From the very beginning of her career, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter has always understood fashion and its powers of communication. The camouflage bikinis and army cosplay in Destiny Child’s “Survivor” music video said: “I’m a survivor”. The clingy, diamanté-encrusted minidress at the start of the “Naughty Girl” video said: “I’ll be your naughty girl.” But it wasn’t until “Freakum Dress” that this fashion philosophy came into crystal clear vision. “‘Cause when they act wrong/That’s when you put it on,” she sang on the 2006 B’Day track. “This is your song/Hold out your back/Time to impress/Pull out your freakum dress.”

In 2006, the answer to life’s troubles was putting on your spangliest minidress and painting the town red. It’s a system of belief that Beyoncé was personally attuned to, having stormed through the B’Day album cycle in a whir of metallic hues, sparkling crystals and sun-kissed skin. Though she wasn’t a fashion plate for European houses like she is now – mostly wearing clothes from her mother’s line House of Deréon – that didn’t mean Beyoncé didn’t know how to freak it with the best of them. So, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the seminal R&B album, we’re looking back at Beyoncé’s top ten freakum dresses from the B’Day era.

10. WORLD MUSIC AWARDS, 2006

Beyoncé had a busy night at the World Music Awards in 2006. She presented Michael Jackson with a lifetime achievement awards, accepted the award for best R&B artist from none other than Tommy Hilfiger, and even had time to perform a medley of “Déjà Vu”, “Ring the Alarm,” and “Irreplaceable” in this crystallised geometric minidress.

9. AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, 2006

It was more bold glam at the 2006 American Music Awards, as Beyoncé stuck to what she knows best – a bedazzled mini and diamantéd heels, most probably made in house by Knowles and Hunter with House of Deréon.

8. 40/40 CLUB, 2006

One of the rare times that Beyoncé veered from the metallic theme was at the first anniversary party for Jay-Z’s 40/40 club in Atlantic City. Still freaked it though.

7. VMAS, 2007

For B’Day’s accompanying world tour The Beyoncé Experience, the superstar transformed into a glittering disco ball in a floor-length silver gown, before ripping off half of it to reveal a mini version.

6. THE BEYONCÉ EXPERIENCE, 2007

For B’Day’s accompanying world tour The Beyoncé Experience, the superstar transformed into a glittering disco ball in a floor length silver gown, before ripping off half of it to reveal a mini version.

5. LONDON, 2006

Chris Martin was so gagged and gooped by this particular freakum dress that Beyoncé had to shield her body from his homicidal gaze. The besties were attending an after party following Jay-Z’s 2006 Royal Albert Hall gig, and Bey was famously snapped in the back of a black cab afterwards looking a little worse for wear.

4. GOLDEN GLOBES, 2007

At the 2007 Golden Globes, Beyoncé took the title of the awards very seriously, arriving in a showstopping golden Elie Saab gown.

3. BET AWARDS, 2007

Though Beyoncé rarely wore European labels during the B’Day era, preferring to stick to her in-house team, she made an exception for this silver Dolce & Gabbana dress at the 2007 BET Awards, with its 70s-inspired sleeves and structured metal corset.

2. VMAS, 2006

For her iconic performance of “Ring the Alarm” at the 2006 VMAs, Beyonce’s descended from the heavens like a superhero detective, wearing a gabardine trench coat dress designed by her mother, which was later whipped off to reveal a leopard corset and PVC hotpants.

1. BET AWARDS, 2006

There could be only one winner. Though this isn’t technically a dress, the silver two piece that Beyoncé wore at the 2006 BET Awards pushed her freak to the max. For her performance of “Déjà Vu”, the singer went from commanding the stage to writhing round on the floor, her fringed mini and halter top the pièce de résistance of the entire show.