Beyonce – Lemonade

I have to admit that when Beyoncé came out with all this girl power stuff I rolled my eyes thinking we were going through another Spice Girls version of feminism light. Well, I stand corrected. While she is not the most militant feminist ever, Beyoncé does advocate equality for women and if you feel you are not getting it to stand up for yourself. That being said her latest album, Lemonade, shows a harder and rawer side of the mega star. Throughout most of the album she is pissed off and not going to take it anymore. The music is still pop but with a harder edge because of the overall tone of the lyrics. Queen Bey allows us inside her heart and mind even delving into the problems of marriage. Hers, to be more precise. All her dirty laundry is hung out to dry with plenty of heartache and anger due to betrayal and cheating. All of us are looking at Jay Z a little differently after presuming he is the adulterer she is singing about. Beyoncé no longer appears to be “Drunk in Love”; she is a more mature woman who has plenty more life experience. Emotions ooze out of every track. She is feelin’ it and takes the listener right along with her. Besides all the anger and invitation into her life this is probably her most adventurous when it comes to sound as well. From rock to gospel to blues being incorporated in different tracks. Influences and contributions from different musicians are everywhere.  The genius that is Kendrick Lemar adds his brilliance to a track called “Freedom”. The Weeknd sings on “6 inch” and James Blake is on “Forward”. She borrows from Yoko One on the breathtaking ballad “Love Drought”. Gets a ton of filthy guitar from Jack White on “Don’t Hurt Yourself”. This is an opus from a huge star who does not have to kowtow to anyone – record labels, music trends or even her own husband.