Editing Beyoncé (section)

=== 2010–2012: ''4'' and first child ===
Beyoncé announced a hiatus from her music career in January 2010, heeding her mother's advice, "to live life, to be inspired by things again".<ref name="hiatus">{{cite web|last=Sperling|first=Daniel|title=Beyoncé: 'Career break saved my sanity'|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a332509/beyonce-career-break-saved-my-sanity.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a332509/beyonce-career-break-saved-my-sanity.html| archive-date=October 27, 2021|publisher=Digital Spy|date=July 30, 2011|access-date=February 23, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2010-01-11-beyonce_N.htm| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2010-01-11-beyonce_N.htm| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Beyoncé is poised to take a well-deserved break in 2010|first=Elysa|last=Gardner|access-date=August 1, 2011|date=January 28, 2010|newspaper=[[USA Today]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During the break, she and her father parted ways as business partners.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kennedy|first=Gerrick D.|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/03/beyonce-severes-ties-management-ties-with-father.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/03/beyonce-severes-ties-management-ties-with-father.html| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Beyoncé Severs Management Ties with Father|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 28, 2011|access-date=August 1, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666719/beyonce-year-of-4.jhtml| url-status=dead | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666719/beyonce-year-of-4.jhtml| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Beyoncé Shrugs Off 'Fear' In 'Year Of 4'|first=Jocelyn|last=Vena|publisher=MTV News|date=June 28, 2011|access-date=August 1, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Beyoncé's musical break lasted nine months and saw her visit multiple European cities, the [[Great Wall of China]], the [[Egyptian pyramids]], Australia, [[Festivals in the United Kingdom|English music festivals]] and various museums and ballet performances.<ref name="hiatus" /><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Knowles|first=Beyoncé|title=Eat, Play, Love|url=http://www.essence.com/2012/05/03/beyonce-knowles-nyabj-award-essence-article-eat-play-love/| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://www.essence.com/2012/05/03/beyonce-knowles-nyabj-award-essence-article-eat-play-love/| archive-date=October 27, 2021|magazine=[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]|access-date=June 3, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> "Eat, Play, Love", a cover story written by Beyoncé for ''[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]'' that detailed her 2010 career break, won her a writing award from the [[National Association of Black Journalists|New York Association of Black Journalists]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Dillon|first=Nancy|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/beyonce-set-win-writing-award-york-association-black-journalists-article-1.1071559| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/beyonce-set-win-writing-award-york-association-black-journalists-article-1.1071559| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Beyoncé set to win a writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=May 2, 2012|access-date=May 8, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Around this time, Beyoncé miscarried, describing it as "the saddest thing" she had ever endured.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/beyonc-documentary-describing-pain-and-trauma-of-miscarriage-airs-on-bbc-8495450.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331011153/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/beyonc-documentary-describing-pain-and-trauma-of-miscarriage-airs-on-bbc-8495450.html| archive-date=March 31, 2013|title=Beyoncé documentary describing 'pain and trauma' of miscarriage airs on BBC|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=September 27, 2014}}</ref> She returned to the studio and wrote music to cope with the loss.<ref name="Loss"/>

[[File:Beyonce (New York).jpg|right|thumb|upright|Beyoncé's performing during her [[4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé]] concert residency in August 2011|alt=The upper body of a woman is shown as she sings into a microphone]]
In April 2011, Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to [[Paris]] to shoot the album cover for her upcoming studio album, where she unexpectedly became pregnant.<ref name="Loss">{{cite news|last=Mathur|first=Aditi|title=You don't yet know what swag is / But you was made in Paris / And mama woke up the next day / And shot her album package.|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/baby-blue-ivy-carter-was-conceived-paris-beyonce-jay-z-officially-announce-birth-girl-video-glory| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://www.ibtimes.com/baby-blue-ivy-carter-was-conceived-paris-beyonce-jay-z-officially-announce-birth-girl-video-glory| archive-date=October 27, 2021|newspaper=[[International Business Times]]|access-date=April 10, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On June 26, 2011, she became the first solo female artist to headline the main Pyramid stage at the [[Glastonbury Festival 2011|2011 Glastonbury Festival]] in over twenty years.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beyonce-to-headline-glastonbury-festival-115756999.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beyonce-to-headline-glastonbury-festival-115756999.html| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Beyoncé to Headline Glastonbury Festival|publisher=[[Columbia Records]]|date=February 10, 2011|access-date=February 12, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2011/jun/28/beyonce-headlining-glastonbury-girl-power| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2011/jun/28/beyonce-headlining-glastonbury-girl-power| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Beyoncé headlining at Glastonbury was a great girl power moment|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|first=Sarah|last=Phillips|date=June 28, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[Beyoncé 2011 Glastonbury performance|The performance]] was lauded, with several publications noting an ascension in Knowles' capabilities as a live performer. Other publications discussed the polarized attitude of the UK music establishment in response to a Black woman performing on the same stages and to the same crowd sizes that were past reserved for legacy rock acts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://journalofmusic.com/focus/why-beyonce-matters|title=Why Beyoncé Matters|website=The Journal of Music &#124; Music News, Reviews and Opinion|access-date=October 24, 2023|archive-date=November 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101172718/https://journalofmusic.com/focus/why-beyonce-matters|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/06/our_little_beyoncs_all_growns.html|title=Our Little Beyoncé's All Grown Up, and Other Observations From 4's Reviews|first=Amos|last=Barshad|date=June 30, 2011|website=Vulture|access-date=October 24, 2023|archive-date=November 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101171216/https://www.vulture.com/2011/06/our_little_beyoncs_all_growns.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Her fourth studio album ''4'' was released two days prior in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/4-mw0002136254| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://www.allmusic.com/album/4-mw0002136254| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=''4'' – Beyoncé|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=October 22, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''4'' sold 310,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, giving Beyoncé her fourth consecutive number-one album in the U.S. The album was preceded by two of its singles "[[Run the World (Girls)]]" and "[[Best Thing I Never Had]]".<ref name="beyoncehot100" /><ref name="UKChartHistory" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Beyonc%E9&titel=Run+The+World+%28Girls%29&cat=s|title=Beyoncé – Run the World (Girls)|publisher=australian-charts.com|access-date=October 22, 2012|archive-date=September 12, 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140912184803/http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Beyonc%E9&titel=Run+The+World+(Girls)&cat=s|url-status=live}}</ref> The fourth single "[[Love on Top]]" spent seven consecutive weeks at number one on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] chart, while peaking at number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the highest peak from the album.<ref>"Love on Top":
* {{cite web|url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-march-4-2012-songs-song-tv-010205864.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-march-4-2012-songs-song-tv-010205864.html| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Week Ending March 4, 2012. Songs: The Song That TV Made Famous|publisher=Yahoo! Music|first=Paul|last=Grein|date=March 7, 2012|access-date=June 20, 2012}}{{cbignore}}
* {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/502582/chart-juice-mary-j-blige-notches-record-extending-top-10-single| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/502582/chart-juice-mary-j-blige-notches-record-extending-top-10-single| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Chart Juice: Mary J. Blige Notches Record-Extending Top 10 Single|magazine=Billboard|first=Karinah|last=Santiago|date=March 9, 2012|access-date=June 20, 2012}}{{cbignore}}
* {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/47178/chart-juice-rihanna-usher-roar-into-top-10| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/47178/chart-juice-rihanna-usher-roar-into-top-10| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Chart Juice: Rihanna, Usher Roar Into Top 10|magazine=Billboard|first=Karinah|last=Santiago|date=March 16, 2012|access-date=June 20, 2012}}{{cbignore}}
* {{cite web|url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-march-18-2012-songs-80s-party-004336988.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-march-18-2012-songs-80s-party-004336988.html| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Week Ending March 18, 2012. Songs: Your '80s Party Mix-Tape|publisher=Yahoo! Music|first=Paul|last=Grein|date=March 21, 2012|access-date=June 20, 2012}}{{cbignore}}
* {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/498685/chart-juice-loverance-rises-up-to-top-10| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/498685/chart-juice-loverance-rises-up-to-top-10| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Chart Juice: LoveRance Rises 'Up!' to Top 10|magazine=Billboard|first=Karinah|last=Santiago|date=March 30, 2012|access-date=June 20, 2012}}{{cbignore}}
* {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/497070/chart-juice-melanie-fiona-notches-first-no-1-on-rbhip-hop-albums| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/497070/chart-juice-melanie-fiona-notches-first-no-1-on-rbhip-hop-albums| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Chart Juice: Melanie Fiona Notches First No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|magazine=Billboard|first=Karinah|last=Santiago|date=April 6, 2012|access-date=June 20, 2012}}{{cbignore}}
* {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/2012-04-21/r-b-hip-hop-songs| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://www.billboard.com/charts/2012-04-21/r-b-hip-hop-songs| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Week of April 21, 2012|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 21, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In August, Beyoncé and Jay-Z attended the [[2011 MTV Video Music Awards]], at which she performed "[[Love On Top]]" and ended the performance by revealing her pregnancy.<ref name="mtv2011">{{cite news|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|title=Beyoncé Puts 'Love On Top' At VMAs, Reveals Pregnancy|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669858/beyonce-vma-performance.jhtml| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923145926/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669858/beyonce-vma-performance.jhtml| archive-date=September 23, 2011|publisher=MTV News|access-date=April 10, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Her appearance helped that year's MTV Video Music Awards become the most-watched broadcast in [[MTV]] history, pulling in 12.4&nbsp;million viewers;<ref name="Mitchell">{{cite news|url=http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/08/30/beyonce-pregnant-vmas-love-on-top-album-sales-surge/?xrs=share_twitter|title=Beyoncé's Album Sees Sales Surge After VMA Performance Of 'Love On Top'|date=August 30, 2011|first=John|last=Mitchell|publisher=MTV Newsroom|access-date=August 31, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927020025/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/08/30/beyonce-pregnant-vmas-love-on-top-album-sales-surge/?xrs=share_twitter|archive-date=September 27, 2011}}</ref> the announcement was listed in ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' for "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" on [[Twitter]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Beyoncé pregnancy announcement at MTV VMA's sparks Twitter world record|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/beyonce-pregnancy-announcement-at-mtv-vmas-sparks-twitter-world-record/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203713/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/beyonce-pregnancy-announcement-at-mtv-vmas-sparks-twitter-world-record/| archive-date=October 29, 2013|publisher=[[Guinness World Records]]|access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> receiving 8,868 tweets per second<ref>{{cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/29/beyonce-pregnancy-twiter-record-mtv-vmas_n_941064.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603060003/http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2013/05/30/hm-pledges-to-only-use-healthy-models---beyonce-rumours| archive-date=June 3, 2013|title=Beyoncé Pregnancy: New Twitter Record Set At MTV VMAs|work=HuffPost|date=August 29, 2011|access-date=August 30, 2011|first=Catharine|last=Smith}}</ref> and "Beyonce pregnant" was the most [[Google (verb)|Googled]] phrase the week of August 29, 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ph.news.yahoo.com/news-beyonc-pregnancy-grips-google-users-us-open-125354734.html|title=News of Beyoncé's pregnancy grips Google users, US Open, ESPN popular|date=September 5, 2011|publisher=[[Yahoo! News]] (Philippines)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029205652/http://ph.news.yahoo.com/news-beyonc-pregnancy-grips-google-users-us-open-125354734.html|archive-date=October 29, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In late 2011, she took the stage at New York's [[Roseland Ballroom]] for four nights of special performances:<ref name="beyonceonline1">{{cite web|url=http://www.beyonceonline.com/us/news/beyonc%C3%A9-perform-4-intimate-nights-beyonc%C3%A9-concert-series-new-yorks-roseland-ballroom|title=Beyoncé To Perform '4 Intimate Nights With Beyoncé' At New York's Roseland Ballroom|publisher=Beyoncé.com|date=August 5, 2011|access-date=August 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217062541/http://www.beyonceonline.com/us/news/beyonc%C3%A9-perform-4-intimate-nights-beyonc%C3%A9-concert-series-new-yorks-roseland-ballroom|archive-date=February 17, 2012}}</ref> the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé concerts saw the performance of her ''4'' album to a standing room only.<ref name="beyonceonline1" /> On August 1, 2011, the album was certified platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA), having shipped 1&nbsp;million copies to retail stores.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Beyonce&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50/|title=Beyoncé's 4 Certified Platinum|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America|date=August 1, 2011|access-date=August 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626051113/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS|archive-date=June 26, 2007}}</ref> By December 2015, it reached sales of 1.5&nbsp;million copies in the U.S.<ref name="4 US Sales">{{cite web|url=https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/chart-watch-ed-sheerans-transatlantic-1-202342797.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714231425/https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/chart-watch-ed-sheerans-transatlantic-1-202342797.html|archive-date=July 14, 2014|title=Chart Watch: Ed Sheeran's Transatlantic #1|publisher=[[Yahoo! Music]]|first=Paul|last=Grein|date=July 2, 2014|access-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> The album reached one billion [[Spotify]] streams on February 5, 2018, making Beyoncé the first female artist to have three of their albums surpass one billion streams on the platform.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.co.uk/news/08uc17/beyonce-breaks-spotify-record-as-4-hits-a-billion-streams| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/http://www.mtv.co.uk/beyonce/news/beyonce-breaks-spotify-record-as-4-hits-a-billion-streams| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Beyoncé Breaks Spotify Record as '4' Hits a Billion Streams|publisher=MTV|first=Sam|last=Prance|date=February 5, 2011|access-date=February 6, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé gave birth to a daughter, [[Blue Ivy Carter|Blue Ivy]], at [[Lenox Hill Hospital]] in New York City.<ref name=BlueBirth>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/nyregion/after-birth-by-beyonce-patients-protest-celebrity-security-at-lenox-hill-hospital.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330170904/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/nyregion/after-birth-by-beyonce-patients-protest-celebrity-security-at-lenox-hill-hospital.html|url-status=live|archive-date=March 30, 2021|title=After Beyoncé Gives Birth, Patients Protest Celebrity Security at Lenox Hill Hospital|date=January 9, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|first=Nina|last=Bernstein|access-date=February 18, 2017}}</ref> In June 2012, she [[Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live|performed for four nights]] at [[Revel Atlantic City]]'s Ovation Hall to celebrate the resort's opening, her first performances since giving birth to her daughter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beyonce.com/news/fourth-show-added-at-revel|title=Fourth Show Added at Revel|publisher=Beyoncé.com|date=May 7, 2012|access-date=May 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510025938/http://www.beyonce.com/news/fourth-show-added-at-revel|archive-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Makarechi|first=Kia|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/25/beyonce-revel-concert-new-atlantic-city_n_1545181.html| url-status=live | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/25/beyonce-revel-concert-new-atlantic-city_n_1545181.html| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Beyoncé, Revel: Singer's Atlantic City Concerts Mark First Return To Stage Since Blue Ivy Carter Was Born|work=HuffPost|date=May 25, 2012|access-date=October 22, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref>