On April 23, 2016, at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night, my life was changed. Beyoncé released Lemonade and set the world into chaos. Who was “Becky with the good hair?” Did Jay-Z really cheat on Queen Bey? Were we all fans of country now? These were just a few of the questions I began asking myself after watching all 65 minutes of Beyoncé’s newest visual album. Set in a New Orleans-type setting, much like her video for “Formation,” Beyoncé takes us on a journey from a place of hurt and betrayal to a place of forgiveness and love renewed. She shows us that she’s human, despite the high pedestal that we place her on. There were a few stand-out songs for me, so I thought that I’d share them with you. Enjoy!
1. “Hold Up”
The island reggae vibe of “Hold Up” made me fall in love with it instantly, but add in the lyrics and I was even more in love. Beyoncé asks, “What worse, looking jealous or crazy?” to which she responds, “I’d rather be crazy.” I think we can all relate to a situation in which a person has pushed us to our limits and has had us looking oh-so-crazy. Oh, and just so you all know, Bey was not talking about actual hot sauce in her bag in “Formation,” but Hot Sauce, a bat.
2. “Don’t Hurt Yourself”
Let me just say that if I was Jay-Z I would be a little scared of my wife. Beyoncé opens with the line, “Who the f**k do you think I am? You ain’t married to no average b***h boy!” Jay-Z better get his act together!
3. “Sorry”
The moment I saw Serena Williams twerking, I was like “Yaaaaas boo!” In this song, Bey tells the potential victimized Jay-Z that she isn’t sorry for her careless actions, because she isn’t sorry. This is just a feel-good, let-loose song, until the very end when she tells Jay that he “better call Becky with the good hair.” Um, what?! Who is Becky? It has been speculated that everyone from Rachel Roy to Gwyenth Paltrow to Rita Ora is Becky, though no one besides Beyoncé herself can really be sure.
4. “Sandcastles”
A different sound from the other songs on the album so far, “Sandcastles” is the sort of revelation of a relationship on the rocks. Do they break up, or do they do everything in their power to make it work? The video for this song features Jay-Z for the first time and shows tender moments between the couple. Maybe there’s hope?
5. “Forward”
In this song, featuring James Blake, Beyoncé shows the mothers of Eric Brown, Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, all who were killed at the hands of police brutality. The short but moving moment pulled at my heartstrings, for you could see the pain of the mothers in their eyes.
6. “All Night”
“All Night” is that sort of love song that proves all of the doubters wrong. It is clear here that Bey has forgiven Jay-Z, as she features intimate moments from their life, including footage from their wedding and her being pregnant with the ever-so-beautiful Blue Ivy.
Queen Bey did it again!