By Caley Griebenow, associate editor-in-chief
After the craziness of studying for my AP tests is finally over (hallelujah), I had the chance to sit down and really listen to Beyoncé’s newest album LEMONADE.  And all I have to say, this album is pretty remarkable.
Before even getting into the music, this album caused such a scene on Twitter and Instagram that I felt I had already listened to the album. There were hundreds of thousands of tweets about the release of this long-awaited album. All the while memes of Jay-Z were popping up left and right, and people were actually subscribing to Tidal. Seriously. Come to think of it, the whole “marriage in crisis” thing could be a brilliantly designed publicity stunt, considering Jay Z was involved in the making of LEMONADE.
The whole “Jay Z cheated on her” debacle was largely fueled from the unapologetic song “Sorry” where Beyoncé sings, “looking at my watch, he shoulda been home…Today I regret the night I put that ring on”.
LEMONADE, to me,  is so captivating because it’s a beautifully done visual album, combining the powerful images with lyrics. The visuals include the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown, all holding pictures of their sons who were killed by police. Beyoncé also included Serena Williams, Quvenzhané Wallis, Zendaya and Amandla Stenberg, who are known for their activism on racial issues. The celebration of blackness was a central theme in her single “Formation” and LEMONADE is no different. But even if you don’t have a subscription to HBO, the album without the visuals does not feel lacking.
The most powerful songs are “Forward” and “Freedom”, with the lyrics including, “Its time to listen, it’s time to fight…Forward” and “I break chains all by myself, won’t let my freedom rot in hell, Hey I’ma keep runnin’, cause a winner don’t quit on themselves”. These songs get in your head and stay there.
After listening to the album I would have to declare that my favorite song, “ Sandcastles” stands out because it’s a ballad in which Beyoncé sounds much more human, rather than this larger than life performer she’s often portrayed as. She sings soulfully, “We built Sandcastles that washed away, I made you cry when I walked away, and although I promised that I couldn’t stay, babe, some promises don’t work out that way”. The music is equally as emotional, with sweeping piano chords working with the lyrics to break your heart.
Beyoncé continues to impress, from the fact that none of her six albums sound the same, and that each one sounds better than the next.