Uploaded December 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Beyonce's new album: 'A brilliantly strange record'

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The Guardian's Rebecca Nicholson gives her first impressions of Beyonce's self-titled fifth album, which surprised everyone by arriving on iTunes with no warning on Friday. Featuring collaborations with Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, Drake and daughter Blue Ivy, the album is 'tough, fresh and original', with seemingly few concessions made

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