120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Come visit us this weekend! Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5:00pm Sat & Sun 🎉

Beyoncé: The Stories Behind the Songs

Every single track, explored and explained
By Annie Zaleski
Series: The Stories Behind the Songs
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
Discover the full story behind every single song Beyoncé has ever released. From Destiny's Child to Cowboy Carter, this is the definitive guide to one of music's greatest ever talents, covering hundreds of songs including: hit singles hidden gems soundtracks cover versions deep cuts ...and much... Read More
Format: Hardback
$6900

International Supplier

This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Explore the inspiration and story behind every single track Beyoncé has ever released.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Discover the full story behind every single song Beyoncé has ever released.

From Destiny's Child to Cowboy Carter, this is the definitive guide to one of music's greatest ever talents, covering hundreds of songs including:

  • hit singles
  • hidden gems
  • soundtracks
  • cover versions
  • deep cuts

...and much more besides.

Award-winning music writer Annie Zaleski (Rolling Stone, Billboard, the Guardian) explores and explains the fascinating details of every song, from early group hit 'Say My Name' to solo work such as 'Crazy In Love' and 'Run The World (Girls)'—and including the all-conquering Cowboy Carter.

A journey through pop, hip-hop, R&B, gospel and even country, this is Beyoncé's story told through her incredible music.

Series: The Stories Behind the Songs

View all
  • Beyoncé: The Stories Behind the Songs
    Discover the full story behind every single song Beyoncé has ever released. From Destiny's Child to Cowboy Carter, this is the definitive guide to one of music's greatest ever talents, covering hundreds of songs including: hit singles hidden gems soundtracks cover versions deep cuts ...and much more besides. Award-winning music writer Annie Zaleski (Rolling Stone, Billboard, the Guardian) explores and...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $6900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Bob Dylan: The Stories Behind the Songs, 1962-69
    In this book, Andy Gill assesses the circumstances behind Dylan's most famous songs, tracing the artist's progress from young tyro folkie to acclaimed protest singer, and through the subsequent changes which saw him invent folk-rock and transform rock 'n' roll with symbolist poetry, before retreating into country-tinged conservatism just as his followers were engaged in the great psychedelic freak-show of...
    By Andy Gill
    Hardback
    $6900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Bruce Springsteen - The Stories Behind the Songs
    An important insight into the work of a truly great songwriter by legendary Rolling Stone Senior Writer Brian Hiatt. Deeply researched and laced with insight from interviews with Springsteen and his closest collaborators—Hiatt has interviewed Springsteen five times—this landmark book is an exhaustive and unique look at the writing, recording, and significance of Springsteen's singular catalogue of songs. Updated to...
    By Brian Hiatt
    Hardback
    $8700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Dolly Parton: The Stories Behind the Songs
    Discover the fascinating stories that lie behind the music.In a career spanning 75 glorious years, Dolly Parton has written some of the greatest songs in music history. Join award-winning author Annie Zaleski (Rolling Stone, Billboard) as she uncovers the fascinating inspiration behind more than 150 of Dolly's finest compositions from across her long and hit-filled career.From her biggest hits to...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Taylor Swift - The Stories Behind the Songs
    Meticulously researched... Every Swiftie will want this -THE SUN Every Taylor song explained... A cut above -THE GUARDIAN The full story behind every single song Taylor Swift has ever released. Covering eleven albums, more than 250 songs, hidden gems, cover versions, vault tracks and more, this is the definitive guide to Taylor Swift's incredible songbook and a celebration of one...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781035426584

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 18 September 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Welbeck

Illustration: c.200 colour and B&W photographs

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 220.0mm

Height: 282.0mm

Weight: 1220g

Pages: 240

Collections

Annie Zaleski Arts & Culture Music & Musicians Non-Fiction Series: The Stories Behind the Songs

About the Author

Annie Zaleski is an award-winning music author and journalist. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Billboard, the LA Times, Salon and Time magazine. She has written several books on artists including Lady Gaga and Duran Duran, and is the author of Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs. Annie lives in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Also by Annie Zaleski

View all
  • Harry Styles
    One of the most streamed and most followed celebrities of the twenty-first century, Harry Styles is undoubtedly the breakout pop star of our times. After finding global fame as part of boyband phenomenon One Direction, Styles left to pursue a solo career in 2016. In the years since, Harry's music has evolved, with three chart-topping albums and countless awards, honours,...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $5499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Pink
    Pink is one of the most trailblazing artists of our time. Her breakthrough album, Missundaztood, was released to critical acclaim in 2001 and showcased her unique, powerhouse pop vocals, as well as her rebellious style. In the two decades since, she has remained firmly in pop's upper echelons, despite her refusal to conform. She consistently out-sings her contemporaries with hit...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $6999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lady Gaga
    Published to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the birth of Lady Gaga's musical career. As one of the world's best-selling musicians, Lady Gaga has set the musical bar high. Since her debut album, The Fame (2008), she has sold more than 124 million records and scooped numerous awards, including twelve Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, and eighteen MTV Music...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $6999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Queens of Disco
    From leading vocalists such as Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer and The Pointer Sisters, who helped popularise disco music in the late seventies, to modern-day disco divas including Madonna and Kylie Minogue, Queens of Disco is an electrifying must-read for dance music enthusiasts. This joyful book explores disco's emergence in the underground club scene and unpicks its influence on DJ culture...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Essential... Lady Gaga
    The Essential... Lady Gaga explores the many talents of one of the world's most interesting and innovative artists. Beyond her success as a talented musician and songwriter, Lady Gaga is a consummate actor, a generous philanthropist and a long-time friend to the LGBTQ+ community. Unafraid to take risks, she is genre-defying, as adept performing jazz in Vegas as she is...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • I Got You Babe
    Covering her life and sixty-year career from Sonny & Cher to show-stopping solo performer, award-winning actress, fashion icon, and beyond, this is a glorious retrospective of one of the world's most enduring entertainers, Cher. Commemorating six decades since her first #1 hit in 1965, I Got You Babe captures Cher's one-of-a-kind life. How many artists can claim to have had...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $6900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Essential... Harry Styles
    Harry Styles’ rise to mega stardom is undeniable. From boy band heartthrob to global pop phenomenon, Styles has dominated both the music and fashion worlds for over 15 years and continues to break creative boundaries, and produce absolute bangers. Beloved as much for his charisma as for his melodic vocals, Harry delivers hit after hit, and sells out stadiums the world...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Duran Duran's Rio, Limited Edition
    This limited printing, hardcover 40th anniversary edition includes: An exclusive new interview with lead singer Simon Le Bon A Rio timeline A newly designed book cover by Rio album sleeve designer, Malcolm Garrette Vintage Duran Duran photos and ads And much more... In the '80s, the Birmingham, England, band Duran Duran became closely associated with new wave, an idiosyncratic genre...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $3299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Duran Duran's Rio
    In the '80s, the Birmingham, England, band Duran Duran became closely associated with new wave, an idiosyncratic genre that dominated the decade's music and culture. No album represented this rip-it-up-and-start-again movement better than the act's breakthrough 1982 LP, Rio. A cohesive album with a retro-futuristic sound—influences include danceable disco, tangy funk, swaggering glam, and Roxy Music's art-rock—the full-length sold millions...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Paperback
    $2199
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Stevie Nicks in 50 Songs
    Stevie Nicks in 50 Songs
    A visually stunning, definitive tribute to rock's most enigmatic, enduring, and stylish icon, Stevie Nicks, written by New York Times bestselling music journalist Annie Zaleski. This beautifully illustrated book goes beyond the glitter and shawls to explore the raw artistry, resilience, and magic that define Stevie Nicks's five-decade career. From singing "Are You Mine" with her grandfather in Phoenix to...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    $6900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Dolly Parton: The Stories Behind the Songs
    Discover the fascinating stories that lie behind the music.In a career spanning 75 glorious years, Dolly Parton has written some of the greatest songs in music history. Join award-winning author Annie Zaleski (Rolling Stone, Billboard) as she uncovers the fascinating inspiration behind more than 150 of Dolly's finest compositions from across her long and hit-filled career.From her biggest hits to...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Taylor Swift - The Stories Behind the Songs
    Meticulously researched... Every Swiftie will want this -THE SUN Every Taylor song explained... A cut above -THE GUARDIAN The full story behind every single song Taylor Swift has ever released. Covering eleven albums, more than 250 songs, hidden gems, cover versions, vault tracks and more, this is the definitive guide to Taylor Swift's incredible songbook and a celebration of one...
    By Annie Zaleski
    Hardback
    Sold Out

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    By Jane Ussher
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Iliad
    When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017—revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)—critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    New Release
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Did I Ever Tell You This?
    In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...
    By Sam Neill
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • They Bloom Because of You
    Bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood - the hard, the magic and the fleeting. ‘A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears.’ - Hilary Swank ‘A book to keep close and...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Odyssey
    The Odyssey by Homer is a monumental epic that has enthralled readers for centuries with its rich tapestry of adventure and human struggle. It chronicles the perilous journey of Odysseus, the cunning King of Ithaca, as he strives to return home after the fall of Troy. During this ten-year odyssey, Odysseus confronts myriad dangers, both natural and supernatural, that test...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Leaves of Grass
    A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them
    Throughout history, cats and writers have bonded together in a magical combination of comfort, companionship and inspiration. The famous authors featured here range from Samuel Johnson, whose cat Hodge dined on oysters, and Edward Lear, whose charismatic cat Foss was missing half his tail, to Margaret Mitchell, L. M. Montgomery and Dorothy L. Sayers, who rescued her kitten Blitz from...
    By Susannah Fullerton
    Hardback
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Vagabond
    The outrageous, riotous memoir from the cult actor and star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, and IT. Actor, rock 'n' roll singer, the prince of Halloween, confusing sex symbol. Many labels have been given to the inimitable Tim Curry over the years. All are true, and yet none are quite right. Here, for the first time, Curry reveals...
    By Tim Curry
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Arts & Culture lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all