Jay Z and Beyoncé: A Year in Review
2014 has been a huge year for music's first couple.
1 / 19
"Drunk in Love" at the Grammys - Music's first couple, Jay Z and Beyoncé do nothing on a small scale. Whether conscious or not, their every move is made with precision and grandeur, the only way fit for a Carter. To show just what an impressive 2014 Jay and Bey had, here is their year in review.Kicking off the list is the couple's super sexy performance of "Drunk in Love" at the 2014 Grammy Awards. All Bey needed was a chair, fog, lingerie and her man. The rest came naturally.— By Moriba Cummings(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Photo By Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
2 / 19
Beyoncé Named TIME's Most Influential Person - Bow down! Queen Bey covered TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People issue this year. In the accompanying article, Bey was praised for her on- and off-stage efforts in urging women to be independent and to lead. Other notable celebs featured were Pharrell, Kerry Washington and President Barack Obama.(Photo: Time Magazine, Maye 2014)
3 / 19
Elevatorgate - In what may arguably be one of the most discussed celebrity incidents of the year, Elevatorgate (Bey's younger sister Solange attacking Jay on an elevator after the Met Gala) made international headlines. The grainy footage leaked onto the Internet in May and seemed an unmendable crack in their untouchable veneer. But days later, the family released a joint statement basically saying, "We're good now. Families fight. Leave us alone." Somehow, with that, they became even more real and endearing.(Photo: Splash News)
4 / 19
The "Run" Tease - In true Carter fashion, it was on to the next project following the elevator incident-made-public, and that next venture happened to be a big one. In the wee hours of May 18 — is this a habit now, Bey? — the couple released the supertrailer "Run," confirming reports that they were set to go on their first joint tour together, which would eventually be dubbed On the Run. The trailer starred several A-listers, including Sean Penn, Don Cheadle and Blake Lively.(Photo: Roc Nation & Parkwood Entertainment)
5 / 19
On the Run Tour Begins - Taking summer 2014 by storm, Bey and Jay kicked off their highly anticipated joint tour in June in Miami to a sold-out crowd. Featuring a slew of collabo and solo performances, the show was one to remember and even managed to make history as the second highest grossing tour of all time.(Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)
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6 / 19
The Infamous Lyric Change - While on a stop on the tour, Bey changed the words to her 2006 B'Day cut "Resentment," prompting many who haven't heard the original to believe that there was trouble in the couple's marriage. She ad-libbed, "I know she was attractive, but I was here first/Been ridin' with you for 12 years, why did I deserve to be treated this way by you?" Though the divorce rumors plagued the famous couple for weeks, Bey and Jay kept hush the entire time, moving on with their content, unbothered lives.(Photo: Larry Busacca/PW/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)
7 / 19
Beyoncé: X10 - Bey kicked off the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in April 2013, and though the trek ended in March 2014, many were waiting for a DVD release of the tour. That didn't come, but Bey had another, more innovative plan up her sleeve. She partnered up with HBO to premiere a new performance from the tour exclusively on the channel every week beginning on June 29. Sounds like a boss move to us.(Photo: Larry Busacca/PW/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)
Photo By Larry Busacca/PW/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment
8 / 19
Jay Hops on Jeezy's "Seen It All" - Jay and Jeezy always somehow manage to produce some crazy collaborations and their latest is no different. Hov hopped on Jeezy's Cardo-produced track "Seen It All," detailing his rise to fame and power in the streets of New York. Three months later, Jigga joined Jeezy as his special guest to close out Power 105.1's annual Powerhouse event, performing the song live.(Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
9 / 19
"***Flawless" Remix - Like a thief in the night — again — Bey randomly dropped the official remix to Beyoncé fan favorite "***Flawless" featuring reigning rap queen Nicki Minaj. The track sees Nicki deliver one of her slickest verses to date while Bey candidly addresses the Elevatorgate all while telling us how amazing she is — which, let's admit it, is true. The cover art was equally perfect, a slew of selfies from the duo.(Photo: Columbia Records)
10 / 19
Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award - With fans still holding on to the remnants of their edges following Bey and Nicki's surprise release, Bey continued to slay, hitting the stage at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards for a special 10-minute performance. Proving just how much of an impact her latest self-titled release had on the music world, Queen Bey performed practically the entire album all while remaining flawless in the process. At the end, her hubby and daughter Blue Ivy presented her with the coveted MTV Video Vanguard Award.(Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images)
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11 / 19
Made in America - When not double-teaming to take charge of the music world, Beyoncé and Jay Z enjoy partaking in some down time like the rest of us. The couple was spotted getting extra affectionate at Hov's 2014 Made in America festival over Labor Day weekend with drinks in hand and smiles on their faces. The two had much to celebrate –– besides each other –– the two-day event was the first time the concert hit both coasts simultaneously.(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch)
12 / 19
On the Run in Paris - The year was winding down, but the Carters kept speeding up. In September, the couple shot and aired a concert special of their summer tour exclusively for HBO. Their entire Paris show, which was the last stop of the trek, was caught on camera, including a surprise appearance from Bey's "***Flawless" collaborator Nicki Minaj. (Photos from left: Tim Edwards/WENN.com, Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)
13 / 19
Global Citizen Festival - It's funny how the Carters are now known for surprises, but the shock factor never gets old. The couple gave attendees at New York City's Global Citizen Festival a special treat when Hov brought out his other half to perform "Holy Grail" and "Young Forever."(Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival)
14 / 19
The Carters and The Mona Lisa - It's no secret that the Carters love fine art, so hearing that they visited the Louvre while in Paris was not a shocker. What was, however, was the photo that came out of the visit, which soon managed to go viral and even transformed into a social media meme explosion.(Photo: Jay Z via Instagram)
15 / 19
A Royal Halloween - Seeing as Bey, Jay and their daughter Blue Ivy are music royalty, it was only fitting that the singer and her adorable mini-me dressed as fellow music royals Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson for Halloween. Bey was decked out as Rhythm Nation-era Janet — key earring and all — while baby Blue was swagged out in full MJ gear with a bedazzled glove to boot.(Photo: Beyonce via Instagram)
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16 / 19
Bey and Jay Celebrate Solange and Alan - This moment is all about Solange and her new hubby, famed director Alan Ferguson. While Solo looked absolutely stunning in her caped bridal jumpsuit, the moment that many loved — in addition to the epic wedding portrait — is the mere fact that Jay was present to support his sister-in-law. What elevator fight?(Photo: Josh Brasted/WireImage)
17 / 19
Bey Drops "7/11" and Re-Releases Album - Proving to the world that she can make a huge impact with just her iPhone, her girlfriends and a hotel room, Yoncé dropped the music video for "7/11" incorporating all of this — with the addition of alcohol, of course. The video was such a viral sensation that it accumulated more than 10 million views in 48 hours. Three days later, she released Beyoncé: The Platinum Edition, featuring two new tracks, four remixes and 10 live performances.(Photo: Columbia Records/Sony Music)
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Bey and Sam Smith Snag Top Grammy Nods - While Jay led the pack for most Grammy nods last year (nine), his wife broke records this year. Beyoncé, a 2013 release, continually turned out huge numbers, making it one of the best-selling albums of 2014. Due to this, Queen Bey deservingly tied with British crooner Sam Smith for receiving the top number of 2015 Grammy nominations (six each), including Album of the Year.The greatness did not stop there. That day, Beyoncé became the most Grammy-nominated female in history with 47 nods in total. She is one award away from tying with Aretha Franklin for the most wins overall by a female artist.(Photo: Sam Smith via Instagram)