Beyoncé’s visual album released in April 2016 as a companion to an HBO film was Lemonade.
Lemonade premiered on HBO on April 23, 2016, as a one-hour film combining music, poetry, and striking visual sequences. The album became available digitally the same day through Tidal and other services. Its songs move through themes including betrayal, grief, anger, reconciliation, family, and Black identity.
The project was Beyoncé’s sixth studio album and followed her self-titled 2013 album. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, giving her a sixth consecutive number-one album in the United States.
Lemonade is sometimes called only an album, but its defining format is a visual album: the audio release and the film were designed as a connected work. Its singles included “Formation,” “Sorry,” and “Hold Up,” while the project received widespread critical recognition and multiple awards.