American music superstar Beyoncé has released a deluxe edition of her critically acclaimed sophomore album, B’Day, to commemorate the project’s 20th anniversary.
Originally released on September 4, 2006, the expanded edition features 31 tracks, including remastered recordings, Spanish-language versions, rare material and previously unreleased songs.
The anniversary package also includes new collaborations involving Colombian singer Maluma and the late Mexican-American music icon Selena Quintanilla.
Among the previously unheard tracks featured on the deluxe edition are Can I Watch You, produced by Beyoncé and Pharrell, as well as Morning Dew (Donk), My First Time, Lost Yo Mind, Creole and Back Up.
The release also introduces Cuerpo (Tumbao) (Get Me Bodied) featuring Maluma. The Spanish-language version samples Celia Cruz’s La Negra Tiene Tumbao and marks Beyoncé’s first collaboration with the Colombian singer.
Another notable addition is Irreemplazable (Como La Flor) featuring previously recorded vocals by Selena Quintanilla. According to the release notes, Selena’s estate approved the collaboration.
Beyoncé has previously acknowledged Selena’s influence on her Spanish-language music, recalling that she listened to the late singer’s music while growing up in Houston, Texas.
The deluxe edition further includes Spanish versions of Listen, Beautiful Liar, Irreplaceable and Get Me Bodied, alongside the previously released Amor Gitano, featuring Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández.
Reflecting on the making of B’Day, Beyoncé said she wanted the album to have a powerful rhythmic identity while preserving the musical characteristics associated with R&B.
“I wanted the album to be big, percussive, hard, up-tempo, and energized, and it was important to me that we used live instrumentation,” she said.
She explained that while hip-hop was becoming increasingly dominant at the time, she was determined to preserve the bridges, melodies and harmonies that had traditionally defined R&B.
Beyoncé also said she sought to merge hip-hop and R&B through sampling, citing Irreplaceable as an example of the approach.
In addition to the remastered audio, the anniversary project features updated visual material, with the accompanying videos recoloured and completed in 4K.
A revamped version of the Déjà Vu music video, which features her husband, Jay-Z, has also been released as part of the 20th-anniversary celebration.
