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Beyonce | Lemonade | A Review


Onika

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BEYONCE // LEMONADE

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I don't know why I felt like doing this, boredom mostly I suppose, but as someone who typically doesn't curr for Beyonce, I thought it might be interesting to do a first listen review of Lemonade. Critics seem to be creaming themselves over it, so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Rating each track from 1 - 5. Let's go.

 

1. PRAY YOU CATCH ME - 2/5

Intro's kinda weird, but seems like a standard ballad after that point with some urban influences in the beat. Kinda tired of hearing her say "pray you catch me" 18,000 times. C'mon, you your ghostwriters can do better than that. Lyrically very thin, the production is interesting but not enough to make up for the lack of lyricism. Not saying pop music has to be brilliantly lyrical or anything, but seems strange for a ballad with as emotional a delivery as this has.

 

2. HOLD UP - 2/5

The beat reminds me of something that I can't quite put my finger on, but I'm liking the caribbean/reggae-sounding influences. Not sure I'm in love with the phrasing clashing with the beat so much. Sounds kind of awkward. Wait--what the fuck just happened with that random hihat section (2:36)? The airhorns here REALLY cheapen the song.

 

3. DON'T HURT YOURSELF FEAT. JACK WHITE - 3/5

Oh naa naa, what's my genre? Why is "dick" censored but not "motherfucker"? Sounds awk. I like this a lot more once the guitars come in around the minute and a half mark. Gives the song some edge which better matches the vocal production. I could see this growing on me.

 

4. SORRY - 4/5

Quite enjoying this dreamy production, but I could do without the constantly repeated "Sorry" in the background. This is my favorite song on the album so far though.

 

5. 6 INCH FEAT. THE WEEKND - 5/5

Bey's vocals here are sexy as fuck. I'm even okay with Abel's performance here, and he's not exactly my favorite. The production is on point too. The trap influences feel natural and work well. This is how you do a midtempo. The bridge feels somewhat awkwardly shoveled in here, but it doesn't really detract from the overall song.

 

6. DADDY LESSONS - 2/5

Before I even listen, this title kinda creeps me out dead2 okay onto the actual song

Every single one of y'all saying this album is cohesive, y'all need to get your ears checked. Not saying that's a bad thing, but this album is stylistically scatterbrained as all hell. The song itself is the definition of meh for me. I mean, it's produced well and everything, but just not my cup of tea. I prefer more urban influenced stuff, and this doesn't fit into the album well at all.

 

7. LOVE DROUGHT - 2/5

I'm already a fan of the production just a few seconds in. She sounds nasally on most of the album, but that's especially apparent here. Maybe I just haven't listened to her enough and that's how she always sounds, but from what I have heard that sounds abnormal to me? I like the verses, but the chorus kinda falls flat for me. Meh, overall.

 

8. SANDCASTLES - 2/5

This sounds like every other Beyonce ballad in history. Down to the sparse piano instrumental, the vocal inflections. I appreciate the rawness when her voice starts cracking though, but it snaps back so quickly you don't even have time to appreciate it.

 

9. FORWARD FEAT. JAMES BLAKE

I realized this was an interlude afterward, pls disregard.

 

10. FREEDOM FEAT. KENDRICK LAMAR - 4/5

I like the retro feel in the production, I'm a fan. Vocal performance is solid and intriguing. Well written track. Kendrick's verse is pretty okay, it starts a little weird but gets better fairly quickly. The clapping was a little much coming off the song, but makes more sense once the speech starts.

 

11. ALL NIGHT - 3/5

I didn't think I liked the song until it got to the first chorus, which significantly improved the feel for me. The production is a grower as well. Dear Hold Up, this is how a horn should be used in a song, not that cheap wannabe DJ sound effect every moron with a MacBook and a pair of Beats uses (yes I'm aware it's a different kind of horn, but the point remains).

 

12. FORMATION - 1/5

NO.

 

AVERAGE - 2.8/5

Overall, Lemonade sounds like a 2016 Beyonce album. I like more of this than I did ST, but that wasn't a terribly high bar. Maybe I'll feel differently at some later point in time, but for now I'll be keeping Don't Hurt Yourself, Sorry, 6 Inch, Freedom & maybe All Night. The rest will be deleted, fat. Drag me in the comments or w/e.

10 Comments


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You had your opinion made up about everything even before the album was released, so ehh didnt expect much from this review shrug1

 

 

glad you like like 2 songs tho!

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what a taste ew1

I could understand if it would be DIL (It's not bad maybe I'll change my mind) but not with this masterpiece of an album alex1

Watch the Movie and listen to it a few times and try again bey2

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26 minutes ago, Philip said:

You had your opinion made up about everything even before the album was released, so ehh didnt expect much from this review shrug1

 

 

glad you like like 2 songs tho!

I said I was sick of hearing about it, which is true, but I wanted to hear it for myself, so... shrug1

7 minutes ago, BEYONCÉ said:

what a taste ew1

I could understand if it would be DIL (It's not bad maybe I'll change my mind) but not with this masterpiece of an album alex1

Watch the Movie and listen to it a few times and try again bey2

I never got into Beyonce as a whole, and DIL was so long ago I couldn't give you any real thoughts on it tbh. Maybe, we'll see.

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Nice review, I actually expected you to go "NO." on all of them, considering your Formation hate. sia3 You should definitely watch the movie, it gives a lot of sense and cohesiveness to the album, and the visuals are just stunning, it's a must even if you don't like the songs much.

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8. SANDCASTLES - 2/5

This sounds like every other Beyonce ballad in history. Down to the sparse piano instrumental, the vocal inflections. I appreciate the rawness when her voice starts cracking though, but it snaps back so quickly you don't even have time to appreciate it.

 

9. FORWARD FEAT. JAMES BLAKE - 1/5

While I do love a good smooth song transition, this is literally the same instrumental which is a little odd. Aaaand it's over already. Oh okay. Not really sure what that was supposed to be.

 

 

I guess you're right but I won't let forward drag the overall mark down bey2 it's like like a interlude dressed as a song! add a (interlude) bracket on it and it won't even be included in everyone's reviews sia3 

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3 hours ago, Hyun. said:

Nice review, I actually expected you to go "NO." on all of them, considering your Formation hate. sia3 You should definitely watch the movie, it gives a lot of sense and cohesiveness to the album, and the visuals are just stunning, it's a must even if you don't like the songs much.

Lmao I'm not gonna lie, it's slightly less horrid in the context of the album, but I still can't get through it. I plan on watching the movie at some point, but I didn't have the time this morning dead2 

2 hours ago, blankdreams said:

8. SANDCASTLES - 2/5

This sounds like every other Beyonce ballad in history. Down to the sparse piano instrumental, the vocal inflections. I appreciate the rawness when her voice starts cracking though, but it snaps back so quickly you don't even have time to appreciate it.

 

9. FORWARD FEAT. JAMES BLAKE - 1/5

While I do love a good smooth song transition, this is literally the same instrumental which is a little odd. Aaaand it's over already. Oh okay. Not really sure what that was supposed to be.

 

 

I guess you're right but I won't let forward drag the overall mark down bey2 it's like like a interlude dressed as a song! add a (interlude) bracket on it and it won't even be included in everyone's reviews sia3 

Lmao I kinda realized that it was an interlude after the fact, lemme edit

1 hour ago, #JusticeForSober said:

Yas stan the two best songs on the album All Night and Freedom! ny1 

See, I'm not a total Bey hater, I liked almost half the album! lol2 

10 minutes ago, Sylkmonster said:

Onika good sis I love you, but this review is a flop rih9

 

Point me to a single lie rih9

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