Beyoncé's self-titled, visual album sold more than 800,000 copies in three days, making it the fastest selling record in iTune's history.
According to BBC News, "Beyoncé" sold 617,213 album downloads on Friday Dec. 13 in the United States. By the end of Sunday, the singer's album racked up 828,773 copies sold worldwide.
The singer's fifth studio album came as a surprising yet welcomed shock to fans. Beyoncé did not promote her newest record nor announce she was going to release an album at the end of the year.
"I didn't want to release my music the way I've done it. I am bored with that. I feel like I am able to speak directly to my fans. There's so much that gets between the music, the artist and the fans. I felt like I didn't want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. I just want this to come out when it's ready and from me to my fans," Beyoncé said in a statement following the release of her album.
"I see music," Beyoncé added. "It's more than just what I hear. When I'm connected to something, I immediately see a visual or a series of images that are tied to a feeling or an emotion, a memory from my childhood, thoughts about life, my dreams or my fantasies. And they're all connected to the music."
Yet without any forewarning, the singer was able to release 14 new songs with 17 corresponding videos without it leaking onto the Internet.
"Its success has been fuelled by a number of factors: By keeping the project secret, the star avoided leaks; while the inability to purchase individual tracks online meant fans had no choice but to pay for the whole album," BBC reports.
You can download "Beyoncé" on iTunes now. Physical copies are expected to hit stores before Christmas 2013.
Warning: music video contains explicit content
