-
"Excuse Me Miss"
Beyonce and Jay-Z met around the turn of the century and privately started dating in 2001, when Bey was 19 and he was 31. The following year, they released their first collaboration, “03 Bonnie & Clyde." It was the lead single from Jay-Z's seventh album, 'The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse,' in 2002. Among the track's co-writers were Kanye West and Tupac Shakur. The single reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ah, success: the ultimate aphrodisiac. And yet, their budding relationship was kept under wraps! Quelle romantique!
-
“Crazy In Love”
Even after the bananas on-screen chemistry between Jay and Bey in the video for their 2004 collab, "Crazy in Love," the pair insisted on keeping their romance on the down-low. When the track won Grammys for Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, fans were still being denied the delight of knowing that these two, who so clearly belonged together, were actually together. (And, you know, Jay and Bey maintained their privacy and whatnot.)
-
Bey and Jay
Jay and Bey took their romance public at the 2004 MTV VMAs. Nothing makes 2004 seem longer ago than their outfits.
-
But also...
Let's take a closer look here and just soak in the '04 so we can even better appreciate their red carpet evolution. The couple who slay together, stay together.
-
Ah, there we go
Here's a little palate cleansing portrait update -- this one from last fall. Never forget that they are, in fact, boss. And now back to pure romance ...
-
“Hollywood” ... and beyond
Through 2006, the pair continued to make beautiful music together, including “Déjà Vu” and “Upgrade U” from Beyoncé's sophomore solo LP, 'B’Day' and “Hollywood” from Jay-Z's 'Kingdom Come.' Beyond their amazing hit-making capability as a duo, it was beginning to look like the pair might be getting serious.
-
At last
Imagine secretly getting married to your boyfriend at his 13,500 square foot Manhattan penthouse that's decorated with the 70,000 dendrobium orchids he had flown in from Thailand and you look frickin' amazing in your wedding dress. That's the Bey life. That's right: 10 years ago today, the general public had no idea that the pair had wed. Yet.
-
Vibing
The pair married on April 4, 2008, and kept the union largely under wraps until Jay-Z reluctantly breached his privacy to confirm the wedding news to "Vibe" magazine in a September 2008 cover story.
-
Friends in high places
At President Barack Obama’s first inauguration in January 2009, Bey sang “America the Beautiful” at his swearing-in ceremony and “At Last” at the inaugural ball. Jay and Bey were the picture of suave sophistication at his second inauguration in 2013, pictured. These are serious date night goals.
-
Break the Twitter!
Remember when Bey announced she was pregnant at the MTV VMAs and it broke Twitter? Like, not literally, but it broke Twitter's record for the most tweets per second — 8,868 — for a single event. "I want you to stand up on your feet. I want you to feel the love that’s growing inside me,” Bey told the crowd during a performance of “Love on Top.” Romance to the hilt!
-
And baby makes three
Blue Ivy Carter was welcomed into the world on January 7, 2012, and now at age six she sometimes seems to be the only being more powerful than her parents.
-
Don't try this at home
Imagine you and your spouse have to work together to do a lip-sync performance in front of your book club. Did your blood just run cold? Mkay, imagine instead it's actually a live performance and they're going to broadcast it on the Grammys. Also, one of the lyrics is "Your breasteses is my breakfast". Believe us when we tell you that no mere mortals could pull off a live performance of the massive hit “Drunk in Love” like Jay and Bey did at the Grammys in January 2014. Their romance is like a magical forcefield of surfborts.
-
And twins!
Last February, the couple announced they were expecting twins but that didn't stop Bey from putting on an amazing performance at the Grammys. Rumi and Sir were born last June.
-
Couple costumes? Check.
Check out Bey, Jay, and Blue dressed as characters from the Eddie Murphy classic, 'Coming to America.' You know you've found your soulmate if you're doing a themed Halloween costume.
-
... on a recurring basis
That's right. The 2014 'Coming to America' costumes were just one in a series of elaborate Halloween looks. The family dressed as Barbies and Ken the following year.
-
Icon to icon
Last year, the couple paid homage to iconic '90s rap duo Biggie and Lil' Kim with their Halloween costumes.
-
Top Off On The Run
Last month, the couple released their latest collab in conjunction with DJ Khaled and Future, "Top Off." The duo also announced a followup to their blockbuster 2014 On the Run tour. The On the Run II tour will kick off this June in England and arrive in Vancouver this October. Ahh, an international tour with the one you love. What could be more romantic than that? #Swoon!
Roc-A-Fella
Columbia
Keystone
Keystone
@beyonce
@beyonce
Columbia
Vibe
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Getty Images
Photo: Getty
CBS
@beyonce
@beyonce
@Beyonce
@beyonce
@beyonce
