A Complete Timeline Of Beyoncé And Jay Z's Relationship
It's been one incredible journey for Beyoncé and Jay Z in both their personal and professional lives. Join us as we take you through a timeline of the most powerful couple in music's relationship.
-
1. When did Beyoncé and Jay Z meet?
In a 2007 interview Jay Z said he met Beyoncé 10 years ago, and in a separate interview Beyoncé said they met when she was 18, which would make the time they first locked eyes in 1999/2000. So we'll put it at sometime between 1997-2000.
-
2. In 2001 Beyoncé and Jay Z appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's Music Issue.
In an interview with Vanity Fair ten years later, Jay Z said of the shoot; "We were just beginning to try to date each other."
-
3. Then came the pair's first duet on '03 Bonnie And Clyde' in 2002.
In '02 Bey and Jay dropped what went on to become a huge hit '03 Bonnie And Clyde.' The pair sung about their boyfriend and girlfriend and they played the part pretty well in the video. People were starting to ask 'are these two actually together?'
-
4. As the rumours heated up so did the music.
Just when everyone started wonder if Bey and Jay were actually in love they dropped the 2003 summer hit 'Crazy In Love,' which kind of confused everyone even more.
-
5. Jay Z hinted he's interested in Beyoncé in an Interview later that year.
In a 2003 interview with Playboy, Jay Z was asked id he was in a relationship with Beyoncé, but the rapper denied it. "She's beautiful. Who wouldn't wish she was their girlfriend? Maybe one day." Now we know, definitely one day.
-
-
6. After that interview, the two were often spotted out together.
Bey and Jay were seen together a lot towards the end of 2003 as industry events and sports games, but both still had kept their lips sealed on their relationship. Were they an item or just friends?
-
7. Then, in 2004, the couple made their first appearance as a couple at the VMAs.
It was a moment they will always remember (although a fashion moment they probably try hard to forget) - at the 2004 VMA's Beyoncé and Jay Z turned up to the event together, arm in arm, and confirmed what everyone already knew.
-
8. Jay Z featured on two songs on Beyoncé's 2006 album B'Day.
The two got close in the video for 'Deja Vu' and also collaborated on the track 'Upgrade U.'
-
9. Jay Z poured his heart out when he released 'Lost One' in 2006.
"I don’t think it’s meant to be, B / But she loves her work more than she does me / And honestly, at 23 / I would probably love my work more than I did she" Jay Z rapped. Was there trouble in paradise?
-
10. Evidently not, as in 2008 Beyoncé and Jay Z got married.
In April 2008 Jay Z and Beyoncé tied the knot in a low key ceremony in New York. Instead of exchanging rings, they both got match IV tattoos on their wedding fingers. No photos or footage was ever released of the wedding until recently during their 'On The Run' tour.
-
-
11. It's not like Queen Bey to speak up on her romantic life, but she did in one rare interview.
In an October 2008 Essence Magazine Interview Beyoncé spoke about her relationship with Jay Z saying; "What Jay and I have is real. It’s not about interviews or getting the right photo op. It’s real." She also revealed the reason they didn't get engagement rings; "People put too much emphasis on that. It’s just material, and it’s just silly to me".
-
12. In approximately 2010, Beyoncé sadly suffered a miscarriage.
Years later in her 'Life Is But A Dream' documentary, Beyoncé spoke about painful time. "About two years ago, I was pregnant for the first time. And I heard the heartbeat, which was the most beautiful music I ever heard in my life… I picked out names… I envisioned what my child would look like... I was feeling very maternal.. I flew back to New York to get my check up - and no heartbeat."
-
13. Who can forget the moment Beyoncé announced she's pregnant at the 2011 MTV VMAs?
After performing 'Love On Top,' Beyoncé popped open her sparkly blazer and rubbed her never-seen-before pregnant belly as everyone cheered, and Jay Z watched from the side. The Guinness Book Of World Records said the announcement broke the record for the "most tweets per second recorded for a single event" as 8,868 tweets per second.
-
14. On 7th January 2012, Blue Ivy was born.
Jay Z and Beyoncé's baby girl was born in early 2012, and a while later Beyoncé shared this photo (the first anyone had seen of Blue Ivy) on her website. The couple said in a statement: "We are thankful to everyone for all your prayers, well wishes, love and support."
-
15. Then came a ton of mixed signals on Beyoncé's surprise self-titled sixth studio album.
The internet almost exploded when Beyoncé dropped an entire album with no warning at the end of 2013. On it a series of songs all told a different story about hers and Jay Z's relationship. Their 'Drunk In Love' collaboration hinted they were more intimate than ever, but on 'Mine' Beyoncé sings "Been having conversations about breakups and separations/ I'm not feeling like myself since the baby/ Are we gonna even make it?" Tumblr/iam.beyonce
-
-
16. Musically, the two were as strong as ever when they released 'Part II (On The Run).'
"Who wants a perfect love story anyway?" Beyoncé asks in the song's opening line which sees them head back to their Bonnie and Clyde ways.
-
17. For the first time ever, the two announced that they were heading on a collaborative tour.
The world went crazy when Beyoncé and Jay Z announced that they would be embarking on a collaborative tour called 'On The Run' throughout the US and stopping in Paris. A dramatic promotional trailer for the tour showed the two were as powerful as they were when they first began.
-
18. The world almost stopped when footage emerged of Solange attacking Jay Z in an elevator.
The Knowles-Carter family are usually insanely good at keeping their private lives private. But in May this year shocking footage surfaced of Solange attacking Jay Z in a lift whilst Beyoncé stood on motionless whilst leaving the Met Gala. A joint statement released read: "They both have apologised to each other and we have moved forward as a united family... We love each other and above all we are family. We’ve put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same." Picture: Beyonce.com
-
19. On 22nd June 2014 the 'On The Run Tour' began.
Following the 'elevator attack,' floods of speculation floated around about the state of Beyoncé and Jay Z's relationship. But Bey and Jay began their tour as planned and have given no reason to believe that there is any trouble in paradise. Pictures: Rob Hoffman/Beyonce.com
-
20. That is until Beyoncé performed an edited version of 'Resentment' on tour.
During the tour Beyoncé has had the stage to herself to perform her 2006 'B'Day' song 'Resentment.' The song, sung by the point of view of a woman that's been cheated on by her partner, usually has the lyrics "been riding with you for six years, why did I deserve to be treated this way by you?" but Bey changed them to say "12 years" - Approximately the same amount of time she's been with Jay. Pictures: Rob Hoffman/Beyonce.com
-
-
21. Throughout it all, Beyoncé maintained the couple were strong on her Blog and Instagram account.
Beyoncé continued to post pictures of their happy family life with Blue Ivy on Instagram and her blog. Picture: Instagram
-
22. In April 2016, Beyoncé dropped 'Lemonade' and it was fuelled with lyrics about Jay Z's infidelity.
Songs like 'Hold Up,' 'Sorry' and 'Love Drought' all but confirmed to the world that Jay Z had been unfaithful. Rumours flooded the internet that Hov had cheated with Damon Dash's ex, although nothing has been confirmed.
-
23. As Beyoncé began her 'Formation' Tour in May 2016, Jay Z was still by her side.
Beyoncé shared photos on her blog of Jay Z backstage on the tour. Picture: Kodaklens Instagram
-
24. Less than a year later, in February 2017, Beyoncé announced she's pregnant with twins!
Beyoncé uploaded this photo to Instagram and it quickly became the most liked photo on Instagram EVER. Blue has two baby siblings on the way!
-
25. Beyonce 'broke' the internet with pictures of their twins on Instagram.
The picture, which was named the 'most liked' Instagram picture of 2017, currently has over 11 million likes on the photo-sharing website.
-
-
26. JAY-Z appeared to apologise for cheating on Beyonce in his '4:44' album.
In a song called 'Family Feud', JAY-Z appeared to publicly apologise for cheating on Beyonce on his album '4:44'. The song could be interpreted as a response to Beyonce's 'Lemonade' album.
-
27. JAY-Z admitted that he had cheated on Beyonce with another woman in a rare interview.
JAY-Z finally publicly confessed to cheating on Beyonce during an rare interview with The New York Times in 2017. He admitted that he had “shut down emotionally” in the relationship. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
-
28. JAY-Z and Beyoncé announce 'On The Run II' Tour for 2018.
After rumours began circulating, JAY-Z and Beyoncé announced they'd be heading out on a joint tour, hitting the UK in June 2018. Called 'On The Run II', it's the pair's first tour together since 2014.
-
29. Beyoncé and JAY-Z renew their wedding vows in a beatuiful ceremony
Bey shared some sweet fottage from the secret ceremony and it was revealed that the dress she wore on the day actually cost $10,000! Pic: Instagram
-
30. Beyoncé and JAY-Z perform an incredible setlist at the 'On The Run 2' Tour
Made up of all their biggest and best hits, JAY-Z and Beyoncé's 'On The Run II' tour saw them perform across the world with a huge show at the London Stadium where they announced their collaborative album. Pic: Getty
-
31. Beyoncé and JAY-Z release their first ever joint album as The Carters
During their 'On The Run II' tour, Beyoncé and JAY-Z shocked fans when they dropped a joint album out of nowhere. Released as The Carters, the nine-track album ended up winning a GRAMMY Award. Pic: Instagram
-
32. Beyoncé and JAY-Z dress up as iconic sports stars for Halloween 2018
For their Halloween costumes in 2018, Beyoncê and JAY-Z dressed up as Black Power sports legends John Carlos and Griffith Joyner in two of their most iconic outfits. These two sure know how to make a statement as a couple! Pic: Instagram
-
33. Beyoncé celebrates her 36th birthday with cute JAY-Z pictures
At 36, I became a new mother of 3. I breastfed twins. I renewed my vows with my husband of ten years. I came back home to the stage to do Coachella, after pregnancy. Then my husband and I released our album together, Everything Is Love. And we’ve been touring with our family around the world, and loving it. This year has been monumental for me. I thank God for everyone in my life. Thank you for all the positivity and for the beautiful birthday wishes. Pic: Instagram
-
34. JAY-Z and Beyoncé win a BRIT Award for their joint album
Whilst accepting the award for 'Best International Group' at the 2019 BRIT Awards, Bey and Jay paid tribute to Meghan Markle by accepting the award in front on an image of the Royal Princess dressed as the Mona Lisa. Pic: Instagram