Hold up: It’s been exactly 10 years since Beyoncé dropped Lemonade, and to celebrate the anniversary, we’re breaking down some must-know facts about the groundbreaking visual album.
On April 23, 2016, just days before she was set to embark on the Formation World Tour, Beyoncé, 44, surprised fans with her sixth studio album, Lemonade.
Premiering alongside the 13 tracks — including “Hold Up,” “All Night,” “Freedom” and “Daddy Lessons” — was an hour-long film, directed by the Grammy winner herself.
Keep scrolling for 25 things you don’t know about Lemonade, as seen in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now:
1. Beyoncé shocked fans by surprise-releasing her sixth studio album, Lemonade, on April 23, 2016.
2. This was not the first time she kept new music under wraps — she also did so on her self-titled 2013 album and later with her 2018 collaborative album with Jay-Z, Everything Is Love. In fact, she’s largely credited with popularizing the surprise album drop.
3. Lemonade was released as a visual album, premiering alongside an hour-long film.
4. The visual component was directed by Beyoncé alongside collaborators including Kahlil Joseph and Melina Matsoukas.
5. Beyoncé performed “Formation,” the lead single on Lemonade, for the first time just a day after it was released during her guest appearance at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, headlined by Coldplay.
6. She announced the Formation World Tour — which was, at the time, the first all-stadium tour by a female artist in history — immediately following her Super Bowl halftime performance.
7. The album is a conceptual song cycle, tracing a relationship from betrayal to reconciliation.
8. Lemonade came in response to public scrutiny of her marriage following rumors of Jay-Z’s infidelity, which was fueled by a physical altercation between the rapper and Beyoncé’s sister Solange at the 2014 Met Gala.
9. The album features collaborations with artists like Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and James Blake.
10. It explores a variety of genres, including rock, R&B, country, soul, hip-hop and gospel.
11. All 12 songs from Lemonade charted on the Billboard Hot 100, making Beyoncé the first woman to achieve that feat simultaneously.
12. It became Beyoncé’s sixth consecutive solo studio album to debut at No. 1.
13. Diplo, MNEK, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig and Father John Misty are among the 15 writers credited on “Hold Up.”
14. The film, much of which was shot in Louisiana, pays tribute to Black womanhood and Beyoncé’s southern upbringing.
15. It also explores topics of generational trauma, African-American culture, social justice and forgiveness.
16. The film features spoken-word interludes adapted from Somali-British poet Warsan Shire.
17. It includes appearances from celebrities like Serena Williams, Zendaya and Winnie Harlow.
18. Beyoncé’s eldest daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, and mother, Tina Knowles, also make cameos.
19. As shown in the visual component, the album’s title was inspired by a speech made by Hattie White, Jay-Z’s grandmother, who told family and friends, “I was served lemons, but I made lemonade” in a message of resilience and healing.
20. Lemonade earned nine nominations at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, and it took home the award for Best Urban Contemporary Album.
21. It was also nominated for four Emmy awards and won a Peabody Award.
22. Rolling Stone named Lemonade as the No. 1 album of the 21st century.
23. Beyoncé ultimately lost Album of the Year to Adele’s 25. (Though in her speech, Adele said, “The artist of my life is Beyoncé.”)
24. Beyoncé performed “Freedom” with Kendrick Lamar as the surprise opening number at the 2016 BET Awards.
25. Several artists, including Sabrina Carpenter, Cardi B and Fergie, have credited Lemonade with influencing their own work.
