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Beyonce announces box set edition of 2013 surprise album

Beyonce performs at the Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in January.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Turns out the rumor mill was half correct. Beyoncé will indeed release an expanded version of her self-titled surprise album in just a few weeks.

The bad news: It’s not as amazing as the Internet hoped it would be.

After days of online speculation, the singer announced she will issue a “Platinum Edition Box Set” of her groundbreaking visual album. Fans who previously purchased the original album digitally will be able to add the bonus material.

The four disc set – it will contain two cds and two DVDs – will include a disc of new music and a live performance DVD from her blockbuster Mrs. Carter Show World Tour and a mini version of her official calendar. The original 14 songs and 17 videos that made up the project will also be included.

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The new disc doesn’t offer a lot of new material, as promised by a too-good-to-be-real document that circulated on the Web. There are new tunes on the disc -- two to be exact, called 7/11” and “Ring Off.”

Remixes of “Drunk in Love,” “Blow” and “Flawless” will be included on the bonus disc, along with a remix of previously unreleased fan favorite (and H&M promotional cut) “Standing on the Sun.” But, like the Kanye West and Nicki Minaj remixes, fans have already had the track for months.

Rumors of a new Beyoncé album reached critical mass over the weekend after a screenshot of what appeared to be a track list appeared all over Twitter and Instagram.

According to the document, the pop diva was planning a second installment of the album that would include 11 new tracks – featuring songs with Rihanna, Minaj and Justin Timberlake -- a DVD featuring 28 music videos, a full-length version of her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour and a copy of the On the Run show with Jay Z from Paris – all on four discs. (Yeah, we didn’t believe it either.)

Maybe it’s a good thing the singer didn’t follow up such a critically acclaimed project with a second installment of new material. Just look at how hard people came down on Mr. Timberlake.

The box set will arrive Nov. 24.

For the latest pop news follow @GerrickKennedy on Twitter.

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