Beyoncé's birthday special: Lesser-known facts about former 'Destiny's Child' member
What's the story
From chart-topping music to jaw-dropping performances, Beyoncé has redefined what it means to be a cultural icon.
Popularly known as Queen Bey, the singer-songwriter rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the R&B group Destiny's Child and made her solo debut with the album Dangerously in Love (2003).
On her 42nd birthday on Monday, we gather lesser-known facts about the star.
#1
Most Grammy Awards won in lifetime
Queen Bey reigns supreme when it comes to setting Grammy records!
From having the most number of nominations (a total of 88) to holding the record for the most victories by a woman in a single year, Beyoncé has broken numerous records.
In February this year, Beyoncé scripted history by holding the all-time record for most Grammy wins with a total of 32 awards.
#2
Beyoncé's crazy association with number '4'
Beyoncé has a special connection with the number four!
Let's recap: Beyoncé's birthday falls on September 4, her husband Jay-Z's birthday is on December 4, their wedding anniversary is on April 4, and "4" is also the title of her "fourth" studio album!
Beyoncé even named her daughter Blue Ivy—a name that resembles the letters "I" and "V" that form the Roman numeral IV.
#3
BeyHive, have you met Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé's alter-ego?
"There's a certain confidence I gain from her," Beyoncé told Herald Sun back in 2008.
The "her" in question here is Sasha Fierce—Beyoncé's alter-ego who played a significant role in the singer's life to the extent that she named her 2008 album I am...Sasha Fierce.
Notably, Beyoncé publicly declared the persona's end in a 2010 interview, stating, "Sasha Fierce is done. I killed her."
#4
When her pregnancy announcement broke internet
Beyoncé is not only popular for breaking records, but she has gained fame for breaking the internet, too!
In 2017, the queen dropped an Instagram post, kneeling in front of a floral wreath, which created havoc on the internet, garnering over 6.3M likes within eight hours.
The post in question was about her announcement of her pregnancy with twins with her husband Jay-Z.
#5
When insect was named after Beyoncé
There's no exaggeration that Queen Bey's influence transcended the boundaries of the music world, as evidenced in 2012 when a newly-discovered horse fly in Australia—which stood out for its distinctive gold-haired posterior—was named after the pop sensation.
The species had been residing in a fly collection at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation since being captured in 1981, the year Beyoncé was born.