Album Review: Beyoncé's Lemonade Is A Masterpiece

Beyoncé released her sixth studio album right after the ending of her HBO special, "Lemonade", which also serves as the album title, it features 12 songs and features The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, James Blake and Jack White and production works from the likes of  Just Blaze, Mike Will Made It, Diplo, Hit-Boy, Mike Dean and many others.

Beyonce kicks off the album with "Pray You Catch Me" which a piano driven number that deals with being pushed to the edge of a relationship - wrapped up in lies, suspicion and emotional pain, she wants her lover to catch her before she falls completely out of love with him: "Nothing else ever seems to hurt like the smile on your face, when it's only in my memory. It don't hit me quite the same maybe it's a cause for concern but I'm not at ease, keeping my head to the curb..."

"Hold Up" is a groovy number with Afrobeat influences with the production and also samples Soulja Boy’s “Turn My Swag On” and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps". The song sees address her man about where his loyalties lies with her or within the sheets of other women " Something don't feel right, cause it ain't right. Especially comin' up after midnight, I smell your secret, and I'm not too perfect to ever feel this worthless. How did it come down to this? Going through your call list, I don't wanna lose my pride, but I'ma fuck me up a bitch. Know that I kept it sexy and know I kept it fun.There's something that I'm missing maybe my head for one."

"Don't Hurt Yourself" is a very aggressive guitar driven number that sees her teaming with Jack White as she displays her rage as she sings about being cheated on : "Who the fuck do you think I is? You ain't married to no average bitch boy. You can watch my fat ass twist boy, as I bounce to the next dick boy and keep your money, I got my own...."Her vocal delivery over this production is match made in heaven, it allows her to freely explode and her vocals are at their strongest.

“Sorry” is an upbeat number that sees her displaying a “sorry not sorry” attitude, as she heads to the club with her girls and is not paying her cheating ex not one bit of attention, she is over him:"Me and my baby, we gon' be alright, we gon' live a good life. Big homie better grow up, me and my whoadies 'bout to stroll up. I see them boppers in the corner, they sneaking out the back door. He only want me when I'm not there, he better call Becky with the good hair..." I can see alot of people relating to this song as it`s all about taking your power back and focusing on rebuilding yourself from a bad relationship..

The Weeknd joins Beyonce on “6 Inch” which serves as a powerful women empowerment anthem, she uses six inch heels as a symbol of wealth and power "Six inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody's business, Goddamn, she murdered everybody and I was her witness. She works for the money, she work for the money, from the start to the finish. And she worth every dollar, she worth every dollar and she worth every minute..."

 It features a heavy upbeat production layered up with drums and backed up by haunting echos which come together to create a solid foundation for her to lay down some smokey and The Weeknd proved to be a great collaboration who`s vocals complicated hers and the production.

"Daddy Lessons" sees her stepping all the way out and creating a country song with brass band horns, it finds her reminiscing about the complex-but-loving relationship with her father, Matthew Knowles who taught her everything especially when it comes to men, stay away from "players" but he was not the perfect teacher as a couple of years ago his infidelity to Tina Knowles came to light and they parted ways. The song speaks about the irony of that, teaching her to shoot in order to protect herself from "men like him", they have recurred though.

"Love Drought" is a smooth mid-tempo with a very spacey production that could easily be Jealous Pt2 as it shares the same the vulnerability and intimacy about a relationship going though a rough patch,if only they could be honest with each other and appreciate the love they have and build on it, stop allowing lies to derail their relationship: "Nine times out of ten, I'm in my feelings but ten times out of nine, I'm only human. Tell me, what did I do wrong? Feel like that question has been posed. I'm movin' on, I'll always be committed, I been focused. I always paid attention, been devoted, tell me, what did I do wrong? Oh, already asked that, my bad. But you my lifeline, think you tryna kill me?..."


"Sandcastles" is a heartfelt piano driven number which sees her laying down some emotionally raw vocals as she sings about the break down of a relationship but is hopeful for their personal story begins. "We built sand castles that washed away, I made you cry when I walked away and although I promised that I couldn't stay, baby. Every promise don't work out that way, oh, babe. Every promise don't work out that way..." 

She follows it up with "Forward" which is the shortest song on the album and should been longer as this is simply nothing short of greatness happening here, James Blake laying down his deep and haunting vocals as he sings about his/her desires of a relationship where both partners are on equal footing"Best foot first just in case, when we made our way 'til now. It's time to listen, it's time to fight. Forward, now we're going to hold doors open for a while, now we can be open for a while.."

"Freedom" is a powerful and soulful number that`s sees her teaming up with the extremely talented rapper Kendrick Lamar as they speak about specifically about Black empowerment and social equality in America "Mama don't cry for me, ride for me, try for me, live for me, breathe for me, sing for me, Honestly guidin' me, I could be more than I gotta be, stole from me, lied to me, nation hypocrisy. Code on me, drive on me, wicked, my spirit inspired me. Like yeah, open correctional gates in higher desert, yeah, open our mind as we cast away oppression. Yeah, open the streets and watch our beliefs and when they carve my name inside the concrete. I pray it forever reads..."


The song also features a quote from Jay-Z’s grandmother, Hattie White, that gives away the meaning behind the album’s title: “I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to cool myself off. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade.” 


“All Night” is a love ballad that samples Outkast`s "SpottieOttieDopaliscious", it serves as a beautiful "closing" to the album’s emotional journey,  asit finds her singing about staying committed to each other even through all the ups and downs, as the love they share will rise above anything that comes their way: "They say true love's the greatest weapon to win the war caused by pain but every diamond has imperfections. But my love's too pure to watch it chip away, Oh nothing real can be threatened. True love breathes salvation back into me with every tear came redemption and my torturer became a remedy..."


“Formation” closes the album, it`s a fiery anthem that features sharp and impactful lyrics about emphatic love of self and blackness: "My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana, you mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama. I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros, I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils. Earned all this money but they never take the country out me, I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag."


Love the fact that she’s willing to experiment and push at the boundaries of her sound, while artist like Kanye West attempted to do the same with "The Life of Pablo" but it turned out to be a hot mess, as he clearly struggled to get his ideas out clearly enough for people to be behind it fully and understand them. "Lemonade" on the other hand is a masterpiece that sees her once again in control of her vision that translates so many levels, showcasing so much growth as artist and as a woman.
4.5/5

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