Lemonade is an extraordinary exploration of grief, told through the lens of a narrator confronting infidelity.
Beyoncé’s Lemonade was released ten years ago today. It is her sixth solo studio album. Similar to her 2013 eponymous release, Lemonade was released as a surprise album following the premiere of an HBO special of the same name.
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This track’s opening is spooky. Once you get through it, however, you’re greeted with a compelling vocal performance delivering lines from a wronged POV. It’s almost heartbreaking the way you can almost picture her holding tears back on this track. Then the strings wash it all off on the outro before the “What are you doing, my love?” question closes the track. It’s a great opening.
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“Hold Up” is, by all means, a career standout for Beyoncé. From the fluctuating frequencies on the instrumental to Beyoncé’s vocals reaching great heights and depths, there’s not one thing to hate about this track. Overall, it’s a dizzying yet mesmerizing reggae-lite experience that carries the frustration of the narrator perfectly. Iconic.
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If you’d asked me to guess what song Beyoncé would be smashing cars with a baseball bat to without having seen the album’s music videos beforehand, I’d argue it would be this one. This album explores grief through the stages defined in the Kubler-Ross model, and boy, did it nail the anger stage with this one. “If you try this shit again, you gon’ lose your wife.”
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“I ain’t thinkin’ ‘bout you.” The chorus might, at first listen, sound a bit repetitive, but I’d argue that that only emphasizes the drunken rage sentiment the song conveys. Beneath all that rage, somehow, there still lies a tune that can be interpreted as fun bop, if you’re not paying close attention to the lyrics.
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We get the first prominent guest vocals on the project from The Weeknd with the track’s opening verse. Beyoncé’s vocals go very low on the track’s chorus before delivering her verses. The production rests slightly above what you’d expect from the average late-2010s hip-hop affair with its blues samples and fluttering high hats. The “stars in her eyes” bridge is an exciting path to the track’s explosive finish, featuring loud belts from Beyoncé before crashing into cry-ridden notes of despair.
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“Daddy Lessons,” surprisingly, is just that—actual lessons from the narrator’s dad. Beyoncé’s vocals powerfully deliver a retelling of these lessons over a minimalist acoustic country instrumental.
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A delightful atmospheric R&B production serves as the hammock upon which Beyoncé’s saddened yet impassioned vocals rest. The track is so euphoric it feels a bit like a trippy interlude despite its four-minute runtime.
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If Beyoncé’s performances had “power” before this track, I haven’t the words to use to describe the intensity of the vocals on “Sandcastles.” Try and picture someone trying to tear down and repair a house using the power of their singing voice alone, and that’s what we have here. Then on the track’s second half, harmonies swell in and out to accent Beyoncé’s lead vocal performance. It’s overall an intense ballad.
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Truly, we’ve hit the “acceptance” stage. James Blake’s compelling baritone vocals steer the ship for this brief sail, with Beyoncé’s supporting vocals appearing on the track’s closing lines. It feels like all the tears have finally been wiped away now.
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“I break chains all by myself / Won’t let my freedom rot in hell.” If I were to use one word to describe “Freedom,” I would say “charge.” The charge from Beyoncé’s signature grunts on the chorus is enough to set a whole army in motion. Kendrick Lamar’s performance only adds a second cherry to this ice-cream sundae of a track.
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“They say true love’s the greatest weapon.” This feels so much like a beaming light at the end of a very long tunnel. It’s very well-written. Beyoncé’s lead vocal performance is great, especially at the parts where it glides into the higher register on the choruses. The harmonies that accent every line are phenomenal.
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“Y’all haters corny with that Illuminati mess.” “Formation” is undoubtedly another career highlight for Beyoncé; however, I’m unsure how it feels as the closer for the Lemonade album, especially coming after something as euphoric and high-note as “All Night.” It’s “Formation,” nonetheless—an excellent track.
I remember when this album came out, and the early members of the “chronically online” generation took the infidelity narrative and ran far and wide. For me, Lemonade works perfectly without the celebrity narrative. It’s a remarkable exploration of the stages of grief with great additions that explore themes of hope, love, and boss-bitch energy added at the end for a fuller narrative.
It’s a classic.
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