Up until last week, lemonade was just a sugary drink that hit the spot after a day at the beach. After the debut of Beyoncé’s new album, the word has been given a whole new meaning.
The visual album, which features videos for 12 of the 13 songs, aired April 23, on HBO. After watching and listening to the entire album, I have one word: Amazing.
It was like something out of a dream. Her powerful mix of visuals, spoken word, confessions and lyrics is like no other.
“Lemonade” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and if that wasn’t impressive enough, it just adds to the list of Beyoncé’s other six studio albums that have debuted at No. 1 on the same chart. “Lemonade” follows her self-titled album in 2013, “4,” which was released in 2011, “I Am… Sasha Fierce,” which debuted in 2008, “B’Day,” which was put out in 2006 and her first was “Dangerously In Love,” which she released in 2003.
Sales for “Lemonade” closed the week ending April, 28, with 653,000 units sold, according to an annual music sales report by Nielsen Music. Of that number, 485,000 were from pre-sale revenue.
Beyoncé’s fanbase is massive, but part of her magic is knowing how to appeal to each and every one of them. The fact that she sold almost 500,000 albums before anyone had even listened the music on it, speaks for itself.
Fans are freaking out over the collaborations on the album — Robert Plant, Jack White, Kendrick Lamar and MNEK. I mean, how could anyone say “no” to Beyoncé, but still — that takes serious talent to bring that many talented musicians together.
The meanings behind the lyrics are what’s really been taking social media by storm. There are themes of love, betrayal, empowerment, feminism and family — I don’t think I blinked once.
When she says, “You can taste the dishonesty, it’s all over your breath,” in the song “Pray You Catch Me,” and “Step down, they don’t love you like I love you,” from “Hold Up,” it gets real.
At this point in the album I already hate her husband Jay Z, but then fashion designer Rachel Roy comes into play.
“He only want me when I’m not there. He better call Becky with the good hair,” Beyoncé sings.
Her fans went on a witch hunt for “Becky with the good hair.” Roy was all over social media being seen as the “Becky.”
If the lyrics, “ashes to ashes, dust to sidechicks,” wasn’t enough of a warning for Roy, I don’t know what is.
Her fans even attacked Rachel Ray, the Food Network star and talk show host, on Twitter.
One user tweeted, “You been cooking up those 30 minute meals behind the queen’s back,huh?”
She’s just trying to make quick and easy meals on a budget, give her a break.
Roy fired back at allegations by tweeting: “I respect love, marriages, families and strength. What shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone, no matter what, is bullying, of any kind.”
Some supporters of Roy are arguing against the accusations, saying that because Beyoncé didn’t write the music, the rumors aren’t true.
Technically, that’s correct. One of the first names on the credit roll at the end is poet Warsan Shire. She credited him with film adaptation and poetry.
I’m not someone who usually reads into celebrity gossip that much, but this is fascinating to me. Maybe we’ll never know for sure who Becky with the good hair is.
Email Madison Winters at madison.winters@cardinalpointsonline.com
