I was on my *mumbled* drink at a friend’s house with Joe-P told me that Beyoncé dropped a new album. I knew that was recording her HBO special, Lemonade, but I didn’t think about her possibly dropping an album after the special. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that because it’s not like this was the first time she dropped a surprise visual album, and though I’m sure she could’ve done an entire stadium tour using music from her catalog I’m sure she didn’t want to. This woman is like a thief in the night, coming for our edges, monies and breaths every time she drops something new, and I love her for it.
This album is so different from everything we’ve heard from her…well up until “Formation”. Gone are the days of her declarations of love to her husband. Gone are the “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”, “Upgrade U”, “Drunk in Love” bangers. This album is full of tracks hinting at a possible incident of infidelity and how that affected her. Now Beyoncé and Jay-Z are pretty private people, and even after that elevator incident between Solange and Jay a few years ago no one really knows what happened. We all assumed that Jay could’ve cheated on his wife and her sister was just standing up for her, but everyone kept their mouths shut and that’s honestly the way it should’ve happened. Their private lives should be just that. Once they leave the stage then we shouldn’t be worried about what’s happening behind closed doors, but Beyoncé put that all on front street with this album. Dishonesty, betrayal and infidelity were themes present in ‘Lemonade’ with lines like “He better call Becky with the good hair” and “You can taste the dishonesty, it’s all over your breath” on two different tracks and those were the cleaner of the lyrics.
Beyoncé is letting people know that she’s a grown woman, who can do whatever she wants (once again). This album is a bit more explicit than we’re used to and deals with issues that run a bit deeper than the pop songs. Along with infidelity, she talks about forgiveness and touches on the harsh reality many black people (especially women) have to deal with. This album is a game changer for her, and visual aspect of it alone deserves awards. The cinematography, stunning visuals, celebrity cameos and costumes are just stunning! I read that the special will only be on HBO for a limited time and is only able to be streamed on HBO Go for a day, talk about exclusivity! Mogul Bey is a beast!
I know I usually share a Spotify playlist with y’all, but I can’t do that for this album. As of now the album is only available for streaming on Tidal or for purchase on iTunes, so please sign up for the streaming service or fork over $18+tax if you want to hear it.
Oh, and I had to share one of my favorite lines with y’all. In an age where women are being applauded for being mistresses and side pieces I salute Mrs. Knowles-Carter for saying this “Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks”. I LIVE! *praise hand emoji*