4

4 is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on June 28, 2011, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The album was recorded from March 2010 to May 2011, and was produced by Beyoncé herself, alongside Babyface, Jeff Bhasker, Kanye West, Kaskade, Brent Kutzle and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Switch, and The-Dream, among others. The album also features a sole lead guest appearance from André 3000 of Outkast. Following a career hiatus which reignited her creativity, Beyoncé conceived 4 as a record rooted in traditional rhythm and blues that stood apart from contemporary popular music.