Summer 2011 was huge for Beyoncé. Not only did she become the first woman to headline Glastonbury in 12 years, but she also dropped her groundbreaking fourth studio album, 4. The release marked the end of her Sasha Fierce era (as well as her management ties to father Mathew Knowles) and the beginning of a new phase. The LP debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list, and The New Yorker ranked it as the best album of 2011. Its standout tracks include "Love on Top," "Countdown," "1+1," and, of course, the feminist anthem "Run the World (Girls)."
That year, Bey also starred in two documentaries — Year of 4 and Live at Roseland: Elements of 4 — and performed at the Billboard Music Awards, where she accepted the millennium award.