Lemonade was released right after HBO aired the one-hour “visual album” version. The video combined the songs with poetry written by Somali-British author Warsan Shire, images of women and families, and Beyoncé in both glamorous and unglamorous outfits and poses. She also released a full-length video to accompany her album Beyoncé, which was released in 2013.
Beyoncé was able to release a streamed album and be guaranteed an audience because of her superstar status. She was not constrained by the traditional demands of producing an album intended for radio. Fans can stream the entire album at once, rather than being introduced to it by one single.
The album showcases Beyoncé’s versatility. It includes a brass band, blues-rock, and R&B. Beyoncé collaborated with a series of other artists on Lemonade, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Father John Misty, Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective, Jack White, and James Blake. Beyoncé’s single “Formation” is the last song on Lemonade, but it is not in the extended video. On “Freedom,” Beyoncé mixes preaching, a prison song, a rap, and 1960s fuzz-tone psychedelia.
Even though the album addresses problems in her marriage, it is by no means an indication that Beyoncé and Jay Z are heading for divorce. The album lists the singer, songwriter, and director as Beyoncé Knowles Carter. Additionally, the songs on Lemonade ultimately trend toward reconciliation between Beyoncé and Jay Z.
The title of the album comes from a comment made by Jay Z’s grandmother at her 90th birthday party. She said she was served lemons but made lemonade. buyTickets.com has tickets to see Beyoncé perform at upcoming concerts on her Formation World Tour. You can watch her perform new songs from Lemonade, as well as many other hits. Order your tickets today.