On December 13, 2013, Beyonce dropped a self-titled visual album which included not only 14 new songs but also a music video for each. Hits from the album include "Drunk in Love," "***Flawless," and "Pretty Hurts." Social media went wild with amazement that none of the album had been leaked and that no one knew it was going to be released. It was the album drop heard around the world.
Today, April 23, 2016, she has dropped another visual album. Once again, Queen B has slain social media with a new album; though this one was not unanticipated, it has already caused an equivalent stir. After the debut of Beyonce's HBO special, "Lemonade," an album of the same name became available on Tidal. The album features 12 songs, including the controversy-inspiring hit "Formation." The album features other artists, including Jack White, The Weeknd, James Blake, and Kendrick Lamar.
Both the album and the special focuses on Beyonce's life and identity as a black woman in the world. She's not a figure to shy away from political statements—the Black Panther references in her Superbowl 50 halftime appearance, for instance—and she has once again spoken out against injustice and proven herself as a figurehead for the modern civil rights movement. She has repeatedly shown herself to be a heroine for black power, and with the footage on the visual album, she demonstrates her cultural and social impact once again.
Much of the album includes references and imagery to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement as well as insight into Beyonce's own life. One section, "Resurrection," shows footage of the mothers of Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown, both of whom were killed and neither of whom received justice. The deaths of both men became prominent images in the BLM movement, and being used in such a way by a musician is not only powerful and emotional but also very political.
Beyonce also included home videos showing footage of her father, her daughter Blue Ivy's birth, and her wedding to rapper Jay Z. The mix of political and personal footage solidified the message of the visuals and music. The music and the footage is based on Beyonce's experiences throughout life, and is said to be a "conceptual project based on every woman's journey of self-knowledge and healing." Both the music and the visual component are blatantly honest, unabashed, and in-your-face. It is impossible to experience "Lemonade" without having a serious perspective change.
Give the album a listen here or on Tidal. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and stare in amazement at the political, social, and cultural statement Beyonce has made.
