Beyoncé released Lemonade on April 23, 2016, with no traditional advance announcement. It arrived first as a one-hour film on HBO and then as a widely discussed visual album, combining music, poetry, imagery, and storytelling.
The project contains twelve tracks, including “Formation,” “Sorry,” “Hold Up,” and “Freedom.” Its themes include betrayal, identity, Black womanhood, family, heritage, and resilience. The album draws on multiple musical styles, including R&B, rock, country, blues, pop, and hip-hop.
Lemonade was acclaimed by critics and became Beyoncé’s sixth consecutive number-one album on the Billboard 200. It received nine Grammy nominations and won Best Urban Contemporary Album. A common mix-up is the release date: the film and album arrived together on April 23, while the physical edition followed later.