I snatched the below commentary from a Facebook post someone shared. I absolutely loved it as it perfectly states all of my sentiments. I am a fan of Beyonce and her latest work Lemonade. I have read many people who share my views, but others counter them. They want to minimalize this piece of work to good marketing and mediocre lyrics. They don't even comment on the video/movie. I believe Bene Viera, who wrote the below, speaks the best truth.
By: Bene Viera
I'm not one for brevity so bare with me please. There should be no think pieces about #Lemonade up yet. There is way too much to unpack. And if you're writing that it's mainly about infidelity and marital strife w/Jay you've missed the mark.
Let's start here though: Beyoncé made #Lemonade for Black women first, then Black people as a whole. Sure, others can enjoy it. But it's for us. Therefore, we really should be the ones writing about and dissecting it. If you didn't know what "call Becky with the good hair" meant without Googling, put your pen down. We don't want to read it.
Now, a lot of y'all didn't think Bey was deep enough b/c she don't wear a head wrap and light incense like your Mother Earth faves. No shade. But the imagery in #Lemonade is channeling all kinds of Oshun and Yemaya symbolism. It's heavily African influenced in every way imaginable. Then we have black feminist theory all up and through. Narrated through the words of the great warsan shire, a Somalian born poet who is the greatest of our time.
Put aside the gossip for a second to dig a bit deeper. I know it's entertaining. But this is about so much more than her working through a man cheating. It's about black womanhood and that journey of coming into your own. Deciding that love is transformative. Telling us, black people, black women, that with love and hope we will win. Realizing our power as women. And healing. Lemonade tackles lineage, generational curses, black feminism, the work women put into relationships, how anger can fuel greatness, sisterhood, loving ourselves, reconciling with being a daddy's girl while simultaneously being disappointed with how he did your mom, power, healing, freedom. Black women ALWAYS being given lemons but making lemonade. Don't reduce it to a story about infidelity. Please.
If Beyoncé doesn't inspire you to be great and pour everything into your craft and clapback through your work being great and to elevate every single time you do something, you ain't paying attention.
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