Claim: Dangerously in Love is a work of music.

Dangerously in Love is the debut studio album by American singer Beyoncé . It was released on June 24 , 2003 , by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment . During the recording of Destiny 's Child 's third studio album Survivor -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , the group announced that they would produce solo albums to be released . Recording sessions for the album took place from March 2002 to March 2003 at several studios , during the hiatus of her then-group Destiny 's Child . As executive producer of the album , Beyoncé took a wider role in its production , co-writing a majority of the songs , choosing which ones to produce and sharing ideas on the mixing and mastering of tracks .   The tracks in the album are a mixture of uptempo songs and ballads , which are basically inspired by R&B and soul genres ; it also features elements of hip hop and Arabic music . Although Beyoncé remained discreet about her interpretation of the songs , its underlying meanings were attributed by music writers as an allusion to her intimate relationship with then-boyfriend and well-known music mogul Jay-Z . Dangerously in Love received positive reviews from music critics upon its release , with critics praising Knowles ' `` artistic leap '' . The album also received numerous accolades , earning Beyoncé five Grammy Awards .   Dangerously in Love reached a worldwide commercial success , earning multi-platinum certifications in Australia , the United Kingdom , and the United States . The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart , selling 317,000 copies in its first week , earning Beyoncé the highest debut sales among Destiny 's Child members ' solo albums . Dangerously in Love has sold over 11 million copies worldwide and has produced two number one Billboard singles and multiple top tens .