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Louvre museum breaks visitor record thanks to Beyoncé, Jay-Z

PARIS — The world’s most visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, said it had a record 10.2 million visitors in 2018 thanks to Beyonce and Jay-Z’s “Ape(expletive)” music video, which was shot among its paintings and sculptures.

The Associated Press reported that the museum announced the news in a statement Thursday. It also cited the success of its exhibition of French master Delacroix as a reason for the record.

In the music video, Beyonce and Jay-Z -- billed as The Carters -- pose next to the Mona Lisa and other paintings such as Winged Victory of Samothrace, Venus de Milo and The Coronation of Napoleon are featured. Other shots show them in front of the museum and in the halls.The video was shot last May and has more than 147 million views on YouTube.

BBC News reported that museum director Jean-Luc Martinez said the increase in visitors was also a sign that Paris has recovered from the decrease in tourism since the terror attacks in the city in 2015.

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