Beyoncé [CD/DVD]

Beyoncé wasn't exactly quiet during the first 11 months of 2013 -- new songs trickled out, and she appeared on albums by from the-Dream, Kelly Rowland, and husband Jay-Z -- but the December 13 release of her fifth album was a surprise. It contains the elegant ballads "Rocket" and "Heaven," the low-slung and playfully risqué boogie of "Blow," and a new version of it as well "Bow Down" (titled "***Flawless," with a guest appearance from writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie). Beyoncé co-wrote and co-produced the majority of the material along with the likes of Hit-Boy, Pharrell, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Miguel. ~ Andy Kellman