The 'Run The World (Girls)' singer originally planned a different title for her fourth solo record, but was convinced by her fans to name it after her lucky number.
She explained: "Everywhere I look, I see them calling it '4'. I had a whole other name and concept, but I keep seeing that the fans love the name '4,' and I think it would be a really nice thing to let them name the record.
"We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me. It's the day I was born in September. My mother's birthday, and a lot of my friends' birthdays, are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date."
Beyonce, 29, also wanted to experiment on her latest album and revealed she recorded a huge number of tracks in search of the perfect sound.
She told Billboard.com: "I recorded more than 60 songs. Everything I ever wanted to try, I just did it. I started off being inspired by Fela Kuti. I actually worked with the band from the Broadway Show 'Fela!' for a couple of days, just to get the feel for the soul and heart of his music; it's so sexy, and has a great groove you get lost in.
"I also found a lot of inspiration in '90s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie - I listened to a lot of Jackson 5 and New Edition, but also Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Prince."
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