Notes on "Lemonade"

Freedom

 Just like ‘Formation’, the song is political in nature and touches on issues such as systemic racism, as well as its consequences from the times of slavery up until today’s times. Lamar touches on the issue of police brutality in his verse:

•  Seven misleadin' statements 'bout my persona/Six headlights wavin' in my direction/Five-O askin' me what's in my possession/Yeah I keep runnin', jump in the aqueducts

This can be an allusion to how earlier in the film we saw black mothers holding pictures of their children killed by the police.

Freedom is also an empowering, motivational message of hope. The overwhelming notion being that black people will overcome these brutal issues and that liberation is within reach.

• Hey! I'ma keep running/Cause a winner don't quit on themselves

• I'ma riot, I'ma riot through your borders/Call me bulletproof

Overall, Freedom encourages action and promotes taking control of ones future. Just like beyonce takes control of the narrative of her affair and marital crisis, she prompts black people to take control of their narrative and power through any hard situation and make the best of it.

Just like the last line of the song says, spoken by Hattie White, one should take their hardships and turn them into power. 

• I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to cool myself off. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade.

This is an obvious reference to the name of the whole album. Beyonce was presented with a hardship- so called lemons, and came out with a powerful surprise visual album that lets her process her emotions surrounding the affair and channel them into her work. She turned the lemons into lemonade.

Resurrection:

We hear a voice of a black woman speaking about the importance of love and loving the lord. Love is supposed to be the future of the next generation- a leading force. Just like Beyonce’s love to her partner leads her forward. (the poem literally blends into the song “forward”) She speaks of her faith and how jesus is the answer to getting out of a hard situation. When youre stuck against the wall, you have to call jesus because he's your only hope.

Something is missing. I’ve never seen this in my life. So many young women, they tell you, "I want me a hu (husband)  — see, all them make me feel better than you." So how we supposed to lead our children to the future? What do we do? How do we lead them? Love. L-O-V-E, love. Mm-mmm-mmm. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. I just love the Lord, I'm sorry, brother. I love the Lord. That's all I got.

When your back gets against the wall and your wall against your back, who you call? Hey! Who you call? Who you call? You gotta call Him. You gotta call Jesus. You gotta call Him. You gotta call Him 'cause you ain't got another hope.

You are terrifying ... and strange and beautiful. 

Magic.

The poem blends into the song “forward”

6 Inch

The three main characters featured in the track are Beyonce, her partner, and the stripper. Instead of making his mistress the villain, Beyonce empowers her by showing how she ‘works hard for the money’.  Beyonce herself acts the part of the mistress in the video, swinging a red ball on a chain around the house, symbolising a destructive power, possibly a homewrecker. Instead of antagonising her, beyonce sympathises with her by one; playing her part herself, and two; associating her character with the colour red, the colour of lust, sex/ love , power, anger

, six inch heels that symbolise the grind and hustle of strippers and exotic dancers, as well as the limousine which is a symbol of wealth and power/class. We see beyonce sit in the back, where a person of power usually sits when being driven by a chauffeur .

Fire is another major part of the visual side of the music video. Beyonce first sets the door on fire, while walking away from, exhibiting power in her expression, as well as in her stance and gait. She wears a white lace outfit, very reminiscent of a wedding dress. Then, the entire house catches fire. It is the same house where we see a bed lit in red lighting for a few split seconds in the video, as well as where beyonce swings the red ball around on a chain, again exhibiting her power in dim red lighting. The fire itself can be seen as a symbol of burning down and destruction, as well as enlightenment and renewal. Beyonce herself does not burn, she walks away from it, letting the house burn down, symbolically leaving a chapter behind and letting it burn. While beyonce stands calmly in front of the burning house, we see flashing camera lights, observing her and putting her life on display, just like beyonce felt the affair was on display. Her home and her relationship are on fire, and its all on display for the world to see.

Hold Up

In the music video for “Hold Up” Beyonce alludes to Oshun- an Orisha of the Yoruba religion. Orishas are deities sent by the gods and Oshun is one of the most powerful and the only female spirit. She is associated with the color gold, rivers, fertility and womanhood, as well as sensuality and love. She is one of the most powerful orishas while still retaining her human traits such as vanity, jealousy, and spite. She is benevolent and sweet, however when hurt or betrayed she can be fierce and spiteful. 

Beyonce channels the goddess Oshun and unleashes her rage as she walks through the streets of New Orleans with a baseball bat, smashing the surrounding cars. Just like Oshun, she is dressed in gold as she steps onto the streets barefoot, accompanied by a river flowing from the building. 

Through channeling the Yoruba goddess, Beyonce can feel empowered and powerful. The similarities between Beyonce and Oshun are not only referenced on the visual level. Beyonce, just like Oshun, is a mother, a lover, and a woman who is severely hurt. She fiercely lets her rage known by bringing destruction. Just like Beyonce, she can still dance and laugh while taking revenge on those that have hurt her.