Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 26, 2022. It was updated on Feb. 3, 2025 to reflect her wins at the 2025 GRAMMYs.
Since releasing her debut album, Dangerously in Love, in 2003, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has built a record-setting solo career for nearly two decades. As she noted upon winning her 28th GRAMMY in 2021, Beyoncé has been in the business since she was 9 years old. She's worn many hats, including singer, producer, visual artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Each role has played a part in her becoming one of music's biggest superstars.
At the 2025 GRAMMYs, Beyoncé added to her illustrious legacy with three more wins, all of which marked milestone moments in her career. She took home her first golden gramophones in the Country & American Roots Music Field thanks to 2024's COWBOY CARTER, winning Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“II MOST WANTED" with Miley Cyrus") and Best Country Album — the latter of which making her the first Black artist to win in the Category. But perhaps most importantly to the superstar and her loyal Beyhive, she won Album Of The Year for the first time, marking a monumental moment in a career that shows now signs of slowing down.
Below, GRAMMY.com breaks down some of the most-asked questions from the Beyhive and beyond.
How Many No. 1 Songs Does Beyoncé Have?
Beyoncé has had nine No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Crazy in Love" with JAY-Z (2003), "Baby Boy" with Sean Paul (2003), "Check on It" with Slim Thug (2005), "Irreplaceable" (2006), "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" (2008), "Perfect" with Ed Sheeran (2017), "Savage" with Megan Thee Stallion (2020), "BREAK MY SOUL" (2022), and "TEXAS HOLD 'EM” (2024). She has also had No. 1 hits on other Billboard charts, including her first top entry on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for "BREAK MY SOUL."
How Many GRAMMYs Has Beyoncé Won?
As of the 2025 GRAMMYs, Beyoncé has won 35 GRAMMYs and has received 99 GRAMMY nominations overall. With those totals, she has won more GRAMMYs than any other artist in history, and she also has the most GRAMMY nominations of any artist in history.
Read More: Watch Beyoncé Break The Record For Most GRAMMY Wins In History | 2023 GRAMMYs
Why Is Beyoncé Called Queen Bey?
Not to be confused with rapper Lil' Kim, who first coined the nickname of Queen Bee in the '90s, Beyoncé is often referred to as Queen Bey. She first received the title in 2011, after she officially branded her fans as the Beyhive by adopting the term on her website — like the queen bee in a real beehive, Queen Bey is the leader of her hive.
How Did Beyoncé Get Discovered?
Beyoncé was first seen by American households when her childhood group, Girls Tyme, appeared on the televised talent show "Star Search" in 1993. Girls Tyme, which she joined at age 9, later became Destiny's Child with the lineup of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett, and LaTavia Roberson. Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, managed the group, and he made it his full-time pursuit to build their career — and, as he told Dazed in 2018, "prepare [Beyoncé] as an artist."
Destiny's Child signed to Columbia Records in 1997 and released their self-titled debut album in 1999. The group became a trio in 2000, when singer Michelle Williams replaced Luckett and Roberson, making her debut in the music video for "Say My Name."
Why Did Beyoncé Go Solo?
Beyoncé released her first solo album, Dangerously in Love, in 2003, but also continued to be part of Destiny's Child until 2005. By then, it was apparent that the group had spawned a solo superstar, as Dangerously in Love debuted atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and earned two of Beyoncé's No. 1 Hot 100 hits, "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy."
"I've been in a group since I was 9 years old, and I love being around other strong, positive, talented women," she told Oprah Winfrey in a 2003 interview. "But I'm very blessed because my girls support me and I support them… I said no matter how many records I sell by myself or don't, all of us made the promise that we're doing another record because we love singing together."
The trio released their fifth and final album, Destiny Fulfilled, in 2004. They commemorated their career with a greatest hits compilation, #1's, in 2005; the album acknowledged the star Beyoncé had become, as she's the only member who had a solo track on the project, "Check On It," which also went to No. 1.
How Many Times Has Beyoncé Collaborated With Jay-Z?
Before Beyoncé recruited Jay-Z for her own hit as a solo artist, he tapped her for "'03 Bonnie and Clyde Theme" on his 2002 album, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. Since then, the lovebirds — who married in 2008 but haven't publicly declared when they first became an item — have duetted on 13 more songs as well as a collaborative album, 2018's GRAMMY-winning EVERYTHING IS LOVE.
Jay-Z raps on Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" and "That's How You Like It" on her 2003 album Dangerously in Love, "Déjà Vu" and "Upgrade U" from 2006's B'Day (and "Welcome To Hollywood" on the deluxe edition), and "Drunk in Love" on her 2013 self-titled album. Beyoncé appears on three other JAY-Z albums, 2006's Kingdom Come ("Hollywood"), 2013's Magna Carta… Holy Grail ("Part II (On The Run)") and 2017's 4:44 ("Family Feud").
You'll also find them together with Kanye West on "Lift Off" on his 2011 collaborative album with JAY-Z, Watch the Throne, and on two songs by DJ Khaled: 2017's "Shining" and 2019's "Top Off" (with Future). Beyoncé and JAY-Z's latest collab came in 2019 with The Lion King: The Gift, on which the duo teamed up with Childish Gambino for "MOOD 4 EVA."
Who Has Beyoncé Collaborated With?
Aside from Jay-Z, Beyoncé has collaborated with popular artists from several genres — and continents — including Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Shakira, Wizkid, Justin Timberlake, Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, the Chicks, J Balvin and Willy William, the late Luther Vandross, and even Nigerian poet Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Beyoncé has remained true to what she told Winfrey back in 2003 — she enjoys collaborating with her Destiny's Child cohorts, and has continued to include them in her professional life over the years as Rowland and Williams pursued their own solo careers. She reunited with Rowland and Williams for several notable live performances, including the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the Super Bowl in 2013 and Coachella in 2018.
Love Songs, a Destiny's Child compilation released in 2013, includes the Pharrell Williams-produced "Nuclear," which was their first work together since "Cater 2 U," "Girl" and "Stand Up for Your Love" appeared on the #1s collection in 2005.
Beyoncé explored the dance and country genres with 2022's RENAISSANCE and 2024's COWBOY CARTER, respectively, in turn collaborating with artists in each world. On RENAISSANCE, she teamed up with genre-blending producer BEAM as well as model/singer Grace Jones and GRAMMY-winning Nigerian star Tems. With COWBOY CARTER, she tapped country icons and rising stars; along with Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, she highlighted some of the genre's most promising Black voices, including Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Britney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts. She also collaborated with Post Malone and Miley Cyrus on the album, winning a GRAMMY for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the latter duet ("II MOST WANTED").
Most adorably, Bey has also collaborated with her two daughters. Blue Ivy Carter was featured on 2013's BEYONCÉ with a track titled after her ("Blue"), and also joined her mom in the music video for "BROWN SKIN GIRL" from The Lion King: The Gift in 2019. Blue Ivy's younger sister, Rumi, joined their mother on COWBOY CARTER, on the heartfelt cut "PROTECTOR."
How Many Kids Does Beyoncé Have?
Beyoncé has three children — two daughters and one son — with her husband, Jay-Z: Blue Ivy Carter (born in 2012) and twins Rumi and Sir Carter (born in 2017). As of press time, Blue Ivy also has the distinction of being the second-youngest GRAMMY winner ever thanks to her appearance in the video for 2019's "BROWN SKIN GIRL," which won Best Music Video at the 2021 GRAMMYs when Blue Ivy was just 9 years old.
What Is Beyoncé's Most Popular Song?
Based on streams and views, Beyoncé's most popular song is "Halo" from her 2008 album, I Am… Sasha Fierce. It has notched more than 1 billion streams on Spotify and more than 1 billion views on YouTube. Surprisingly, "Halo" is not one of Beyoncé's No. 1 singles; the song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
How Many Albums Does Beyoncé Have?
As of press time, Beyoncé has released nine solo albums: Dangerously in Love (2003), B'Day (2006), I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008), 4 (2011), Beyoncé (2013), Lemonade (2016), Renaissance (2022), and Cowboy Carter (2024), the latter of which sees her celebrating the Black roots of country music. Her post-Destiny's Child discography also includes the soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift (2019) and five live albums: Live At Wembley (2004), The Beyoncé Experience Live (2007), I Am… Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas (2009), I Am… World Tour (2010) and Homecoming: The Live Album (2019).
COWBOY CARTER helped Beyoncé achieve a feat that has been a longtime coming: Winning her first GRAMMY for Album Of The Year. "It's been many, many years," she said in her acceptance speech at the 2025 GRAMMYs, which marked her sixth nomination in the Category. Dedicating the award to country legend and COWBOY CARTER collaborator Linda Martell and accepting it alongside daughter Blue Ivy, Beyoncé concluded her remarks with a heartfelt message: "I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors."