You got to respect Beyonce’s singing ability. You have to respect her work ethic. You most definitely must respect her business acumen. However, her music’s ability to show depth has always been questionable to certain critics. On Beyonce’s new album, Lemonade, she’s finally showed us more than just dance tunes and girl anthems. Lemonade, surprisingly, takes listeners into a different, deeper dimension of her character and mind. Beyonce premiered a hour-long video on HBO on Saturday night. The visuals left viewers speechless as innuendos of her personal life were revealed in several songs such as “Hold Up” and “Don’t Hurt Yourself.” The stages of Beyonce’s emotions were outlined in the HBO special, with each being explained through broken poetry. Intution, Denial, Anger, Apathy, Emptiness, Accountability, Reformation, Forgiveness, Resurrection, Hope, and Redemption signified her emotions. As dark and emotional as the visual was, it was clear that Beyonce used this album as a tool to raise awareness about relationships, the plight of the Black woman, and individual strength and self-worth. Immediately following the special, Lemonade was made available exclusively on Tidal. Lemonade consists of 12 tracks and features James Blake, Jack White, Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. Diplo, Hit-Boy and Just Blaze are credited as producers on the album. Also, Soulja Boy and Outkast are listed as writers on the album because of samples used. 1. PRAY YOU CATCH ME 2. HOLD UP 3. DON’T HURT YOURSELF f. Jack White 4. SORRY 5. 6 INCH f. The Weeknd 6. DADDY LESSONS 7. LOVE DROUGHT 8. SANDCASTLES 9. FORWARD f. James Blake 10. FREEDOM f. Kendrick Lamar 11. ALL NIGHT 12. FROMATION As of Sunday night, the album is now available on iTunes for $17.99.
