I wanted to follow in Madonna`s footsteps: Beyonce

Beyonce Knowles says she wanted to follow in the footsteps of singing sensation Madonna.

Los Angeles: Pop star Beyonce Knowles, who surprised her fans with the release of an unannounced self-titled album, says she wanted to follow in the footsteps of singing sensation Madonna.

The 32-year-old singer recently held a visual album screening of her self titled fifth album at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she told her fans that Madonna was her inspiration, reported Us Magazine. "I felt like I wanted to follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire," Beyonce said at the screening. The `Crazy in Love` hitmaker surprised fans last week when she released her fifth studio project on iTunes without any prior announcement or major marketing campaign. The album became an instant hit, breaking records by shifting 828,773 units worldwide in just 72 hours.