Queen Bey - Making Lemonade out of Lemons

"I dream it, I work hard, I grind 'til I own it
I twirl on them haters, albino alligators"

-Beyonce, Formation

There is really no other woman like Beyonce Knowles-Carter. And you would have had to be living under a rock this past week not to hear, or see for that matter, something about her new visual album, Lemonade. We had waited patiently for this second visual album to drop, after the massive success of Formation and a number of hints regarding her epic world tour (which kicked off yesterday in Miami). And its fair to say that Queen Bey has slayed once again with her 6th album looking to hit the no 1 spot on Sunday, along with Lemonade currently ruling the iTunes album chart.

From the powerful lyrics in Freedom with Kendrick Lamar to the life lessons narrated to us in Daddy's Lessons, the military-esque dancing in Formation to the song which has caused such an uproar surrounding Beys marriage to Jay-Z, Sorry; this album consisting of 12 incredibly well written songs is a real treat and definitely an album celebrating women in general. Bey shows off her vocal range in Don't Hurt Yourself and then makes you want to get up and dance with Hold Up, which has proved to be the best selling single off the album so far. And of course, who could forget the beautiful music videos which accompany every song. We see Beyonce walking down the road in a bright yellow Roberto Cavalli dress smashing windows and cars in her wake. She rolls around on the ground on the pitch of a football stadium with daughter Blue Ivy and Jay-Z in tow. Or how about my favourite video, Formation, in which Bey lies on the top of a drowning police car in a printed red Gucci dress, or dancing around a plantation mansion in vintage Gaultier and McQueen.

There are very strong issues this singer/songwriter is stating across this album, particularly regarding the unfair and often brutal treatment of black men and women in America by the police as well as equality for women in general. With someone with as much power as Bey fronting these issues, the world has no choice but to sit up and listen, and listen they have. She has made breaking news across the globe with politicians and erm Donald Trump, all giving their opinions on Bey's strong messages.

Throughout the album and the videos there is a strong Southern theme, celebrating Beyonce's roots in Houston Texas and the old South. Songs have a country feel about them with Bey's soft accent adding to the overall theme, while her choice to film most of the videos in southern states shows her loyalty to her roots and her pride in where she was born and raised. Victoriana is also the choice of fashion, with frills, corsets and decadent jewellery all worn throughout. The inspiration for this was apparently due to the fact that it was during the Victorian period that slaves and plantations were very much prominent in America, particularly the south. Beyonce felt that everywhere she was filming carried this Victorian theme, says her stylist Marni Senofonte. "We were thinking about being on those plantations at the time of her ancestors and what they would have worn. At the time, there was slavery, so it wasn't about that. It was about looking at these beautiful women that came from Africa and accentuating this beautiful culture and beautiful people." We see Beyonce also wearing a grey Yeezy crop top and leggings, Saint Laurent studded heels, a Hood by Air fur jacket and a Yousef Al Jasmi bodysuit in other videos. In her words, Beyonce truly does slay.

In regard to the rumours circulating about Jay-Z's cheating, I don't know whether to believe the rapper has been unfaithful or that this is just a publicity stunt to promote the album. With Rita Ora and Rachel Roy both in the firing line, a lot has been said about 'Becky with the good hair' whom Beyonce name checks in her song Sorry. Is that the reason for the infamous Solange/Jay-Z elevator bust up at the Met Gala? One minute Bey is dedicating Halo to her husband on her Formation tour, and the next they are both pictured without their wedding rings... only time will tell for the truth to be revealed. Who would be mad enough to cheat on Beyonce anyway? For now, lets just enjoy the music and the fact that I have been lucky enough to get tickets to see Bey live when she comes to London for her tour in July!! If you haven't guessed already, I'm rather a big fan.