Lemonade

I may not be a lemonade guy, but I can drink Beyoncé's lemonade any day of the week

Beyoncé literally took the phrase "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" and made it into a whole concept album, and it's fucking amazing. I have no problem with her previous albums, but I think a change in sound and esthetic was necessary for Beyoncé, not only for us, but for herself as well. I won't talk about the whole backstory of Lemonade, but this album is basically Beyoncé healing from her emotional wounds, both from her being a very successful woman in the music industry and her rocky marriage. I love how Beyoncé balances vulnerability with confidence. While I wouldn't have minded if this album was sad or vulnerable throughout, I think having confidence mixed in was a smart choice, as it does feel like Beyoncé is genuinely healing and is having more confidence in herself. I also absolutely love the production, as it does an amazing job transitioning from somber production to more badass and confidence production while still feeling cohesive. You can immediately see that with tracks Pray You Catch Me and Hold Up. Pray You Catch Me doesn't waste any time with setting the esthetic album, having beautiful piano along with some amazing orchestration. Beyoncé sounds amazing here, maybe even better here than on her self-titled. The lyrics are great and painfully honest, as it's Beyoncé singing about wanting to hear her lover slip up and be dishonest with her, and even though she knows that's terrible, she still prays for that day to come so she doesn't have to feel anxious all the time. But then we transition smoothly into Hold Up, which is very different yet doesn't feel out of place. The production this time around is playful and screams confidence. Beyoncé sounds more comfortable and badass, as Beyoncé confidently sings about loving her lover more than the people around him, and even though this lover possibly doesn't show the same affection, that doesn't change a thing. That's what I love most about Lemonade. Each track is very different from one another, and yet they transition seamlessly. For me, that's what a healing process is all about. It's feeling the ups and downs of life, but ending with you feeling a little better about yourself. Of course, there's some tracks here that absolutely bang. Don't Hurt Yourself and Freedom are some great examples of that. Don't Hurt Yourself has some amazing rock production that's very different for Beyoncé, but she just tears it up with her energy vocals. Freedom is no different, as the production feels confident and has an amazing triumphant feeling, with Beyoncé and Kendrick perfectly matching that energy and giving us some great verses. Sorry is also pretty great and sees Beyoncé going back to that self-titled era, just more refined and fun. Daddy Lessons is amazing and underrated, in my opinion. The production is a lot more folky and jazzy, but still feeling badass. The lyrics are also some of my on the album, as it shows us why Beyoncé is who she is today. She got it all from her dad. The last 2 tracks end the album pretty great. All Night has some more beautiful production, and while it's more slow, it feels more upbeat than most of the other slow tracks. Beyoncé sounds fantastic, especially on the chorus. I didn't even realize the lyrics were pretty sexual, not that I'm surprised. Formation did confuse me at first, being that it's the final track. But after a few more listens, I think it's a perfect way to end the album. It's Beyoncé at her most confident and carefree, and she sounds amazing. The production is also badass and nothing short of weird but catchy. Overall, Lemonade is unsurprisingly Beyoncé's best album. It's her at not only her most vulnerable but also her most confident. The production is some of her best, and the lyrics are brutally honest. Probably some of the best pop I've heard.