to 2 days early), access to 75,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide, the ability to add cash for free at participating locations nationwide, and no overdraft fees. 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Ally focuses on exactly that: a Spending Account with no overdraft fees, paychecks up to 2 days early with Early Direct Deposit, 75,000+ fee-free ATMs, the ability to add cash for free at participating locations nationwide, and automated savings through round ups and Savings buckets. #### Which banks offer early direct deposit? A number of online banks offer early direct deposit. Ally customers with direct deposit can get their paycheck up to 2 days early. Exact timing depends on when the payer submits payroll. #### Can you deposit cash at Ally Bank? Yes. Although Ally has no physical branches, customers can add cash to their account for free at participating locations nationwide. #### What online banks have no ATM fees? Ally provides access to 75,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide, alongside no overdraft fees and no hidden fine print. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Nolan Feeney](https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Dec 12, 2014 5:45 PM UTC  Beyoncé and Jay Z Beyoncé and Jay ZMason Poole—Invision for Parkwood Entertainment  by [Nolan Feeney](https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Dec 12, 2014 5:45 PM UTC When you’re making awkward small talk at your company holiday, consider this conversation starter: “Where were you when the Beyoncé album came out one year ago?” On Dec. 13, were you already asleep, waking up to your phone buzzing with [texts and tweets](http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattbellassai/the-best-of-the-internets-reaction-to-beyonces-new-album)? Were you [in the middle of recapping _Scandal_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1VwnS3OfrY)? Anybody with a passing interest in pop culture has a story about that time, and Beyoncé knows it — as she boasts on Nicki Minaj’s _The Pinkprint_ track [“Feelin’ Myself,”](http://time.com/3629839/nicki-minaj-beyonce-feelin-myself/) “Changed the game with the digital drop / know where you was when that digital popped / I stopped the world / male or female it make no difference.” If you do find yourself talking to someone who claims he or she couldn’t care less, maybe excuse yourself and pretend you need to hit the snack table. Beyoncé’s _The Pinkprint_ reminder comes at a good time, and not just because she’s celebrating her surprise album’s anniversary. With Taylor Swift [covering magazines](http://time.com/3583129/power-of-taylor-swift-cover/), [selling records like crazy](http://time.com/3557916/taylor-swift-1989-debut-first-week/) and [ditching Spotify](http://time.com/3581487/taylor-swift-spotify-borchetta/), it’s easy to forget that one of the biggest music stories of the year _technically_ happened in 2013 — and was felt for months after, especially as her personal life made headlines. Beyoncé’s little surprise defied a major norm of releasing an album in today, which is _waiting_. It’s not unusual for pop albums to have dragging promotional cycles and require several singles before building enough momentum to secure a release date. (“Fancy,” which propelled Iggy Azalea to the top of the charts, was the _fourth_ single in a year to come in advance of her album _The New Classic_, though Beyoncé’s Super Bowl halftime show and HBO documentary helped whet appetites for her music earlier in 2013.) Considering how common advanced streams and album leaks are, new records are also often fractured experiences: it’s rare that fans can simultaneously react to new music on the scale they did with _Beyoncé_. The industry ramifications were immediately apparent after _Beyoncé_ sold 430,000 copies in 24 hours and went platinum by its third week. A surprise release with 17 music videos generates publicity for its novelty, but it’s also a savvy move for quality artists who dislike how much weight is given to that first big single — and how much of an album’s narrative is shaped by it. Beyoncé doesn’t have as hard a time putting out an album as, say, Ciara, but even “Run the World (Girls)” only peaked at No. 29 on the _Billboard_ Hot 100 after mixed reviews — not exactly an auspicious sign for an album that ultimately gave the world “Love on Top” and “Countdown.” But _Beyoncé_ was a landmark release for Beyoncé the artist and Beyoncé the person, too, not just Beyoncé the businesswoman. After years of releasing the kind of female empowerment anthems she’s championed since her Destiny’s Child days, she explored the grey areas of relationships with refreshing nuance and honest self-examination. After years of being tight-lipped about her relationship, she opened up about her marriage to Jay Z with considerable detail: she addressed their sex life (“Partition”), their daughter (“Blue”), petty fights (“Jealous”) and the rough patches: on the Drake collaboration “Mine” she sings, “Been having conversations about break-ups and separations / I’m not feeling like myself since the baby / are we gonna even make it?” The answer to that last question seemed to be a resounding “Yes!” when the two announced in April their co-headlining On the Run Tour, which seemed like the ultimate way to flaunt their power-couple status while efficiently dealing with summer child care. (The On the Run Tour was like Take Your Child to Work Day but 20 times in a row — and for people who probably never have to work a day in their lives again.) _Beyoncé_ reminded us that a successful marriage, like her massively successful career, requires hard work, and few pop stars embody a work ethic like Beyoncé’s — there’s a reason they sell inspirational coffee mugs that say [“You have the same amount of hours in the day as Beyoncé.”](https://www.etsy.com/listing/202462727/you-have-the-same-amount-of-hours-as?utm%5Fsource=google&utm%5Fmedium=product%5Flisting%5Fpromoted&utm%5Fcampaign=ceramics%5Fand%5Fpottery-cup-mug-low&ione%5Fadtype=pla&ione%5Fcreative=54907153475&ione%5Fproduct%5Fid=202462727&ione%5Fproduct%5Fpartition%5Fid=89331413795&ione%5Fstore%5Fcode=&ione%5Fdevice=c&ione%5Fproduct%5Fchannel=online&ione%5Fmerchant%5Fid=101366588&ione%5Fproduct%5Fcountry=US&ione%5Fproduct%5Flanguage=en&gclid=CKfyv-GwvsICFSgV7AodMCoA%5Fw) Their marriage wasn’t without a few bumps here and there, but it was still a triumph. But in the months that followed, the answer to the question she posed on “Mine” seemed less certain. Rumors of Jay Z cheating have been around for almost as long as Beyoncé has been singing about cheaters, but Solange’s elevator attack on Jay Z after the Met Gala prompted celebrity rubberneckers to speculate about their marital health. More serious rumors came later in the summer: a website that some deemed reputable for previously calling the Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes split hinted in a blind item that [a divorce was imminent](http://time.com/3020406/beyonce-divorce-rumors-instagram/); another source told the New York _Post_ that [emergency meetings with lawyers](http://pagesix.com/2014/08/02/beyonce-and-controlling-jay-z-in-separate-hotels-on-tour/) were the only things keeping the On the Run tour from going up in flames. Because Beyoncé revealed so much of herself on this album compared to her other releases, I found it harder to keep the art and the artist separate. As divorce rumors swirled, they creeped into my headphones, and I found myself wondering this summer — get the Serial theme song ready — was an album that seemed to about celebrating marriage, flaws and all, actually about the end of one? Yes, marriage is hard work, but is letting go of one even harder? This interpretation of the album isn’t necessarily spot-on, and it certainly doesn’t apply to every song. But for a handful of tracks on the album, this hypothetical perspective gives them a whole new meaning. There’s no denying that “Haunted” is about sex and lingering fantasy, but there’s little evidence in the lyrics that it’s about a happy, stable marriage — in fact, a line about “ghost in the sheets” hints more at dealing with some kind of loss than it does her sexual appetite. That sense of loss is also palpable on “XO,” which in months since its release has only seemed more urgent and wounded — it’s still a love song, but maybe the love song you’d write after everything nearly fell apart. “Mine” may not be ripped from her diary given its references to getting married and carried away, but the song’s hook — “I just wanna say you’re mine, you’re mine” — sounds resigned. Why _can’t_ she say that he’s hers? What’s getting in the way? _Beyoncé_ certainly isn’t a conventional breakup album. She closes the album with a just-the-two-of-us ode to her daughter, but I don’t think its ending — Blue Ivy Carter literally asking where Daddy is — is a secret clue. (Besides, Beyoncé seemed to largely squash the chatter by bringing her family on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards and then renewing her vows with Jay Z in October.) But it’s a testament to _Beyoncé_ that after believing I knew the album like the back of my hand, a new perspective offered a completely different — and equally rewarding — listening experience. Lyrics I had heard dozens of time popped out at me like they were new. Songs I thought were happy now bum me out. Surprising fans with a deeply personal album and 17 gorgeous music videos is impressive, but so is the fact that Beyoncé’s personal life could go south and the album’s messages would be just as relevant. If you’re looking for Beyoncé’s next surprise, just listen a little closer — she may have already written it. ### See 34 Gorgeous Photos of Beyoncé  Beyonce arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" on May 4, 2015, in New York City. Evan Agostini—Invision/AP  Beyonce performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. MTV/Getty Images  Beyonce performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards rehearsals at The Forum on August 23, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Beyonce performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Beyonce performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Kevin Winter—Getty Images  Blue Ivy Carter, Jay-Z and Beyonce speak onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. MTV/Getty Images  Beyonce performs onstage at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California. Jason LaVeris—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Beyonce performs during the "On The Run Tour: Beyonce And Jay-Z" at Minute Maid Park on July 18, 2014 in Houston, Texas. Larry Busacca—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs during the "On The Run Tour: Beyonce And Jay-Z" at the Rose Bowl on August 2, 2014 in Pasadena, California. Larry Busacca—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs with her sister Solange onstage during day 2 of the 2014 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 12, 2014 in Indio, California. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Beyonce performs onstage during the 56th Grammy Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs on stage during "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" at the Barclays Center on December 19, 2013 in New York, New York. Larry Busacca—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs on stage during "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" at the Barclays Center on December 22, 2013 in New York, New York. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs on stage during "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" at the Staples Center on December 3, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. Larry Busacca—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs on stage during a concert in the Rock in Rio Festival on September 13, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Buda Mendes—Getty Images  Beyonce performs on stage during "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" at the Barclays Center on August 3, 2013 in New York, New York. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs on stage during "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" at the Izod Center on July 31, 2013 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Larry Busacca—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs on stage during "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" at the Staples Center on July 1, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Christian Petersen—Getty Images  Beyonce and Bibi McGill perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Christian Petersen—Getty Images  Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ezra Shaw—Getty Images  Beyonce sings the National Anthem at the inauguration for U.S. President Barack Obama's second term of office. Chris Maddaloni—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images  Beyonce headlines the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 26, 2011 in Glastonbury, England. Samir Hussein—Getty Images  Beyonce headlines the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 26, 2011 in Glastonbury, England. Samir Hussein—Getty Images  Beyonce onstage at the 2009 BET Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on June 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. John Shearer—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs on the main stage at the 13th Annual 2007 Essence Music Festival presented by Coca-Cola in the refurbished Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Skip Bolen—WireImage/Getty Images  "The Beyonce Experince" Tour featuring Beyonce plays to Philips Arena on July 7, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. Rick Diamond—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs during the Destiny's Child "Destiny Fulfilled" Tour in Los Angeles - September 2, 2005 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. John Shearer—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce performs during a Destiny's Child in Concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City, July 29, 2005. Theo Wargo—WireImage/Getty Images  Beyonce poses for a photo during a portrait session for the cast of "Dreamgirls" at the Carlton Hotel's Orange Lounge during the 59th International Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 20, 2006. Carlo Allegri—Getty Images  Beyonce performs during Rockin' the Corps Concert at Camp Pendelton in San Diego, California. J. 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