A big Christmas surprise for fans of the Queen Bee this morning, as the singer drops her fifth solo album out of the blue. It follows half a year of vague details, the 'Grown Woman' release/Pepsi tie-in and rumours of scrapped sessions.

The record, simply called Beyoncé, arrived on the iTunes music store first thing this morning in what her official statement calls "an unprecedented strategic move" (not too sure on that one, this year alone saw Bowie do something similar).

Making it a multimedia event, the R&B star has also released 17 new video clips to accompany the 14-track album. Stream them all here.

It's quite the list of collaborators as well, with Drake, Destiny's Child and Jay Z just some of the names involved.

Of the visual aspect, the self-styled Mrs. Carter says: "“I see music. It’s more than just what I hear. When I’m connected to something, I immediately see a visual or a series of images that are tied to a feeling or an emotion, a memory from my childhood, thoughts about life, my dreams or my fantasies. And they’re all connected to the music.”

We're sure a swathe of the newies will be rolled out live in March, during Beyoncé's three night stand in Dublin's O2