Lemonade was Beyoncé’s 2016 visual album about infidelity, resilience, and Black womanhood.
Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records released Lemonade on April 23, 2016, following its premiere as an hour-long film on HBO. The project combines songs, poetry, spoken passages, and imagery connected to African American history, family, marriage, grief, anger, forgiveness, and renewal.
The album includes “Formation,” “Sorry,” “Hold Up,” “Freedom,” and “All Night.” Its guest contributors include Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, James Blake, and The Weeknd. Lemonade received widespread critical acclaim and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
The work is frequently discussed in relation to Beyoncé’s marriage to Jay-Z, but its meaning is broader than a literal diary. Its visual chapters draw on poetry by Warsan Shire and imagery from Black Southern culture. The title also connects to a proverb about turning difficult circumstances into something sustaining.