Beyoncé is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Beyoncé, released on December 13, 2013 by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Described as a visual album, Beyoncé is a simultaneous audio and visual experience where non-linear short films accompany its songs to illustrate the concepts that were conceived during its composition. It has been identified as one of the most explicit albums ever recorded, with feminist themes that are much darker than her previous material, including sex, fear, loss and the insecurities of marriage and motherhood.