life of beyonce | Page 5

Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008, in New York City.[73] Before they were married, Knowles and Jay-Z were listed as the Most Powerful Couple for Time magazine's 100 Most Influential people of 2006.[74] In January 2009, Forbes ranked them as Hollywood's top-earning couple, with a combined total of $162 million.[75] They also made it to the top of the list the following year, with a combined total of $122 million between June 2008 and June 2009.[75]

Knowles released her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce on November 18, 2008.[76] Upon its release, it received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics; according to the music review aggregation of Metacritic, the album received an average score of 62/100.[77] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, giving Knowles her third consecutive number one album in the US.[78] Eventually, she became the third female artist of the 2000s decade to have her first three albums debut at the top spot of the chart.[79] To date, I Am... Sasha Fierce has sold six million copies worldwide.[80]





Knowles performing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" during her I Am... Tour in 2009

The album was proceeded with the release of its two lead singles, "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)".[81] The first single, "If I Were a Boy" topped eight charts worldwide, including the United Kingdom and reached the top-ten in many other charts.[82] "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, giving Knowles' her fifth number-one single, and was also successful in other international markets, peaking in top-ten positions around the world.[83] The song's music video has achieved fame for its intricate choreography, which has been credited as having started the "first major dance craze of both the new millennium and the Internet".[84] This prompted a legion of imitations and parodies from men and women all around the world, including celebrities such as pop singers Justin Timberlake[85] and Joe Jonas,[86] U.S. President Barack Obama[87] and actor Tom Hanks.[88] It received nine nominations at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and ultimately won the award for Video of the Year, and an additional two awards, though its loss in the Best Female Video category to Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" led to a controversy during the ceremony.[89]

In December 2008, Knowles starred in the musical biopic Cadillac Records as Etta James. She performed James' classic hit "At Last" at the Lincoln Memorial festivities in honor of the inauguration of Barack Obama and his wife Michelle's first dance as President and First lady of America, on January 20, 2009. During this time, Knowles released the fourth single off I Am... Sasha Fierce, "Halo". The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Knowles' twelfth top-ten single on the chart as a solo artist. With this feat, Knowles achieved the most top tens on the Hot 100 among any other female artists in the 2000s.[90][91] In support of the album, Knowles embarked on her third concert tour, the I Am... Tour, which began in March 2009; culminating in February 2010. In April 2009, Knowles starred opposite Ali Larter and Idris Elba in a thriller film called, Obsessed. The film proved to be a commercial success, and grossed $11.1 million on its first day of release,[92] and ended its opening weekend at number one, with a total of $28.5 million.[93] "Video Phone" featuring pop singer Lady Gaga received two nominations at the 2010 BET Awards for "Video of the Year" and "Best Collaboration", winning the former category on April 27, 2010.[94][95] It also received five nominations at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, in the categories of "Best Choreography", "Best Collaboration", "Best Pop Video", "Best Female Video" and "Best Art Direction".[96]

Knowles received ten nominations at the 52nd Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for I Am... Sasha Fierce, Record of the Year for "Halo", and Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", among others.[97] This tied her with Lauryn Hill for most Grammy nominations in a single year by a female artist.[98] Knowles ultimately set the record for the most Grammy awards won on a single night by a female artist, when she won six awards from her ten nominations;[99] Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Halo", Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "At Last".[99]

In January 2010, Knowles was interviewed by USA Today and announced plans to take a break from music in 2010. She stated, "it's definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries. ... I'd like to take