*Grammy-winning superstar Beyoncé is celebrating her 45th birthday by reopening the vault on “B’Day,” releasing a remastered 20th-anniversary edition of her second solo album with surprise tracks, upgraded visuals and a striking celebration of Black and Latin musical influences.
The Digital Deluxe stretches to 31 tracks, including two digital-only additions: “Cuerpo (Tumbao)” featuring Maluma and “Irreemplazable (Como La Flor)” featuring the late Selena Quintanilla. The anniversary project arrives two decades after the original “B’Day,” released Sept. 4, 2006.
EURweb readers got an early taste in July when Beyoncé unexpectedly released “Morning Dew (Donk)”, kicking off the countdown to the anniversary edition.
Cuando Beyoncé dice "MY SPANISH IS NOT VERY GOOD LOOKING!" también hace referencia a Celia Cruz.#BDAY20 pic.twitter.com/3Qyvg7Lay4
— 🐊 (@marioantonio_p) September 4, 2026
Celia Cruz’s Black Pride Inspires Beyoncé
“Cuerpo (Tumbao)” marks Beyoncé’s first collaboration with Colombian star Maluma and samples Afro-Cuban legend Celia Cruz’s “La Negra Tiene Tumbao.”
Scroll to continue reading
But Beyoncé’s choice went deeper than finding a recognizable salsa sample.
In its official announcement, Parkwood Entertainment said Beyoncé has long admired Cruz’s pride in her African culture and her refusal to bend in the face of racism, colorism and restrictive definitions of beauty.
“In a time when society wanted her to be bitter and broken down, she boldly claimed her Blackness,” Parkwood said, explaining that the sample fit a song built around strength and confidence on the dance floor and in life.
"IRREEMPLAZABLE (COMO LA FLOR)", by Beyoncé, samples Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla. pic.twitter.com/bYGAPQZ6RW
— BEYPRESS. (@beyoncepress) September 3, 2026
Selena and Beyoncé Meet Across Generations
“Irreemplazable (Como La Flor)” creates another cross-generational moment by pairing Beyoncé with Selena.
Parkwood says Selena Quintanilla’s estate, which rarely grants permission to use her music, approved the collaboration. The connection is especially personal: both women are Texas-born artists, and Beyoncé remembers listening to the Queen of Tejano Music on Houston radio.
Beyoncé also credits Selena with inspiring “Irreemplazable,” her Spanish-language EP released in 2007.
The expanded album reaches further into Beyoncé’s archives. “Can I Watch You” was produced by Beyoncé and Pharrell, while “My First Time” was originally recorded for her 2003 debut, “Dangerously in Love,” before being cut from the final track list. B-sides “Lost Yo Mind,” “Creole” and “Back Up” also make the anniversary package.
Beyoncé Remembers Fighting for R&B
Looking back at the original two-week recording session, Beyoncé describes “B’Day” as a pivotal moment in taking command of her career as a singer, songwriter and producer.
“I wanted the album to be big, percussive, hard, up-tempo, and energized, and it was important to me that we used live instrumentation,” she recalled.
She also revealed the musical tension driving those sessions.
“Hip-hop was taking over at the time, but I was fighting to preserve the bridges, melodies, and harmonies that have always been at the heart of R&B,” Beyoncé said. “The goal was to blend those two worlds through the art of sampling.”
‘B’Day’ Gets a Visual Restoration, Too
The anniversary isn’t limited to audio. Videos originally captured on 35mm film have been remastered, recolored and finished in 4K, including “Déjà Vu” featuring JAY-Z. Previously unseen images shot in New Orleans are also being released.
Physical editions include standard vinyl and a 4LP Deluxe Vinyl pressed on 180-gram Bayou Blue vinyl, packaged with a 60-page commemorative booklet and collectible art prints.
Twenty years after Beyoncé used “B’Day” to assert greater creative control, she’s revisiting that turning point on her own terms again. This time, Celia Cruz, Selena and Maluma help broaden the musical conversation — while the songs Beyoncé once fought to make big, percussive and unmistakably R&B get another turn at full volume.
(If You Like/Appreciate This EURweb Story, Please SHARE it!)
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Beyoncé Surprises Fans With ‘Morning Dew (Donk)’ Ahead of ‘B’Day’ 20th Anniversary
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
