Cassius Gems: Beyoncé

European Premiere of Disney's "The Lion King"

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Debuting as a member of Destiny’s Child in 1997, Beyoncé’s been dominating R&B for nearly three decades as we raise a glass to celebrate her 44th birthday.

With Destiny’s Child being one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, the trio dropped several chart-topping projects after their self-titled project, The Writing’s on the Wall, and Survivor. It ended on a high note with Destiny Fulfilled which had hits like “Lose My Breath,” “Soldier,” and “Cater 2 U.”

After peaking, she went solo, with Dangerously in Love and simultaneously secured power couple status with Jay-Z on her debut single “Crazy in Love.” The momentum continued musically with B’Day, I Am… Sasha Fierce, 4, and Beyoncé in 2013.

But she also started acting, landing hit roles in Dreamgirls and then as Etta James just two years later, in 2008’s Cadillac Records.

Thanks to her diehard Beyhive fans, she hit a new level of fame with Lemonade before taking a break. After six years off, she returned with some special material for those craving new material.

And that all began with Act I: Renaissance, a dance-heavy album that fans proved to adore when the accompanying Renaissance World Tour became the highest-grossing tour by a Black artist in history.

She followed it up by switching genres again for 2024’s Cowboy Carter for a country-tinged 27-track album.

Even she was shocked when it earned her Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammys, where she delivered a heartfelt speech about being encouraged to step out of the box.

“I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this album. We worked so hard on it. I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists, and I just wanna encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent.”