This is not a typical maternity shoot!
Beyoncé announced she is expecting twins by sharing a picture of her bare baby bump on Instagram Wednesday afternoon. "We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over," Beyoncé and Jay Z said in a joint statement. "We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes." The couple, who tied the knot in 2008, are already parents to 5-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter.
The announcement broke Selena Gomez's record by becoming the most-liked Instagram ever.
Even the couple's famous fans—including Paris Hilton, DJ Khaled, Brie Larson, Rita Ora, Rihanna, Ryan Seacrest and Chrissy Teigen—shared congratulatory messages via social media.
Beyoncé shared more than a dozen new pregnancy photos via her website Thursday. The 35-year-old musician provided no additional context, other than telling fans, "I have three hearts." She also included a poem written by Somali-British poet Warsan Shire. "venus has flooded me, second planet from the sun, i wake up on her foamy shore," the poem read. "she wants to take me to meet my children. I've done this before i'm still nervous."
The "Hold Up" singer posed completely nude in one black-and-white set. In another scene, she posed topless for solo shots but covered up with a lacy bra as she posed alongside her mini-me. Beyoncé also posed nude for an underwater shoot, obscuring her privates with swaths of fabric.
Perhaps the sweetest shot showed Blue Ivy kissing her mother's belly.
In addition to sharing new photos with fans, Beyoncé also released never-before-seen vintage pictures of her family. One of the images showed her in bed as she suffered from morning sickness during her pregnancy with Blue Ivy. Another image was taken on her birthday in 2015.
After Beyoncé shared her pregnancy news with fans Wednesday, her stylist mother, Tina Knowles, regrammed the picture and wrote, "WOW, I don't have to keep the secret anymore. I am soooo happy. God is so good. Twin blessings. Thank you for all your well wishing beautiful messages. I appreciate them soo much." Soon after, Beyoncé's younger sister, singer Solange Knowles, added emojis to the photo on her Instagram Story and called herself a "proud auntie."
Beyoncé is up for nine awards at the 2017 Grammys; she has not said whether she will attend.