Beyoncé’s album released on April 23, 2016, after a surprise visual premiere was Lemonade.
The project first appeared as a one-hour film on HBO, then became available as a studio album through streaming services and digital retailers. Its release followed a promotional campaign that offered little advance information.
Lemonade combines pop, R&B, rock, country, blues, and hip-hop influences. Its songs and film explore themes of betrayal, grief, anger, reconciliation, Black identity, and family, with poetry by Warsan Shire woven into the visual presentation.
The album is often discussed alongside Beyoncé’s 2013 self-titled album because both used surprise-release strategies. Lemonade differs in having an accompanying film and a strongly unified narrative structure.