Beyonce’s Album Lemonade
Lemonade is an album that was released by the American singer Beyoncé early this year. The album is composed of different genres of music such as RnB, hip hop, trap, blues, gospel, soul, and funk among others (Peisner 12). The album can be designated as the theoretical project based on a woman’s journey to personal identity, knowledge and healing. The album has twelve songs that are featured from different artists. The album has been sold all over the world with an estimate of 490,000 copies that were sold in the first week after release (Peisner 12). It is vital to note that the album has been divided into eleven fragments namely resentment, rejection, lethargy, emptiness, restoration, anticipation, responsibility, clairvoyance, resurgence, forgiveness and reclamation (Peisner 12).
theme of infidelity is very evident in the album especially in the first half of the album that puts much emphasis on feelings and emotions that arise from realizing that the husband has been cheating on her (Rys 11). This can be seen form the statement that she says she gives love for lemons and lemonade. This is metaphorical to show that instead of love she received pain and bitterness. The album is launched with pray with me, which reveals a lot of mourning in her words that stated dishonesty could be tasted all over the breath (Chiu 21). It is evident that the act of infidelity from the partner brought about different other emotions such as disbelief and sorrow which with time grows into anger and lethargy. This can be seen in the song, “hold up” where she speaks of what a wicked way to treat a girl who loves you (Chiu 21).
The theme of infidelity can be termed as one of the major weaknesses of human beings that happen in the everyday life. It is also true to say that this has become very common in the society and especially in this industrialized revolution (Rys 11). The theme is also brought out in the song “all night” where she sings of many people trying to kiss, touch, rub and feel the partner all night. It can also be said that the singer was trying to release her hurt emotions through the song.It is vital to note that the songs in the album are built on one another (Chiu 22). This is to mean that they all bring out the aspect of infidelity but in different emotions. For example in the song “don’t hurt yourself”, the emotion of anger and rage as a result of the betrayal is at its peak. She no longer cares about the person in question and even asks who he thinks he is. The emotion in this song can be felt due to the shrieking quality of the vocal effects (Chiu 23).
As discussed above, the songs are built on one another and also show the different stages of emotion that come with betrayal. The first songs shows a lot of anger, bitterness and resentment but as the album continues the aspect of restoration of hope is seen and also healing of the heart that later gives in to forgiveness (Johnston 1). The album shows how the singer has been working on her emotions and by the end of the album she is ready to fight for her relationship. The second to last song in the album brings about of the sexual energy that Beyoncé has for the partner from the songs “crazy in love” and “drunk in love” (Chiu 23).
It is vital to note that the album depicts that which happens in the daily life. The emotions that come alongside betrayal are also shown in the songs (Chiu 24). However, lemonade is more of a teaching to people that despite the fact that infidelity is wrong, a point of forgiveness is critical in order to save the relationship. This is done in cases where there may be children in the relationship who may suffer the consequences of a divorce (Chiu 24). It is also clear that this may happen to anybody despite the social status. Beyonce can be said to be a superstar who seems to have it all in life but the theme clearly shows that feelings and emotions are subject to all people despite the class and staus in life (Chiu 25).
The album also shows the effects of infidelity on an individual and also how it may affect the family. Daily stories show of different consequences of the same such as separation, divorce, children being raised by single parents or even death (Rys 12). We also see the aspect of revenge that comes upon the singer due to the hurt that she experienced. The theme has been brought about well in rthe film and also brings up the aspect of affairs and teaches a lot about relatuionships (Rys 12). The video in the album also shows the flood of emotions that the singer is in; this can be shown by how she throws a door open and water flows out fast. The actions that follow in the album clearly show that infidelity is among the worst things that can happen to a person. Nevertheless, the singer does not present herself as a victim of the circumstance but rather as a powerful woman who is encompassed by the power of love (Rys 12).
The album lemonade begins by showing Beyonce with beautiful hair braids in a state of quiteness on a car. Her face is covered by the fur coat she is wearing and she keeps repeating a line asking what she is going to d (Johnston 1). It is vital to note that the singer’s career has been very succesful due to her ability of having a clear division and balance between her public and private life. The release of the album not only amplified the degenerating aspect in her marriage life but also humanized her music through her personal feelings and emotions (Johnston 1).
It is also evident that since the release of the album, different people have been trying to figure out the lyrics in the album, the poetry and the language used. It is clear that some understand the album as a take on blackness, relationships, the womanhood and strength to carry on through adversity as the singer relates the album to her personal life (Chiu 26). However, the mention of Becky in one of her lines brings in much controversy as most people belive the song was directed to her husband JayZ. Questions if becky is the other woman raises many questions of the faithfulness of the husband (Chiu 26).
Some of the theories about the album state that the story is not about husband to Beyonce but about a designer Rachel Roy and the lines in the songs implied to particular occurences that had taken place before (Rahman 52). For instance when the singer sang the song “pray you catch me” implied to an incidence that took place in an elevator back in the year 2014. The songs that follow imply of the incidences that took place thereafter to the point of forgiveness and they continued with the relationship with her husband (Rahman 52).
It is vital to note that Beyonce in lemonade has offered a template on how to deal with infidelity in marriage. In the album she portrays her struggle in dealing with unfaithfulness from her husband and also how she was engulfed in a psychological roller coaster (Rys 12). she allows herself to go through different emotions . In the song “dont hurt yourself” she is trying to let the partner know that letting her go would be to his own destruction because she is the ultimate prize (Chiu 27). It is also evident that she echoes the lines of her being irreplaceable by stating that iof he played her, he was playing himself. This is to show that she was a woman who believed in herself and she was not desperate for a man (Rahman 53).
However, in “sandcastles” she seems to be so sympathetic with JayZ to a point she states that she understand that as a human being one may stumble and is capable of doing things that were not expected (Rahman 53). She also seems to be putting herself into his shoes and is reassuring him that things were going to be okay despite the current circumstances. It is clear that in lemonade understanding your own reality is of great importance in life (Rahman 53).
Work Cited
PEISNER, DAVID. "The Small Army Behind ‘Lemonade’." Rolling Stone 1261 (2016): 12. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 May 2016.
RYS, DAN. "Beyoncé Lifts A Rising Tidal." Billboard 128.12 (2016): 11-12. Business Source Complete. Web. 11 May 2016.
Chiu, Melody, et al. "Scoop." People 85.20 (2016): 21-28. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 May 2016.
Johnston, Maura. "Review: Beyoncé Makes Lemonade From Romantic Strife On Her New Album." Time.Com (2016): 1. Business Source Complete. Web. 11 May 2016.
Rahman, Ray. "Beyoncé." Entertainment Weekly 1413 (2016): 52-53. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 May 2016.
PARELES, JON. "Making ‘Lemonade’ Out of Strife." New York Times 25 Apr. 2016: C1+. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 May 2016.
