Lemonade is Beyoncé’s visual album about Black identity, womanhood, and personal betrayal.
Released in 2016, Lemonade combines R&B, pop, rock, hip-hop, blues, country, and other styles. Its accompanying film first aired on HBO, and the album’s visual presentation helped connect its songs into a larger narrative about grief, anger, reconciliation, and empowerment.
The project drew on poetry by Warsan Shire and featured collaborations with artists including Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, James Blake, and The Weeknd. Its songs include “Formation,” “Sorry,” “Hold Up,” and “Freedom.”
Lemonade received widespread critical acclaim and earned nine Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year. It won the Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album. The title is sometimes associated with the phrase “when life gives you lemons,” but Beyoncé’s project is also rooted in family history and Black Southern cultural imagery.