BY DANA GALO
Beyonce and Jay-Z’s latest joint album came as a surprise to all, as the power couple dropped it during the first leg of their international summer tour. The album celebrates the strength of the artists’ marriage. After scrutiny in the media regarding cheating and divorce scandals, Beyonce and Jay-Z’s relationship became infinitely stronger. Listeners are taken through an emotional journey of betrayal, forgiveness, and love. In addition to showcasing themes of resilience, power, and money, Everything is Love also tackles important social issues, including race and police brutality. While Beyonce and Jay-Z have been very careful about exposing personal information to the public, often releasing only a few selected images to control their narrative, their latest album holds nothing back. Essentially, Beyonce’s Lemonade and Jay-Z’s 4:44 are two sides of a story that resulted in Everything is Love.
The opening track “SUMMER” immediately reminds fans of Beyonce’s previous hit album, Lemonade. Beyonce sings warmly about her love for Jay-Z, complemented by a soulful band. After the last melodic strings disappear, “APESHIT” instantly takes the album in a different direction, aggressively addressing power and status. Quavo and Offset are also featured on the Pharrell-produced track. Beyonce flawlessly raps in this song, which proves to be a massively pleasant surprise. She shares great verses, including “Put some respect on my check / Or pay me in equity / Watch me reverse out of debt (skrt!).” “APESHIT” remains the only video yet to be released from the album, which takes place ironically in the Louvre, juxtaposing a museum that is filled with priceless art created by and depicting mainly white people, which is instead crowded with black creators and artists. The two colors, black and white, are contradicted throughout the entirety of the video, a piece of artwork itself.
“BOSS” continues the prominent themes of generational wealth and the overlooked strength of the black community. Beyonce declares “My great-great-grandchildren already rich / That’s a lot of brown children on your Forbes list.” While the song addresses the couple’s financial sustainability, the music is a beautiful collaboration of an electronic beat paired with horned instruments, easily making it one of the best songs on the 9 track album.
Both “NICE” and “713,” the are toned down a little, but are no less intoxicating. Jay-Z discusses his controversial past and limitless future, while “713” continues to establish how ambitious their children are able to be. “FRIENDS” and “HEARD ABOUT US” alternatively demonstrate a softer, keyboard heavy vibe, where the couple gives shoutouts to their friends. Beyonce sings “I love my life / They my ride or dies / My friends are goals.” “HEARD ABOUT US” again melodically connotes nostalgia to Lemonade, as Jay raps praises for his wife. Finally, “BLACK EFFECT” and “LOVEHAPPY” conclude the album on a happy note, stating how the couple uses their unstoppable power to benefit community and achieve social justice. Overall, Everything is Love fits much more into the rap genre than Beyonce’s typical pop category. This hit album will no doubt cause ticket sales for the “On the Run II” tour to skyrocket.