On what date was Beyoncé’s surprise visual album Lemonade released?

Beyoncé released her surprise visual album Lemonade on April 23, 2016.

The project premiered on HBO as a one-hour film and became available digitally through Tidal and other services the same day. Lemonade combines twelve songs with a visual narrative divided into chapters such as “Intuition,” “Denial,” “Anger,” “Apathy,” “Accountability,” “Reformation” and “Hope.”

Its music draws on R&B, rock, country, blues, reggae and spoken-word poetry. The album includes guest appearances by Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, James Blake and The Weeknd. Critics praised its ambitious storytelling and its exploration of Black womanhood, family, betrayal and resilience.

Lemonade debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and earned nine Grammy nominations, winning two. Because it arrived without a conventional advance campaign, its exact release date is often remembered as an example of Beyoncé’s surprise-album strategy.