A storage unit that was registered to Beyoncé's Parkwood Entertainment had items stolen from it, some of the items stolen belonged to Beyoncé. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Five years ago Queen Bey dropped her award-winning, visual album ‘Lemonade’ and heads around the world turned in response! The 12-track masterpiece opened Beyonce’s typically private life to spectating eyes. In ‘Lemonade,’ she gave powerful stories on cheating, racism, generational trauma, healing, empowerment and Black pride. And you better believe, everyone was tuned in and rejoicing in the opportunity to know the mega star a little deeper.
Before the actual album drop, Bey premiered a 65-minute, accompanying visual element. The short film snatched wigs with stunning, simplistic yet highly-detailed imagery. ‘Lemonade,’ the visual, showcased Beyoncè’s range in artistic vision. She served us choreographed dances, underwater imagery, delicate home videos, heavy fashion drip and touching portrayals of Black people in love, in pain, in joy and standing in unity and understanding.
The short film was a collective of related music videos for songs on the album. Each of the 11 videos were presented as a chapter in Beyoncé’s story that led us to her eventual place of healing and forgiveness. Beyoncé flowed through different emotions represented as: “Intuition,” “Denial,” “Anger,” “Apathy,” “Emptiness,” “Accountability,” “Reformation,” “Forgiveness,” “Resurrection,” “Hope,” and “Redemption.”
Vox reported that nearly 787,000 people watched the project on HBO. Shortly afterwards, the film visual and album got published on Jay-Z’s streaming platform, Tidal.
Besides spilling marriage tea and inspiring viral one-liners like “Becky with the good hair,” ‘Lemonade’ also earned multiple awards and honors. It was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, but ultimately snagged two. ‘Lemonade’s’ influence was so powerful that Adele declined to proudly accept her 2017 ‘Album of the Year’ Grammy, Essence reported.
“I can’t possibly accept this award, and I’m very humbled, and I’m very grateful and gracious, but the artist of my life is Beyoncé,” Adele said. “You are our light, and the way that you make me and my friends feel—the way that you make my Black friends feel—is empowering, and you make them stand up for themselves. And I love you, I always have, and I always will.”
The album also earned a Peabody Award in entertainment and eight BET awards in 2016 and 2017, according to Essence. By June 2016, ‘Lemonade’ was certified platinum and only three years later it tripled that status.
Billboard also reported that ‘Lemonade’ made history as the first album by a female artist to have 12 or more songs on the Hot 100 chart simultaneously.
On Friday, fans celebrated the 5-year milestone with the trending hashtag #5YearsofLEMONADE on Twitter.
The visual of Beyoncé hanging out the car carefree with her blonde Lemonade braids will forever be etched into our minds — and most of us can agree that we love it there.
Roomies, what song from ‘Lemonade’ did you have on repeat after its initial drop?
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