Coping with Infidelity. That is the main theme that stands out to me as I watch and Listen to Beyonce's Lemonade. It isn't every day that you hear from the epitome of woman herself that her man stepped out on her. It isn't every day that you see and hear real vulnerability in the voice of an artist. It isn't every day that the feeling you see in the visuals for a piece of work allow something to resonate inside of you.
This is what Beyonce accomplished with her album. Quite frankly Lemonade has been on repeat in my room for a number of days now. I love it... really and truly. I love the fact that every song correlates to a stage in Beyonce's coping process.
Lemonade opens with the first stage. 'Intuition'. Here in the poetry and in the song that relates 'Pray You Catch Me', Beyonce lets us know that before she came to a conclusion, she had suspicions. She could 'smell the dishonesty' on his breath even though he 'passed it off so cavalier'. You are gripped with her chilling vocals as she belts out her sorrowful suspicions.
Before we transition to the next stage, 'Denial'. We eat up even more poetic windows of Yonce's soul. Here we learn what we thought was impossible. She's a normal woman. Just like Us. She has insecurities just like the rest of us. She questions her self wonders if she's good enough. Denies herself the truth of the infidelity because of her fear that it would shatter the perfect world she's so carefully crafted for herself. Her feelings of safety are threatened once she begins to question what is. in 'Hold Up' she's saying how could you do this to me? after all the love i've given to you so freely? Personally I love this sequence because we learn what the 'hot sauce' in her bag really is and it shows when then switch flips inside a woman unleashing that crazy that we hide deep deep down.
You don't want to see Beyonce when she's angry.... 'Don't Hurt Yourself' is clear indication of this. Beyonce is Raw. She's Open. She's Pissed The F**K off. If the lyrics are any hint at what was going through her mind, clearly Jay-Z almost had a divorce on his hands. I think this is the song i listened to the most on the entire album. Soemthing about the gritty beat and the vocals which was so unusual from any of Beyonce's previous work. Everything on here is so different, so far from the box that i placed her in because she usually only sang a single type of song. Lemonade shows major artistic growth and development on her part.
Sorry is such a powerful song. You know when men cheat they like to blame it on the woman? They like to say you weren't doing enough of this so I had to cheat if you catch my drift. Beyonce is saying she's not sorry for being who she is. She's not going t beat down herself or see herself as anything less just because her husband 'stepped out'. I also loved the fact that Serena was in this video being as unapologetic as she can. Beyonce uses this masterpiece to preach empowerment to women. take dem sour lemons and make sweet lemonade. Serena gets continuously bashed because of her body. People are threatened that someone so visibly female can be considered the best tennis player amongst male and female players alike. She's not sorry for being powerful heck Serena out here twerking!
Still. In the midst of everything... anger and apathy often leave behind feelings of emptiness. Because where love once filled a space, nothing but hatred exists for that person. That can be a dangerous thing. That void that builds has the potential to break a person much more than any infidelity can. This is the true test of the individual. This is the turning point. Where you have to decide what person you are and if you're going to let the experience hold you back from living life.
Daddy Lessons. Yes. Beyonce went there. Beyonce is holding men accountable for their actions. Not just her husband; but her father, our brothers, our cousins, our sons. All the men who perpetuated dishonesty and by extensions ruined homes, scarred children, broke hearts. She tells us that this isn't the first time she's been through the stages. Her father did the same thing in her youth... She's saying that when people hold them accountable and confront them with their deeds, there is a likelihood that some change can be made.
The path to forgiveness begins here. she's not forgetting what he did. She's just recognizing that what they had together is beautiful and isn't something that she should just throw away. It's inspiring really. That she believes that her love can reform/ change the situation. it's the first step to progression in right direction. a movement away from the anger and emptiness that could have consumed her.
Forgiveness is realized. It's a beautiful thing really. recognizing that you have something special and you'll fight not to lose it. going over your relationship and understanding that all the good out weighs the bad. Understanding that despite the mistakes, the love you have for each other still exists. Things may have gone off track (Rachel Roy) .... ugh .... but with work, we can get things done.
Beyonce is telling us to move forward. Not backward. Resurrect that love that you've got deep down and recommit to what you have. Winners never quit and quitters never win. Every good thing requires a fair amount of specialized attention and detail.
My Favorite Part About The Whole of Lemonade.... is its femaleness. This album, from its message to its presentation is empowering. It's calling on women to love themselves for who they are, much more than 2013's Feelin Myself ever did. It's calling on women to acknowledge their insecurities and overcome them which is a much truer message than "Flawless" could ever preach. The strong powerful images of black women. The afros, the diversity, the love is great. One sequence said "the most unappreciated person in America is the black woman". This is true for more than just America. Black women sacrifice so much. They give so much of themselves for their men and their employer's and their children and what is left back for them? We're called to get in Formation. We're told to take what is ours. To revel in our power, utilize our intellect... our untapped potential. Lemonade goes beyond a chronicle of emotion. We are shown that women the ones who shoulder our community can be insecure, we're allowed to get angry. We are shown the power of a woman's capacity to forgive. We are called to see and identify and hold our men accountable for their wrongs. Not just hold them accountable, but help them up. Move forward with them and inspire changes so the cycle does not continue. The Album is so deep. So Powerful. I didn't even get to fill in everything because i think i'm coming down with Carpel-tunnel syndrome :) .
Congratulations Beyonce. You've Done Good.
