Beyoncé released Lemonade in 2016 as a visual album exploring marriage, betrayal, healing, and Black womanhood.
The album premiered on April 23, 2016, alongside a one-hour film broadcast on HBO. Its songs move through styles including R&B, rock, country, blues, reggae, and spoken word. The project features contributions from artists such as Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, James Blake, and The Weeknd.
Lemonade debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and received widespread critical acclaim. “Formation,” “Sorry,” and “Hold Up” became especially prominent songs from the project. The album is sometimes described only as a breakup record, but its narrative also draws on family history, cultural memory, faith, resilience, and collective identity.