Beyoncé is one of the most successful celebrities and vocalists in the entire world. Everything she does — from a surprise tour to a new album — creates huge hype among the music community. No matter how high the expectations are, Beyoncé never fails to entertain. In her new album “Lemonade,” Beyoncé is absolutely honest with her fans. She opens up about her struggles and the emotions that she faces on a daily basis, humanizing herself and making herself relatable to her fans. In “Lemonade,” she is honest about her identity, and if you weren’t a fan of Beyoncé before, you will be now.
Beyoncé opens her art-project with her own poetry about her insecurities when it comes to cheating. Her pain and sadness melts into her vocals when she sings in “Pray You Catch Me.” The beauty of the lyrics mixed with her vocals truly encapsulates the vulnerability she feels when she suspects her man is cheating on her.
Of course, Beyoncé does not want to keep you sad throughout her album. In “Hold Up,” she mixes classical music with reggae and hip-hop beats to scold her man who is cheating on her despite her constant and steadfast love. The catchy chorus mixed her with her rapping in this track makes an upbeat song that ironically masks the betrayal she feels. Naturally, she feels humiliation about his situation because her man is with her — the “baddest woman in the game up in your sheets.” The video captures vibrant colors to represent her destruction and anger in the song.
Throughout this album, Beyoncé incorporates all music genres in her album. In “Don’t Hurt Yourself” featuring Jack White on the bass guitar and backup vocals, she raises awareness about how black women in America are the most marginalized group. She incorporates this message into a track about a lover betraying her.
Beyoncé does not want to feel bad for herself, or for you to feel bad for yourself if your significant other cheats on you. “Sorry” is an ode to women everywhere, saying that you should never give in when your boyfriend tries to get you to forgive him, despite cheating on you. No matter what, when “he tryin roll up, [don’t you] pick up.” In this empowerment-based track, the hip-hop beats mixed with a hint of pop truly encapsulates strength.
Naturally, Beyoncé is a jack-of-all-genres when it comes to music, and country falls on that list for “Daddy’s Lessons.” Beyoncé touches on the lessons her father taught her in regards to strength, and most importantly, she warns women not to fall in love with deceitful men. In this country track, Beyoncé uses acoustic instruments mixed with harmonicas, creating a strong backdrop for the song. Though Beyoncé has not done a country track before, her vocals and the rhythms makes the track flow well.
After listening to this album, it is apparent that Jay-Z cheated on Beyoncé. On this album, every single song is about cheating, and she has made many references to her own personal life. Cheating is a very personal and sensitive subject, and the way that Beyoncé has chosen to discuss this with such poise and elegance is truly admirable. Throughout this entire album, Beyoncé has incorporated various musical styles to show that she is more than your average pop star, and in every single song, she has truly slayed.