What’s sour and sweet and leaves you thirsty for more? Beyoncé’s Lemonade, the superstar’s sixth solo album, which dropped Saturday after a one-hour world premier on HBO.
Lemonade is spiked with a distinct taste of vengeance — one that we’re not used to hearing so loud and clear from the artist who brought us feel-good anthems like XO, Love on Top and Crazy in Love. Beyoncé’s departure is layered with the pain of a love lost, and the empowering realizations that hers is a love to lose.
A little bit country, a little bit R&B, a little bit fem-powerment, a little bit f-you, Lemonade is a new recipe for Queen Bey — a mix of raw imperfections that go down easier with each replay.
All the while, I’ll wonder if this recipe is a PR play to engage America in the rollercoaster relationship that is Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Listening to the sultry Sorry and 6 Inch (feat. the Weeknd), I couldn’t help but feel unsettled, voyeuristic even — like I was watching something perfect corrode. But is it all for show? Only time will tell. In the meantime, download Lemonade on Jay-Z’s Tidal.
