On 'Lemonade,' Beyoncé Serves Unsweetened Truth & Empowerment

"You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation," goes one of the closing lines on Beyonc�'s single "Formation," which dropped on Super Bowl weekend in February.

About two weeks ago, Beyonc� and HBO announced that the network would air an hour-long program called "Lemonade" on April 23. It turned out to be Beyonc�'s second visual album - a stunning film that found the pop superstar in a number of dreamlike scenarios, stitched together with visual themes of Southern Gothic tropes and powerful images of the antebellum South.

But what most people took away from "Lemonade" was its narrative, which tells the story of one woman's (Beyonc�'s) emotional journey after finding out her (loving?) husband (Jay Z) cheated on her. Bey and Jay are perhaps the most famous celebrity couple right now and have, up until this month, projected a happy marriage and family life. And whether or not her new music is autobiographical or not, fans cannot help with the speculation (re: Beyhive attacking Rachel Roy and Rita Ora over for possibly being Becky With the Good Hair).

Her game-changing self-titled album, which was unexpectedly released at the end of 2013, was mostly a love letter to her seemingly perfect marriage: On "Drunk in Love," which features Jay Z and may be be the biggest hit from "Beyonc�," Beyonc� sings: "I want your body right here, daddy I want you, right now / Can't keep your eyes off my fatty."

But there were some moments of doubt on that album, like on the songs "Jealousy" and "Mine." Hindsight is 20/20 and the tracks that show cracks in the veneer could be viewed as precursors to "Lemonade." And in a post-elevator-incident world, "Lemonade" fully smashes any notion that things have been peachy for Beyonc� behind closed doors.

This is the first time Bey has fully acknowledge the 2014 incident - the infamous surveillance video footage showing sister Solange physically attack Jay Z while Beyonc� stands to the side; emotionless and still. But she's anything but silent on "Lemonade." In the 57-minute movie, Bey drags Jay for his alleged transgressions, calling him out and eviscerating him - so much so that by the end of the film, I thought we'd see Beyonc� drawing up divorce papers and hand them to Jay.

The first half of "Lemonade" is incredibly thrilling and empowering: Beyonc�'s steps down from her perfect perch in pop heaven and becomes one of us, fully opening up (in song) about the emotional turmoil she's gone through. The album-version of "Lemonade," which does not include the beautiful writings from Somali-British poet Warsan Shire that Beyonc� recites in the film, starts with "Pray You Catch Me," an ambient-gospel song where Bey is challenging her spouse's secrets: "Prayin' to catch you whispering / I'm prayin' you catch me listening."

The next few tracks proves to be one of the strongest and most impressive stretches of music in recent memory. "Hold Up" is a minimal but fierce cut produced by Diplo. It also features lyrics from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps," one of the best songs of the 00s, interpolated by Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig: "Hold up, they don't love you like I love you / Slow down, they don't love you like I love you / Back up, they don't love you like I love you / Step down, they don't love you like I love you," she sings over a slight reggae beat. She goes on to blast Jay in the following cut, "Don't Hurt Yourself," featuring Jack White.

It's her most visceral and gritty song; the perfect evolution of "Ring the Alarm." Beyonc�'s voice is usually ethereal and polished but here, she trades in her signature powerhouse voice for edge and goes full punk, yelling: "Who the fuck do you think I is? / You ain't married to no average bitch boy," she pulsates before adding the brilliant line: "You can watch my fat ass twist boy / As I bounce to the next dick boy."

"Sorry," which has single-upside, is a synth-laden flippant song about getting together with your BFFs in the club. It's an anthem that contains some of the most empowering language on the "Lemonade," where Beyonc� interpolates the phrase "sorry I'm not sorry" and sings "suck my balls." The bridge also has the best "I don't give a fuck" message, finding Bey chanting, "Middle fingers up, put them hands high / Wave it in his face, tell him, boy, bye / Tell him, boy, bye, middle fingers up / I ain't thinking 'bout you."

In the dark and smokey "Six Inch," featuring R&B singer The Weeknd, Beyonc� gets her revenge, singing about destroying her enemies, while keeping things centered with another powerful anthem about working. She's telling women to keep focused on work and being independent; working hard and making money.

The album's trajectory is highlighted in the "Lemonade" film by title cards that show words like "Denial" and "Apathy." Bey's emotional journey, though not as literal, is expressed on the album too. "Daddy Lessons," a country song infused with New Orleans pride, is one of the few fumbles on "Lemonade" although it is imperative to the overall story: Here, Beyonc� compares her man's cheating ways to her father's problematic history, another relatable story for several women.

As "Lemonade" moves along, Beyonc� goes from rage to apathy to loneliness to pride and finally acceptance. On the stunning "Sandcastles" Bey finally gives us a raw ballad, letting her voice to transform into a wounded whimper. She also comes to somewhat of a resolution with regards to her relationship. The song bleeds into "Forward," featuring U.K. singer James Blake, which is more of an interlude that brings the narrative to Beyonc� realizing she wants to carry ahead with her marriage.

The last three cuts on "Lemonade" are equally as powerful, starting with "Freedom," a funky Kendrick Lamar-featuring anthem dedicated to black women, powered by hope and spirit. It's as politically direct as "Formation" and just as uplifting. With the mid-tempo ballad "All Night" Bey winds things down, and provides a happy ending to her story - the horn-laden song sounds like it would have fit perfectly on the backyard BBQ jams on "4" as it has Beyonc� singing things are going to be OK.

It makes sense Beyonc� has kept quiet about her relationship woes: She was smartly saving it for the phenomenal and layered "Lemonade," another impressive artistic achievement, solidifying the singer as one of the most talented and tenacious musicians working in the music industry. "Lemonade" is as much of a piece of work as a mission statement: the only features on the project are men, who Bey uses as tools to make her music as perfect as possible -- they are here to elevate the music, not to take the spotlight away from Queen B.

"Lemonade" is an ode to marital strife and the struggles many black women encounter in their lives, making "Lemonade" both universal and extremely specific. Beyonc� always sounds authoritative, even during her most downtrodden moments. As a black woman, society gave Beyonc� lemons, but she wants her most important fans to know that, despite what's thrown at you, it's possible to make lemonade.