I have one thing to say: YAAAASSSSSSSS!!
When Queen Bey releases an album the world stands still and with the release of Lemonade, there was no exception. Beyoncé came like a thief in the night and snatched my breath away. Earlier in February, we had a taste of Mrs Carter’s wide-range persona with the release of her track Formation, but with her visual album, Lemonade, Her Highness stretched to levels yet to be touched by others.
Lemonade opens with Beyoncé elegantly strutting through a street in a yellow dress and carrying a baseball bat, moments later she’s swinging at cars and breaking windows. Perhaps this could be a tribute to Michael Jackson’s banned ‘Black or White Panther Dance’ video?
Smashing cars is just the tip of the iceberg. Queen Yonce finally opened up to the world, and she had some profound things to say. She sang about her marital problems; letting us mortals know that even BEYONCÉ gets cheated on. She addressed the undesirable image of black women with a feature quote from Malcolm X:
“The most disrespected person in America is a black woman, the most unprotected person in America is a black woman. The most neglected person in America is a black woman.”
Cameos were made by women of colour who have voiced their support for ‘Black Lives Matter’ and made clear their unapologetic attitude for being part of the minority. The likes of Serena Williams, Zendaya, Amandla Stenberg, Winnie Harlow, Quvenzhane Willis, Lisa Kainde and Naomi Diaz graced our screens. Lemonade also featured cameos from the mothers whose sons were the victims of police brutality, which had me using Kleenex boxes for days. Yonce took the angry black woman stereotype and flipped the switch, showing elegance and forgiveness in her anger. Not only did she stay in formation as an “angry black woman” but she also made the public understand that there is a reason for women of colour in America to be angry, yet when they voice their anger they are seen as aggressive and crazy… I too would smash windows and break doors if I was cheated on and seen as lesser on a constant basis.
The appeal of Lemonade is not only in the political messages and scornful tales but also in the visual beauty of her videos. The artistry was sublime, the camera angles were noteworthy, the fashion had me making lists for my next shopping spree and the atmosphere set within each shot were nothing short of memorable.
I do note the bullying that came with the line “Becky with the good hair” at the expense of Rachel Roy and it saddens me that something with such a powerful message was reduced to unnecessary drama and hate. But all in all I salute Queen Bey and all the ladies that slayed for a job well done.