Citation:

Since the release of her self-titled fifth album in 2013, each Beyoncé volume has leveled up in some way — yet Lemonade bests them all in storytelling, revelation, and cultural resonance. In all she’s accomplished, she has yet to meet the world as vulnerably as she does here, laying bare the trauma of her very famous husband’s infidelity to their marriage and the empire they built upon it. Still, the shock and intrigue from that ends up trailing far behind the defining ethos Beyoncé constructs from her despair.

It starts with intricate songs that span time and genre, from the sugary, Soulja Boy-sampling reggae of “Hold Up” to the hard rock “Don’t Hurt Yourself” with Jack White to the country yarn “Daddy Lessons.” From there, Lemonade is foundational to the wide arc of studied genius we’ve come to expect from Beyoncé in subsequent years: For instance, the disrespect she and the Chicks faced performing “Daddy Lessons” at the 2016 Country Music Awards informed her hard pivot South eight years later on Cowboy Carter. Perhaps Lemonade incentivized the utter excellence of every work that followed because of its stunning losses at the 2017 Grammys — her third time losing Album of the Year, with another loss to come. For many, that night crystalized that being the best as a Black woman might never be enough. Yet, she continued to be just that.

Lemonade has always been is more than just an album. It’s a music film as layered, gorgeous, and haunting as a canonical drama, a matrix of generational heartbreak, a celebration of legacy, and a hand-drawn map to the intersections of many Black women’s interpersonal and political lives. That last aspect was especially palpable when “Freedom” became Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign theme. In 2016, the defiance and Black radical aesthetic of Lemonade’s hit single “Formation” was so bold that some police unions spitefully called for a boycott of Beyoncé — Lemonade soundtracked a shifting world, and rocked it too. While valid concerns exist as to whether she actually lives out the values of the social iconography she’s channeled or fundamentally contradicts them, the merits of Beyoncé’s artistry are undeniable. Put simply, Lemonade solidified her status among the best musicians of all time.

I woke up in the morning…. And made my day

And the mainstream is going to act like it was always a big thing. Just like she created name-Chella with Beychella.

Beyoncé gave us everything with those visuals. And people paid that project dust. It’s not surprising that she’s not giving us much now.

Thanks to my toddler, I believe Beyonce is referencing "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain." So I knew this song was about the rapture. But when I did some research, I learned this popular folk song is a rendition to the negro spiritual, "When the Chariot Comes." It is believed that it was code for the Underground Railroad. And the "she" is a reference to the Chariot. We have seen her driving a bus in the Amen visual during the tour and other vehicles in "I'm that Girl." She sings running through the river in "Riiverdance," which was a common method to escape to freedom during slavery. "She'll be coming around the mountain," originally being a negro spiritual falls in line to reclaiming our history and our culture. The rapture reference also makes sense for the transition to Renaissance and her singing lift off during the tour. Not to mention in the song, "When the Chariot Comes," it ends by she will take you through portals. We also see the imagery of portals in "I'm that Girl" visual.

I‘m rewatching the Beyoncé Bowl on YouTube and almost choke singing, "Wildfire burnt his house down.“

What do you all think about Beyoncé living in LA and the devastating fires across the city just weeks after State Farm canceled thousands of fire coverage for those Palisades homes? Does anyone else think that’s weird?

Hi, i just wanted to know is there a website/link/PDF scans of the how to make lemonade boxset book? Its WAYYY too expensive to buy so i would be happy with scans of the book 😭

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As the title says.

I find myself avoiding anything Bey related cause I can’t stop crying🤣🤣🤣🤣 maybe it’s just what comes with being a Cancer, and very emotional, but it’s becoming annoying now 🤣

I can only listen to her new music, cause there’s an emotion tied to any song I’ve listened to more than 10 times, immediate tears as soon as I hear it. I’m mostly okay with her real real old music like B’day, 4, DIL, Self Titled is a 50/50, but anything Lemonade and onwards is an immediate skip, unless I fancy a good cry seesion😀😀😀😀😀😀

I’ve seen her live 3 times, every time it’s just a 2 hour long sob session😀😀😀

I was putting off rewatching her halftime performance in full, because every short instagram reel brings me to tears - finally got over myself now, turned it on, immediately lost it.

Oh and don’t even mention her Coachella performance around me😭😭😭😭😭😭 I had to remove the live album from all of my playlists, cause the tear always catch me off guard at the most inconvenient times🥲🥲🥲

Why am I like this?? Is there any way for me to work through this? I love her so much, but I had enough of this cry baby nonsense🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

Like she’s done waiving the flag at the beginning of a rodeo before the show starts? Now the show starts. I was listening to yaya again like I do and she welcomes you to the cowboy Carter act II AND the rodeo chitlin circuit.. maybe it’s an actual introduction. I’d love a double album though.

My sister is currently in Vegas for work and last night at around 11 pm pst her coworker spotted both Beyoncé and Jay Z at the Tower Bar! She said that they were talking to a small group people in the bar for 10ish minutes and then security walked them out through the tower suit doors. She said she looked stunning and her hair was in two braids?!

Why do I think this leans into the theory that her upcoming announcement will be a Vegas residency?! Anyways, I know y’all are as delulu as me and thought this bit of information would be appreciated 🐝🐝🐝

Okay was inspired by this thread and saw a lot of people hating on the super commercial songs like Halo. And I get it. But what’s your favorite basic/commercial Beyoncé song?

Mine is hands down Irreplaceable. Loved it then, love it now.

PS - don’t even try to say Crazy in Love because that doesn’t count 🤣

I’m so sad for her but also the amount of gorgeous black art she celebrated and owned in that house is also extremely saddening to lose.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crmnm2g1z74o.amp