Beyoncà : Running the World

An intimate, definitive celebration one of the world's most influential artists

As a painfully shy six-year-old singing in her parents' kitchen back in the late 1980s, it was impossible to imagine the meteoric rise ahead of Beyoncé Knowles. Fast forward 25 years, and not only has she sold 75 million albums, making her one of the most successful recording artists of all time, but she is also an actress, a fashion icon, a producer, and a doting mother. Here is the full story of Houston-born-and-bred Beyoncé's extraordinary life, from joining her first pop group at the age of nine and her time fronting Destiny's Child, the biggest-selling female group of all time, to a solo career that catapulted her to superstar status the world over. Beyoncé continues to scale new heights, with her latest album breaking all records after hitting No. 1 in more than 100 countries. Echoing the sentiment of her 2011 hit single, she really is running the music world right now. The most definitive and up-to-date telling of Beyoncé's story ever written, this book provides an intimate close-up on both her professional and personal life, with the inside story on how she and rapper husband Jay-Z became the biggest power couple on earth. Delving into the reports that their marriage was crumbling before the world's eyes on their 2014 joint tour, this account pieces together the split rumors that plagued them at every turn and documents exactly how they coped with such intense public scrutiny. It also analyzes Beyoncé's role as a mother to Blue Ivy and explores the hidden heartbreaks of her past, including a tragic miscarriage, a lengthy battle with depression, and an agonizing rift with her manager father. While celebrating Beyoncé's greatest triumphs, this biography uncovers the truth behind the headlines, finding out exactly who Queen Bey is and what really goes on behind the scenes.

Anna Pointer is a ghostwriter and a journalist. She was the editor of a women's celebrity magazine for three years and has written for the Daily Telegraph, the Sun, and Grazia magazine.