E!: Jay-Z is ‘fully supportive’ of Bey’s Lemonade, ‘they both saw dollar signs’

wenn23587763

About 25 minutes into Lemonade was when Twitter really started blowing up. The Jay-Z memes starting flying around. People were in meltdown mode, honestly believing that Lemonade was how Beyonce was announcing her divorce. But we stuck through until the end, long enough to see Beyonce’s resurrection, her peace, her truth, her acceptance of Jay’s infidelities, his weaknesses, his scars. But we’re still gossiping about it. Because Beyonce wants us to! She wouldn’t have given us Lemonade if she didn’t want us to talk about her, analyze her, gossip about her marriage, gossip about her feminism, gossip about her life. Which is what E! News decided to do, and then some. E! did a detailed analysis – with quotes from unnamed sources – about what Lemonade says about Jay and Bey’s marriage, why she decided to do Lemonade, and what this means going forward. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

Their marriage was in crisis in 2014: Their marriage was at breaking point and they were barely talking. A source says: “They had been having problems for years. There was a constant commitment issue between them and in the end they were barely speaking. Beyoncé didn’t fully trust Jay and it was hard for her to get past that. They went to a lot of counseling and have been working on their issues ever since. They had help to get them through it.”

The rumors about Rachel Roy & Jay-Z: An insider says: “It’s true, Rachel and Jay were friends and it wasn’t seen as appropriate by people who knew them.”

Why did Rachel Roy post that Instagram? “Rachel Roy wanted to defend herself after watching Beyoncé’s Lemonade,” a source close to Roy reveals, noting that her Instagram post was an “immediate reaction” to the singer’s visual album. Meanwhile, another insider adds, “Bey will never mention any names, but the people who those songs are about know.”

The Elevator Incident in 2014: “The fact everything became so public, it was embarrassing, and the first time she had to really deal with some of the questions people were asking about her marriage. It changed things. It was a pivotal moment.”

Jay supports Beyonce’s Lemonade: “He is fully supportive. He understands the reasoning. This is part of the process of being transparent. And they have healed. He has been very humble about the experience. Beyoncé is the love of his life and he will do what it takes.” Another insider adds, “Jay was involved in the creation of Lemonade and knew every song Bey was going to release. He knew the lyrics; he knew the implications. He had to approve the songs before release. Jay is a very smart businessman…Bottom line is that they are both really smart and they both saw dollar signs… Jay is all about self expression, so he gets it. Beyoncé shares music before it’s released with Jay so he can listen and share his thoughts. When it comes to music, they are very in it together and supportive of each other’s craft.”

Beyonce loves the reaction she’s gotten: “Beyoncé is amazed on how everything turned out. She worked day and night on this. She celebrated with family; Jay was by her side. When Beyoncé put this album together she was aware of the message she was sending out. She knew that people were going to dissect each word. Beyoncé wanted to connect with women’s emotions with this album.”

Their second chance: “They are going to be OK. This is round two. They are determined to make it work and we all believe they can do it.”

[From E! News]

The sources E! News spoke to make it sound like Beyonce and Jay-Z are a lot stronger right now than they were two years ago BUT their marriage is still struggling at times. Which I think is also the point of Lemonade at the end of the day – you can feel all of this hurt, anger and betrayal and still move forward within your marriage. It’s not perfect, but nothing is perfect. I believe the Rachel Roy stuff in this piece too – I think Roy did post that Instagram as a response to Beyonce and perhaps Roy didn’t fully understand what the reaction would be. And yes, I do think that Roy was at the center of the Met Gala meltdown, the elevator incident which left Beyonce feeling humiliated and exposed. Also: MONEY. For all of the gossip, for all of the dirt, for all of the exposure and the shade and the poetry… both Beyonce and Jay-Z are all about their money. That’s one of the things that unites them: their empire, their assets, their success.

wenn23782534

wenn23790724

Photos courtesy of WENN.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

138 Responses to “E!: Jay-Z is ‘fully supportive’ of Bey’s Lemonade, ‘they both saw dollar signs’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Christine says:

    Of course. Their whole relationship is about $$$$ I don’t know why Beyonce doesn’t feel like she can make it on her own. I’m not really a fan, but she has loyal supporters so I don’t think it would be much of a hit? What I do have a problem with are people are attacking women for being “Becky” when Jay is the one who cheated? Only one of those individuals took a vow to stay faithful and it wasn’t the other woman… I feel like if you take a cheater back then that’s your decision and you have to live with it. You can’t blame someone else for your partner straying, because ultimately they had the choice. It doesn’t matter if someone was coming on strong, nobody forced them in bed. And this doesn’t just apply to these two. I was on FB the other day and (unrelated) but someone posted “You are not allowed to sleep with another woman’s husband.” EXCUSE ME? How about your husband is not suppose to dick around with another woman?! Because, I don’t know, he’s your HUSBAND. /rant

    • iGotNothin says:

      I think Beyonce knows very well that she could make it on her own. She made it well before her relationship with Jay-Z. I think the thing is that she doesn’t want to. One of the underlying messages within Lemonade is the social stigma attached to the breakdown of black families. She mentions that she is like her grandmother and mother before her. They endured and stood silent, waiting for the problem to pass. You don’t share with anyone because when you do most times you are met with the age-old adage “a man will be a man.”

      You are constantly reminded of stereotype that at least 72% of black children are raised by single mothers. You’re told that fatherless homes are the norm. So the mindset is that you don’t want to be a part of that statistic. You want be different and set the standard for your child so they don’t have to grow up and accept this fate. Now imagine that you’re Beyonce. That you have all these women looking at you as the standard… #goals and such. No pressure though.

      It sounds trivial and stupid, but you know… grasp at straws when nothing else is provided.

      • Erinn says:

        It’s such a shame though – because by desperately trying to not be a single mother – you’re teaching generation after generation that it’s better to stay together in an unhealthy relationship and let things pass. That – to me – is much more damaging than being raised by a strong, hard working mother. ESPECIALLY when you have the kind of means that Bey has.

      • LizLemonGotMarried says:

        Erinn,
        Perhaps she’s teaching her that love, and forgiveness are important. That when you’re married, you accept that your partner is flawed, but you help them raise their standards. That you know going in that it was going to be a challenge, and just because it’s true you’re not giving up.
        Jay was clearly repentant-it wasn’t an unhealthy relationship on the screen. It was a man who truly wanted forgiveness. Is that their true relationship? Hell if we will ever know. All we know is what she gave us-and what she gave us is that she is forgiving, and that he is earning her forgiveness.
        I saw my parents weather infidelity (his) and come out strong on the other side. I saw them rebuild and stand together, and now they’re 39 years into their marriage and still love and support each other. Did it take work? Yes. Could my mother have left, and taken my dad for everything he had? Yep. But she didn’t. And so my child gets to see his grandparents together, and I got to grow up with two parents. And, most importantly, at the end of the day, they’re there to love, support, and care for each other as they age. That’s freaking awesome (even if they drive each other nuts sometimes). I applaud my mother, and my father who metaphorically crawled on his hands and knees and belly to get her back.

      • Kitten says:

        @LizLemonGotMarried-I loved your comment. I loved that you presented a hypothetical, a different perspective that most commenters never talk about when we’re speculating about celeb infidelity. It’s not always black and white.

        Honestly, my BF has never cheated on me and I’m confident that he never would, but hypothetically speaking, if he did, I can’t guarantee that I would dump his ass. I honestly don’t know how I would handle things. Maybe I would be so hurt that I couldn’t get over it but maybe if it was a one-night drunken indiscretion I could forgive him. I just don’t know.

        But this characterization of women who stay with a man who has cheated as somehow weak or insecure is unfair and judgmental IMO. I mean, yes that could be the case but it’s not automatically so.

        Anyway, I really appreciated what you said here.

      • Erinn says:

        That’s a great post LizLemonGotMarried.

        I do see that side. And I’m with Kitten – I don’t have any fear of my husband cheating on me…but if he did it wouldn’t necessarily spell the end of the relationship.

        I was thinking more in terms on someone cheating and cheating and cheating, and only doing something because they got caught. And cheated again. And got caught again. I think it all depends on the circumstance, for sure.

        Jay and Bey have always had a weird relationship to me. There have been so so many rumors of cheating for like their whole marriage. Maybe it was never that but, but I can’t imagine how horrible stressful that would be. I just can’t imagine having the level of forgiveness to get over sidepiece after sidepiece. Especially when the whole world is watching. Like I said though, it really does depend on the situation.

        I just don’t think it’s way healthier to stay with a serial cheater who consistently disrespects you compared to being a kick ass single mom. I can get past regretful poor decisions, as long as there is something there that really shows the repentance. If you can move past that and do so lovingly – I think that’s an incredibly strong woman. But I do have a somewhat biased and judgmental view of women who are constantly catching their husbands or boyfriends or whatever cheating on them, and yet they still dote all over them, and try so hard to be the picture perfect “wifey” type. I think there is a certain weakness in that – because it’s boiling down to being controlled by the image you’re putting out. You’re not strong enough to say ‘to hell what people will think’ and put a stop to something that is clearly bothering you.

      • Kitten says:

        @Erinn-That makes sense. It’s the difference between chronic behavior and an isolated incident. Again, I do think it’s a personal choice..for instance, if they have a business arrangement and an open marriage, then that’s their decision. I’m not sure that’s what’s happening here but either way, I do think it’s important to shield Blue Ivy from that, just like I think it’s important to shield children from adult matters in general. She doesn’t need to know the complicated dynamics of their relationship when she’s still just a child.

      • WTW says:

        @igotNothin Yes, I have a relative who’s been in an extremely dysfunctional marriage for years. Her husband is a self-centered misogynist who behaves as if everything should be his way or the highway. There is no cheating involved in this relationship, and my relative believes because her husband doesn’t cheat on her or physically abuse her, she should stay and avoid the stigma of being a single black mother, no matter that her relationship has hurt her two children terribly. Everyone in my family hates this guy, but she won’t listen to any of us and won’t leave, even though the marriage has adversely affected her health. She simply refuses to be another statistic, i.e. a single black woman. It’s really sad that in this sense, black women can’t be free. We can’t just live our lives for ourselves but must live in fear of how society will judge us for the most intimate decisions we make.

      • Tessd says:

        “You are constantly reminded of stereotype that at least 72% of black children are raised by single mothers. You’re told that fatherless homes are the norm” – this is really sad. It also reminds me of it being the norm in Russia. Women there accept this behavior as normal for men. I always thought that American women are amazing for not taking any shit from their men.
        Black women of America are better then that. They ARE American women and should not tolerate this.

      • Ada says:

        Please make your statement clear. American black families don’t generalise. Most Africans grew up with both parents. Thanks.

    • als says:

      But Beyonce didn’t tell these people whom to direct their anger at.

      She just put her version of the story out there and IMO her own anger is directed primarily at her cheating husband. She has many more lyrics about what he did to her, she is actually talking to him. The Becky stuff is just one reference when she talks about her cheating husband: “He only want me when I’m not there / He better call Becky with the good hair”
      It’s not even directed at Becky. She’s not even taking a direct hit at Becky.

      What is happening now with the Beckys is society’s own standard interpretation on cheating scandals, where in 90% of situations the blame is attributed to the mistress, not the cheating husband. Why? I don’t know.
      Beyonce put her version out there and this is how people reacted. What does that tell you about people?

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        I agree with you. The “other women” take a back seat. Her anger is directed primarily where it should be – at him. I don’t think she’s saying to stay in an unhappy marriage regardless at all. I think she’s saying this is your last chance – this is how you broke my heart – this is what I think of you for doing it – cross that line again and you will find out what consequences mean. I think her openness about it is wonderful for the person who needs it most – her. A big part of the pain of infidelity is shame and isolation. You don’t want to tell anybody because you feel that it must be something lacking in you or at least that they will see it that way. When you can finally say no, this was YOU, your decision to break your vows instead of working it out. I was there, I was loving, I’m awesome but you just wanted different, the one thing I can’t be. That’s very freeing. I’m proud of her, if that’s not too presumptuous. As an older woman to a younger woman, I’m behind her 100% in getting this out there if she’s going to forgive. He better tow the line from now on, though.

      • Kitten says:

        To answer your last question: it tells me that people are f*cking crazy.

      • Samtha says:

        I said this below, but Becky probably isn’t even a person. Becky is a concept.

    • iGotNothin says:

      @ Erinn I can’t reply directly to you. But…I agree completely. I didn’t grow up in a household where social stigma reigned supreme — my parents are firm believers in putting you happiness, mental, and emotional health first — but a lot of people do live in that environment. I think that forward movement has allowed for more openness, independence, and strength; but there’s always room for improvement.

    • Saks says:

      Yes, and as some of us have been saying, the most ironic thing is that they are attacking these women but they are “rewarding” the cheater by subscribing to Tidal…

  2. Sassenach says:

    I sort of believed the article until it said that Jay had to sign off of every song. Anyone who follows Bey knows that her music is distributed through the record company but created by her entertainment company Parkwood Entertainment. Jay doesn’t have anything to do with Parkwood. Beyoncé and her team has the final say and there have been numerous articles all week from producers and additional writers and no one has even mentioned Jay being around.

    • BendyWindy says:

      I don’t think they meant sign off in a legal, contractual way. I think they meant within the parameters of their relationship. She’s not going to release music that he feels is too honest or too humiliating because he’s still her spouse and they’re still together.

    • V4Real says:

      @Sassenach
      I said it on yesterdays’ or the day before that Jay was in on this and knew all about it.

      And maybe he did have to sign off on it; perhaps it’s a part of that business arrangement they have. Bey and Jay are a brand they don’t make too many business moves without the other knowing about it.

  3. Naya says:

    Please stop it with this money theory. This album taps into her blackness so heavily, I doubt it will sell well in her usual demography (white women!). The themes are too heavy for her younger fans. It doesnt have any instant club bangers either, so the men wont be buying out the singles.

    This was obviously an album for HER. Those of us who connect with those themes will buy but its pretty clear that Lemonade could never be a number one pop album. If I can see that, then of course Bey and Jay know that too. Its also very disturbing how this “mercanary” accusation is forever thrust at them, as if their success deeply offends the order of nature or something.

    • tracking says:

      I hadn’t thought about it this way (I was pretty cynical about the “truth value” of Lemonade at first), but this really does make sense.

    • Nic919 says:

      If money wasn’t a factor then it wouldn’t have been exclusive on Tidal which they own, or shown on HBO, which is a subscription service. They could have made this available on You Tube for free but they have not. Many of the women she should be trying to reach with her message won’t be able to afford it. So yes money is important to them.

      She isn’t the only pop star to put money as an important consideration, but it’s not like she is mother Theresa spreading her message for free either.

      • Naya says:

        Who said she was a saint? I said that its unfair to keep thrusting this money crap when clearly this is not a commercially lucrative album.

        Also all artists sell their art even when it is deeply personal, I dont see them being branded greedy. The Elton Johns and Mick Jaggers are still hustling and nobody calls them greedy for it. Eric Clapton did an album on his dead son and nobody shamed him for using his art to heal or selling the album. its pretty clear people are just bothered that a black couple has accumulated so much wealth and they lash out with the most irrational arguments.

        Btw, you may want to read up on Mother Theresa. She was a very flawed individual (as are all) and probably not the best reference point.

      • Greenieweenie says:

        @nic919, sorry, but that was a stupid comment. Why on earth would anyone think money isn’t important to them? The entire industry is about an exchange of music…for money!! People will hear this music. They’ll stream it, bootleg it and disseminate it. I just…why. “She didn’t release it on YouTube for free, so don’t you all act like she really made an album for black women.” Yeah. Okay.

        My youngest sister (incidentally poor and black!! Hahahaha. Real life just collided with Celebitchy) gave me her password for Tidal because I don’t have a c/c and I’ve streamed it 4-5 times through already. So. That wasn’t hard.

      • Luca76 says:

        Exactly!!!it doesn’t take a thing away from the quality of the album to talk about how monetized it is. I’d venture to say she will make a bigger cut of the sales of this than she did of her earlier work because of all those deals.

      • V4Real says:

        Not everyone who has something negative to say about Beyonce is hating on her because she is a successful Black woman. Some people just don’t like her in the same manner that they don’t like Gwyneth Paltrow or Angelina Jolie. Yet none here are saying people don’t like AJ or Gwyn because they are successful White women. Not everything is about race. I’m Black and I don’t really care for Bey anymore. It has nothing to do with her race or success. I just don’t think her music is as good as it used to be. I don’t like Paltrow because she’s a pretentious out of touch snob. It has nothing to do with their race.

        Of course we know Bey and Jay did this for the money and shock value. You really don’t think she did the HBO special for free do you? And some White people will still buy her music even if the songs are more like Trap music and caters to Blacks. Many years ago when NWA came out with Straight Outta Compton which spoke to the struggles of Black men and racial tension between Blacks and the police, White suburban boys were buying their music. They didn’t care that it was geared to the Black community. White boys were rapping along to “F *ck The Police as well”.

      • Naya says:

        Of course I know that many of the people who hate her are not racist. I’m saying that this specific rationale is based on racist ideas about the place of black people in the money chain. People hate Goop or AJ but you will never see such a mainstream attack campaign based on their bank accounts. AJ says she directed two war based movies to raise awareness on the impact of war but didnt give away her movies, nobody accused her of commercial opportunism or using shock value to sell her art. Goop is slammed for her snobbery and not because she dares to sell a cookbook when she is already wealthy.

        Theres a fixation on what black people make as if to say “this far and no more”. THATS the mentality behind this specific argument. Whether its conscious or sub conscious, only God knows. Maybe otherwise good people are simply unaware of how indoctrinated they are but that doesnt change the fact that this specific argument is unsubstantiated by facts (Its not a even commercial album!) and carries a racist subtext.

      • V4Real says:

        “AJ says she directed two war based movies to raise awareness on the impact of war but didnt give away her movies, nobody accused her of commercial opportunism or using shock value to sell her art.”

        You read this site a lot, yes some people did. They even called her out on talking about seeing her new boobs in “By The Sea” to entice fans to go see her film so it makes bank. They constantly said another one of her motives for this movie was to try and win an Oscar. Bey motive is money, AJ’s motive is money and recognition by The Academy.

        Robert Downey Jr. gets slammed a lot even on here because of his bank account and how much money he’s making off the Marvel films. A lot of people in the field of entertainment gets called out for being opportunist and greedy and only doing it for the money. And they all are; nothing wrong with it. Bey just stands out to some of her fans because she’s the only one they are focused on but it’s not just her as a Black entertainer, it’s a lot of people in the business. We could even use Johnny Depp as another example. The criticism is he is only doing another pirate movie because he knows that film will make money for himself and keep him relevant. It’s not mainstream because the difference is they are not out shilling their deepest darkest secret to HBO for money. But they do get slammed for how much money they make.

        And what else would drive Bey to go so in details about her marriage to Jay. This is coming from a woman who said her personal life is private, yet here she is spilling the beans about a man she is still married to. Most celebs keep their dirty laundry hidden until after they separate or divorce. So this so called mainstream attack on her bank account is because she dared to talk about her oh so private life for cash and to sell an album.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      Those of us who have mended broken hearts from cheating husbands can relate to her, too. I hear what you’re saying about it being primarily about being a black woman, but there are themes in it relatable to all women, I think, or many women, anyway.

      • jugil1 says:

        @ GNAT Yes I agree. I can relate to Lemonade’s message of hurt & betrayal by the person who is supposed to love you the most. I’m not a black woman but her feelings about infidelity on this album relate to all women. Several of these songs remind me of my former self married to my former (thankfully) ex-husband.

    • Samtha says:

      Thank you. This is not a typical pop album, and I don’t think anyone would make something this weighty and complex and non-mainstream with just dollar signs in her eyes. Do I think she hoped it would do well? Um, of course!

      But take a song like Daddy Lessons, for example (which is what I’m currently listening to)–this is not typical Beyonce pop. It has an almost country-ish mixed with old blues type of feel. And is freaking brilliant.

      Personally, I think this is her catchiest album yet, but there’s such a variety of song types that it can’t be pigeonholed into one category. It’s not an easy sell.

    • Greenieweenie says:

      ITA, but I do think it will sell well with white women. Yes, it’s an anthem for black women. But black or not, women share an experience. I think most women know what it’s like to love someone who doesn’t love you back, or doesn’t treat you right.

    • Heat says:

      If she wanted to make these songs solely for herself, why release it?
      Beyonce and Jay-Z are extremely business-savvy. They know full-well that scandal sells. ‘Lemonade’ is a musical blind-item, and look at all the press it has already garnered.
      It may not be the usual main-stream pop album that she usually releases…but the gossipy scandalous messages will make the album sell more copies than a pop album ever could.

      • Samtha says:

        Example: you have something to say, so you create a work of art to express yourself. You comment not only on your personal experiences, but also on the experiences of other woc, and on their place in society.

        Are you going to just keep that art around for yourself, because there were personal elements to it? Or do you want to share that work with everyone, because you want your voice to be heard?

        Think about it.

        Have you listened to/watched Lemonade? Because it was a lot more than a musical blind item with “gossipy scandalous messages.” In fact, IMO, that description completely misses the point of the album.

      • V4Real says:

        “Are you going to just keep that art around for yourself, because there were personal elements to it? Or do you want to share that work with everyone, because you want your voice to be heard?”

        Bey has said many times she does not talk about her personal life.

        And yes, I have seen Lemonade. Jay and Bey are a brand and this was a huge business opportunity for them. It’s working out how they wanted it too. This twitter nonsense, people like us on this site arguing for and against them. She’s the topic of headlines again. I think she likes the controversy she is creating. This is what business people in the entertainment filed do. They create media attention for themselves and sit back and watch how it plays out. We can’t be mad at them for it.

      • V4Real says:

        I meant entertainment field and to, not too. I’m typing from a phone who thinks it’s knows what I want to say.

      • Ennie says:

        Samtha, there have been (and are) artists who won’t sell some of their works, or won’t even share them with anyone. Poets, painters, photographers, et al. If they are lucky enough to live from their art, even then, some of those works could be too intimate or too precious to put them out there.
        She is very private, she won’t share her private life… boom! a tumblr or IG(can’t remember) where she posts photos of her choice. She in not so private as she is controlling of what and how she is seen.
        I cannot with the banning of media photogs from her tours, and only releasing the flattering pictures her own photographer takes. That borders into what the Kardashian do, having their own personal paparazzo.
        She is a good artist, IMO, but not all she thinks she is , some kind of living legend.

      • V4Real says:

        Prince is a good example. Some of his private work we might never get to see as well as the thousands of songs he has locked away.

  4. Jayna says:

    I said this from the beginning. All you had to do was watch what they did the last tour when his cheating was addressed on stage and and it was so blatantly hyped in little cryptic ways as the buzz began building they were getting divorced. I was succored into falling for it until it became apparent the game they were playing. It was buzz for the tour.

    • Jayna says:

      “Suckered.”

    • SloaneY says:

      You will never convince me their relationship is anything more than a business partnership. Their brand is planned.

      • CG says:

        ITA, Sloaney. And ITA, Jayna — I don’t know why people are falling for this when two years ago Bey and Jay so blatantly started up those divorce rumors to help their tour sales. SMH with these two.

    • Ennie says:

      +1 just as other reality stars, just like the Kardashians and Wests, who live an scripted life.

  5. Shambles says:

    “Jay is a very smart businessman…Bottom line is that they are both really smart and they both saw dollar signs.”

    I guess this just seems kind of gross to me. It’s like… Oh, we’re having marital problems? Cha Ching! Now, it’s their marriage and their healing process and a beautiful piece of art came out of it, I am not trying to dispute that. If we’re judging art based on whether or not it creates discussion, Lemonade is one of the best pieces we’ve seen this side of 2000. But I can’t help but find it a little skeevy that it all comes down to making money, even making money off of intimate marital issues. But they’re business people, so what did I expect, I guess.

    • Esther says:

      “they are both very smart” is such a weird thing to say. i see it all the time in american media when its about people making money as if having no morals and no filter makes you smart. just earning money no matter how is not being smart.

      • Kitten says:

        What? Intelligence and success has never been inexorably tied to morality and ethics. A person can be highly intelligent and simultaneously amoral. We see it all the time.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      But does it have to be one or the other? Can’t it be a great piece of self expression and make money, too?

      • Shambles says:

        GNATTY, it most definitely can. The one time I ever agreed with Taylor Swift on anything ever was during her beef with iTunes, when she was making the assertion that art and music have value. That’s the reason I don’t pirate music like so many people in my generation do. I buy all my music because I think the artists that created it deserve to be paid for their creations.

        In this case, I think it might be the way it’s worded? Talking about something so sensitive, intimate, and delicate as the rise, fall, potential demise, and resurrection of a marriage and saying “they saw dollar signs” in the same sentence just feels really icky to me. But that’s more on the writers of the E! article than Jay and Beyoncé themselves.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Gotcha. Yes, it was worded badly by E! because it does make it sound like that’s all it was about.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        This is where I’m at with it all. At first I was skeptical and judgmental about sharing intimacy for money, but I’ve thought about it and realize I shouldn’t presume to know their motives. I should not presume to understand their marraige whether it be authentic or a business deal. And mostly, I should not presume to know what people should and shouldn’t like, whom they choose to admire and enjoy. Lemonade obviously resonates with many women, so they have every right to love it, to support Beyonce and to feel uplifted by her expression.

        I’ve also been really cynical about staying with a cheater. I am one of those who think it’s wrong to stay and that it’s a sign of weakness. I suppose much of that stems from my own mother hooking up with loser after loser and staying with them long after she should have and at our (her children’s) expense. I don’t see staying as a symptom of insecurity or thinking you can’t make it on your own. I see it as lazy and not WANTING to make it your own, because that’s what my mom did. And she cared very much about perception so she was willing to put up the front that we were a nice family, but behind closed doors, it was anything but nice. Again, I can’t presume that all marraiges that involve infedility mirror my mothers’ marriages. Every one is different.

        I regret the negative comments I made early this week about this album and about Beyonce. Nobody jumped me for comments. I’ve just been doing some reflecting and came to the following conclusions – I don’t know her. I dont’ have a right to deem what is geniune and what is not. And nobody dubbed me the police of anything, so I am not going to diss her, her music, or her fans any more. Obviously it was a great piece of self-reflection and it obviously is making money. Honestly, in hindsight, isn’t that the goal of everyone in that industry? – Not only to make money, but to share artful expression and to not only share expression, but to hopefully make money too.

      • Kitten says:

        It takes a brave and thoughtful person to write a comment like yours, JenniferJustice. The world would be a better place if we had more people who showed that same level of introspection.

      • Magnoliarose says:

        JJ well said. It is a great reflection of your character to be able to rethink and change instead of holding fast on a belief just for ego’s sake.

  6. roses says:

    If Jay-Z is so much about self-expression why did he have to approve all the songs on Lemonade before the release? Its her album not his, she’s the one that put in the work not him -SMH.

    • Naya says:

      Jay Z didnt get approval. E didnt even know that entire visual album was being dropped on Saturday but suddenly has some inside scoop? Comeon people. This is no different from the outlets who claim to have an inside track on the Jolie Pitt marriage but didnt know about the masectomy. Its blatant lies to capitalise on a trending story.

      No doubt he listened to it before it was released and he probably gave his input. She probably gave her dad the same benefit. These are afterall ongoing relationships, its not like she pulled a Taylor Swift. Of course they got a heads up but the way its phrased here makes it sound like some evil scheming session where everybody had their calculator out.

    • Fiorella says:

      Good catch! The tabloid writer needs more coffee!

  7. snusnud says:

    Whenever I read articles about Bey ,whose work ethic I admire VERY much,I read that ” BEY IS VERY SMART” “SHE IS REALLLY SMART YO” .If someone is smart,that is obvious,you dont have to point it out everytime you talk about them.I think that all that mentoring from her dad and all those years in the business really sharpened her business acumen.But I do not think for a second,that she is naturally smart.Also, I think she is one of the greatest performers ever born and has a great voice,but she has no artistic vision,she is just savvy enough to gather some of the most talented people around her and of course the results are amazing….she does not even write those songs,she just throws two words in it and demands writing credit…so much for artistic integrity…I do not think she is a great artist,just a very good businesswoman…

    • Tanya says:

      Stanley Kubrick isn’t write his own movies. He didn’t even act in them! All he did was direct some people who did all the real work. I heard that it took a thousand people to make his movies. What a hack!

      • snusnud says:

        That is not logical at all.Kubrick’s job was to direct people ,he was not an actor .He was a writer and a screenwriter though,and it takes real talent to be a great screenwriter .I mean,he came up with the story for 2001: A space Odissey.He does not claim to be an actor.Beyonce claims to be a songwriter and she is none of that.So she is pretending to be someone she is not.

      • FingerBinger says:

        You’re comparing Kubrick to Beyonce? Just no. Btw Stanley Kubrick is dead you don’t need to talk about him in the present tense.

    • Samtha says:

      I felt like you did until I watched/listened to Lemonade. It is a tour-de-force of ART. And I don’t for a second believe it was anyone else’s vision but Beyonce’s.

  8. Eleonor says:

    Now I want people to bash Bey for using her personal life for her songs like they do with Taylor Swift.

    • Esther says:

      If she starts dating every teenage singer and then does the same with each of them, i’ll start calling her out too. until now it is trashy but its still nowhere near Taylor level.

      • Saks says:

        Nah, its quite the same. Taylor is a musician too and she writes most of her songs, why is she not allowed to write about how she feels about these relationships? Even if her songs aren’t good, as a composer she has the right to draw inspiration from whatever she wants and write whatever she wants. What I find funny is that when Taylor does it then she is a fameho’ but now that beyonce is doing it she is just expressing herself.

        They are both consciously making profit from putting their personal lives out there.
        (For the record, I don’t have any problem with them doing this).

      • Eleonor says:

        @Saks: that was exactly my point.

    • Tanya says:

      Artists always draw upon their personal lives. This album isn’t about score-settling at all, and you’d know that if you’d actually watched it.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      That’s not at all an apt comparison. And, just so you’ll be happy, people ARE bashing her for it.

    • Magnoliarose says:

      Please. They are different pop stars with different messages and images. The conversation is about Beyonce not Taylor.

  9. Mimz says:

    I disagree with this article because they made it completely against what she is stating in her album: FEMINISM
    So, she’s ok because Jay said it’s OK.
    The album songs were approved by Jay
    the album only got made because Jay said so
    This is disguised as a nice article but they are diminishing her accomplishments putting her in this “submissive wife” position, so she couldn’t have released this album if Jay hadn’t said “ok Bey, do it, I don’t mind, lets get some money”.
    FWIW I think Bey has him in his hands, not the other way around.

    So, to me, this article is full on BS.

    • swak says:

      The whole “Jay-Z had to approve” bothered me also. But that’s coming from a point where I felt/feel that I don’t need someone else’s approval before I do things. His/her opinion, yes if I ask for it but not approval.

    • Mimz says:

      Has him in her hands*

    • Magnoliarose says:

      I thought the same. It was shade for sure.

    • WTW says:

      @Mimz I don’t think this diminishes her accomplishments. Any considerate spouse would consult their mate before writing about them. I’m a writer and on rare occasions, I’ll mention my husband in a piece. I consult him to see if he’s okay with how I’ve described him or a situation. I consult my husband when I’m writing pieces that have nothing to do with him also, just because we’re close and I value his opinion. That doesn’t make me less of a feminist or a submissive wife. If my husband were a writer, I would expect him to behave similarly with me.

      • Mimz, says:

        I don’t think that her sharing with her husband diminishes her accomplishments. I just don’t like how E! wrote that article.
        “Jay was involved in the creation of Lemonade and knew every song Bey was going to release. He knew the lyrics; he knew the implications. He had to approve the songs before release. Jay is a very smart businessman…Bottom line is that they are both really smart and they both saw dollar signs… Jay is all about self expression, so he gets it. Beyoncé shares music before it’s released with Jay so he can listen and share his thoughts.”
        Jay was involved, jay knew the lyrics, jay had to approve before release, and it’s all ok because “he understands”

        I just don’t like the way they wrote it. seems condescending.

  10. Fiorella says:

    I know some people can work through infidelity but if it’s a pattern and it seems to be I wish bey had found someone kinder to share her life with because she seems lovely . Since they have a kid (who looks like j too) it’s hard to start fresh but I think he cheated before too (has a secret son in the Caribbean right?) she should have left him way back long ago. Everyone is pointing out she would need him to be famous or rich (obviously) maybe they are each other’s muses though?

  11. Esther says:

    As if Bey wasnt getting in on with her bodyguard.

    • Fiorella says:

      Ahh I remember she had a very hot body guard (or 2?) that kind of makes up for it.

      • mme says:

        @Fiorella, As a card-carrying member of the hive, I’m 100% Bey has just one bodyguard. His name is Julius D’ Boer. And I also know for a fact that he still works for her. No, he was not fired because he was allegedly sleeping with her as was widely reported after the elevator beatdown by the tabloids. He’s also behind them in that first photo at a basketball game.
        @Esther, I know this is a gossip site but I find it very offensive how you casually tossed out that she also slept with the bodyguard especially in the face of all the infidelity speculations. I wonder how many of your service providers you got down with. Takes one to know one.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Yes. That was gross.

  12. Greenieweenie says:

    I just don’t believe she manufactured it. I don’t believe you can muster that kind of emotion without a personal connection to it. You can’t create an arc that resonates with people without experiencing it–sorry, even if you hire writers to do it for you. The people who think you can aren’t people involved in that kind of creation in any way.

    But I do believe that this is a way for them to save face–to tell people it’s manufactured (I saw a “source” saying that somewhere else, and I think b’s dad even said that).

    Anyone who thinks Solange in the elevator was staged is too cynical to be worth paying attention to. And what else could that have been about? Unless it’s a violent crime, ONLY this kind of thing generates that kind of reaction. Solange wasn’t throwing a hissy fit over a contract.

    • Wren says:

      I think it’s half and half. Of course she’s drawing from her personal experiences and life, but how much? I think that’s where people get carried away thinking this is completely true to life. No, I believe she took deeply personal elements and wove them together in the story she wanted to tell. It doesn’t mean all that actually happened to her.

      I’ve always believed their marriage was more about business than true love. This was an amazing business move, and they both know it. That doesn’t mean it’s not a great work of art, it is. But real life? Hmm, I’m not sure about that. The most powerful stories are often an elevated amalgamation of real life, with just enough reality to resonate yet carefully moulded to be the perfect arc we all so desperately want because real life rarely provides that to us.

      • lola says:

        I Think this album is not about Bey life

        But who ever wrote those lyrics , words , poems has touched Bey .

        Never forget a good song(whether you experienced it or not) always starts from great words , music then singer.
        and here were people should give Bey credit for respecting her audience again by choosing better words, music, visuals this time.

        she has great voice and presence and she has many sources . its great to see her smart and artistic in choosing good song writers or poets because if you choose great words the rest will fall within the words strength.

  13. Lbliss says:

    I think having your relationship all about the money is way worse than having a divorce,0 with regards to the child. That child is going to learn money is more important than happiness. Ick.

  14. Playitagain says:

    Sorry–the only difference between this lot and the Kartrashians is that Beyoncé has talent. I didn’t watch the video because I value my brain cells. I don’t believe any ‘story’ that may or may not be in this video. Their lives are all about marketing–all about money. Who knows what the truth is, but it’s not whatever they display to the masses. And to bring a baby into the mix is shameful.

    • Tanya says:

      It’s of course your right not to watch it. But this album has been lauded by a lot of smart, thoughtful people. To imply that it will make you dumber is just off the mark.

      • Greenieweenie says:

        And to opine on something you haven’t watched is just dumb.

      • Dana says:

        People do it all the time on here and the internet in general. They don’t watch the video, movie, or listen to an album but say it’s bad.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      So, let’s review. You’re too smart to watch this video, but you know that it’s fake and shameful. Interesting theory. Would maybe be more interesting if you had some basis for your opinion, but…

    • Magnoliarose says:

      You are naive if you think celebrity isn’t about marketing and money. Name me one who doesn’t engage in public relations and image building and I’ll show you the school where pigs are taught to fly.
      If you don’t like Beyonce and you didn’t like Lemonade after viewing it, then fair enough, but just giving an uninformed comment doesn’t make you sound intelligent.

  15. Greenieweenie says:

    I do think B went out and bought herself a new pair of boobs at the height of this mess.

    • mme says:

      Girrrlll, I’m telling ya. But they don’t look plastic at all. They’re still droopy mommy boobs (lol) which makes me think she either was had a miscarriage at some point last year or even this year or she had some nicely done fat transfer

    • pagirl says:

      I’ve been wondering about that too… still not entirely positive though.

    • Pepper says:

      She clearly did. And not good ones either. Their were a few scenes in Lemonade where they were on show and she was moving about, and they weren’t moving right/at all. Then they did move and you could see the ridges of the implant underneath her skin.

      I don’t understand how rich and famous celebs like Beyonce and Taylor can get such outdated, obvious boob jobs, yet my non-famous, non-rich friends go up a similar size and can manage to find a skilled surgeon who makes them look all natural.

  16. Adrien says:

    Of course he is supportive. It is his chance to tell the world that those beautiful women like Riri and Rachael slept with him.

  17. mme says:

    One would have to be naive to believe a single thing on E! especially when they have “sources”. This same E! also had 2 stories at different times last year about Beyoncé being pregnant. Complete with “sources”
    I hate that those Kardashian-bankrolled idiots reduced this piece of art to a money grab. Jayz has no single input in this work at all (take a second and look at the credits). HBO was made free so that people could watch free. Beyoncé is worth more than 80% of what Jayz is worth so it’s not about money. The woman is living her truth. Artistes don’t make money off albums. Touring is where the money at. And she sold old 80% of her tour dates 2 months before this album came out. She’s about to embark on a stadium tour which has already made 100 million from ticket sales in North America and a few countries in Europe. From the predictions I read the other day, if she adds more that ( which everyone thinks she should and would) she will out-gross Madonna’s Sweet and sticky Tour for highest grossing female tour. We’re looking at up to $450mil here. What am I trying to say? She’s not hurting for money!
    It also pisses me off when people say she’s enriching Jay’s pocket because it is a Tidal exclusive. No its not. It was for only 48 hours. It’s on iTunes now as we speak and I’m pretty sure she owns stakes (equal with jayz) in Tidal and it will hurt her sales because Billboard does not count Tidal sales, only Spotify and apple music are counted. So let us also not make it out like she’s his cash cow. She has her own management.
    let us let her be and enjoy this piece of art she’s given us

    • taíss says:

      I agree with you except that Jay-Z is richer than Beyonce. He has so many other businesses that bring in money that he doesn’t need to make music to make bank.

  18. Samtha says:

    Of course Jay was supportive of the project–he was IN the project, people.

    People are concentrating so much on the personal aspects of this album that they’re missing the universal. This wasn’t just about Beyonce. I think she took her personal pain and went deeper, and looked at how her experience is a common one for women everywhere, no matter the ethnicity. And then she looked deeper and looked at how it affects woc in particular.

    These songs are creating a story. Are there elements of her personal truth in them? Of course! But I think she has fictionalized them. Like in Daddy Lessons, for example, there’s the line “right before he died”–her dad isn’t dead, right? Does she have issues with her dad? Sure, but this is the fictionalized version.

    It’s the same with “Becky with the good hair.” Becky isn’t an actual person. Becky is a concept. All these women thinking they’re the Becky and trying to insinuate themselves into the situation for attention (or whatever) are fooling themselves.

  19. Rhiley says:

    I downloaded Lemonade and think it is a great album. It is not a couple good singles and bunch of crappy filler. It is a package deal, and you really appreciate each song more when listened as part of the entire album. Also, for me, Lemonade makes Kanye West’s obsession with Taylor Swift seem so petty. Beyonce and Jay Z are dealing with some real shizz in their marriage, in their politics, in their community. It is pretty amazing in a sense that she has been able to put this all on display, but because she has, I think Beyonce shows she is truly an artist, a creator, and not just another Billboard Top 20 hit maker.

  20. mme says:

    I need to get off this thread before things get messy. The album got a 94% score on Metacritc and Rolling Stone gave it 5stars. I hate that this is what it has been reduced to on blogs- a money grab.
    She put out her story out there which totally went against everything she’s been accused of portraying since her career started (too perfect, industry-made) She came out and opened up a discussion which now led to how her husband possibly cheated on her. That’s the bravest thing I think she has done, the album that is. If you think she’s with jayz because she feels she can’t make it on her own (like the first poster), then maybe you might be the one projecting onto her. Her sold-out stadium tour starts tomorrow and I can’t wait to go and experience some magic (a real palate cleanser after the mess that is Anti World Tour). Isn’t it also fascinating how everyone is trying to inteprete Lemonade while Beyoncé cannot even be bothered. I hope she never speaks about it too.
    For the person saying that she changes two words for songwriting credit, bear in mind that Beyoncé holds the record for the most Ascap Awards (for songwriters) tied with Mariah Carey. Adele does not have that neither does Sia(queen). I also don’t see jayz credited on the album cos guess what, he had no input so I’m pretty sure he signed off on nothing. Once again, the credits for Beyoncé’s work goes to her mogul husband because of course she’s just a puppet.
    Again, let’s stop seething and enjoy the Lemonade

  21. SilkyMalice says:

    Of course he is supportive. They exploit their own lives just to make money. The corruption makes me ill. Poor Blue Ivy.

    • Mimz says:

      I’m just curious – how should they act not to make money? Maybe they should only perform music with themes that had nothing to do with their lives, make no videos that could possibly have any references to their relationship, and just put out empty, meaningless music, so they are not accused of exploiting their lives? And absolutely no use of marketing strategy.
      Musicians have always – always – at some point written or sung about their own experiences in life, good or bad, and some were/are very lucky to make a lot of money from it. Music is an art, where many express themselves.
      Take for example – Rihanna released Rated R after the incident with CB, and she was applauded, because she was a victim. Yes, she was/is, but yes she/her team/whoever used her situation to raise her profile. Or maybe she was singing about her real life experience, and it was cathartic, but because it’s Rihanna and she was seen as a survivor after we saw evidence of the brutality she went through, we all helped rise her status to superstardom.
      But, since it’s Beyoncé, and she usually keeps her business behind closed doors, well, she shouldn’t ever say/sing/hint at anything related to her life, because Beyoncé must be despised at all costs. She’s a horrible human being for promoting feminism, uplifting Black people, expressing herself freely and finally showing that her marriage isn’t perfect and – oh my, how dare she make so much money from it!!!! It’s disgraceful indeed. *sarcasm*

    • Veronica says:

      Out of curiosity, do you feel the same way about, say, Kurt Vonnegut, Eric Clapton, or Adele, who made their money by expressing artistically their experience through legitimate tragedy or grief? Like, what’s the line here? Vonnegut made millions off of Slaughterhouse Five, which talks about the most devastating war of the 20th century. Clapton’s heartbreaking ode to his son’s death still plays on the radio and is for sale on iTunes. Adele’s biggest selling album of all time was about a breakup. Are these somehow better than writing about your partner’s possibly infidelity?

  22. Tdub30 says:

    For all of you who don’t understand…I remember years ago sitting and speaking with my mom about her suspicions that my dad was having an affair. I was newly married and my gut reaction was ‘well you need to leave him…’. In a matter of minutes she put me squarely in my place. She simply told me if its true then I will deal with it honestly and head on. She said she took vows for better or worse and she meant to honor those vows. Twenty years later and they’re still together. Is their marriage perfect? Nope. But, they fight for each other and I love and respect that.

    More importantly though, I understand that sentiment of taking my vows seriously. In a world of microwaveable marriages folks give up too easily. If you’re willing to fight for a career, why can’t you be willing to fight for your marriage/family? It’s naive to think that just chucking the deuces and walking away at the first sign of trouble (or the tenth sign even) will make you feel alright. It won’t. And if nothing else, it will make it harder for you to move into a new relationship because you won’t ever fully trust the next person. Marriage is WORK, plain and simple, and we all know that you’re only going to get out what you put in. So I think we all need to take it easy on bashing Beyoncé for fighting for and staying in her marriage. It’s not really our call to make.

    • Naddie says:

      Nowadays we’re being too extreme. It’s no one’s business what others do to their marriage, but if only one side is fighting, then there’s no reason to keep on. There’s a difference between the first sign of trouble and the tenth. And usually is the woman who works hard to keep it.

    • WTW says:

      I don’t think people who split because of infidelity aren’t sticking to their vows. Infidelity has always been seen as a breaking of the vows (from a religious perspective) and thus a valid reason for a dissolution of marriage. That said, I wouldn’t necessarily divorce my husband for cheating. It depends on the circumstances. Perhaps I could forgive a brief hookup, but I couldn’t forgive a long-term relationship with another woman.

  23. Luca76 says:

    Ugh I mean I’m a black woman and I appreciate Beyoncé and her genuis but can we stop pretending it’s not about money for her? She’s not an independent artist, she’s not underground. She’s cultivated a pop image for years and now she’s mining her personal stifle and marriage and coming of age as a black woman in a racist culture into a masterpiece of sorts but she has also monetized the sh** out of her work and made money every step of the way from HBO TIdal etc. Neither fact is exclusive of the other.

    • Saks says:

      This!

    • nikkisixx says:

      Yeah. I’m really tired of the hive members on here who conveniently forget that’s she a huge pop artist who’s enjoying the fruit of her labors with her husband. People act like her album is some gift to the people lol.

    • missmerry says:

      also, can you imagine Beyonce actually HANGING OUT with other women?
      This is ‘an album for women of color’ according to some people on the internet

      but besides the social events she ends up at with ex-members of Destiny’s Child, does she have any female friends? like, actual friends?…does beyonce not have any friends you guys?!

      It’s like shes ‘repping’ women while being totally disconnected from them at the same time (I have a long-standing opinion that she lives in a bey-bubble and the people who work for her report about us peasants and what we go through and deal with from outside the bey-bubble)

      She seems to surround herself only with her child, her husband, her immediate family and the people who work for her…

      • Tdub30 says:

        I have a tiny circle of female friends(and rarely hang out with them)…that doesn’t make me any less passionate about defending and relating to other women. Your logic just sounds a little flawed to me.

  24. me says:

    Isn’t it always about the money? What makes any of us think the “theme” of her new album holds any truth to it? Many artists put out songs that have no personal meaning to them.

  25. Naddie says:

    A local critic once said that Beyoncé is making a silent revolution since her 4th album, and I can totally see that. I’ve been noticing that her fans are changing into a more mature public ( slowly, but they are ). If it’s all about money, or about personal, or both, I’ll keep on following her work because it never disappoints me, although I strongly oppose to some things she represents.

    • me says:

      You call the Beyhive mature?

      • AlmondJoy says:

        You can be a Beyonce fan without being a part of the nutty Beyhive… My parents are fans and they have no clue what the Beyhive is. And yes, I would call them mature.

      • Magnoliarose says:

        My mother likes Beyonce even if she doesn’t like most of her music but she likes her. My father has crushed on her since my mother dragged him to see Dreamgirls. When my sister explained what Lemonade was about he became angry the Jay Z treated Beyonce terribly. They are firmly over retirement age.

      • me says:

        I am talking about the more PUBLIC fans that make themselves known. They are far from mature. Of course there are fans of Beyonce that are mature and level headed but those aren’t the ones the media reports on. Get what I’m saying?

      • Magnoliarose says:

        Yes on second read I get it. You mean the radical over the top fans. I agree. i can’t relate to stans because I’ve never worshipped a celebrity in my life. They must have always been around but now with social media they are a lot more vocal.
        I get you now. 🙂

      • AlmondJoy says:

        Me: Naddie simply said “Beyonce fans.” This includes all fans of hers. I’m just saying that not all Beyonce fans are part of the Beyhive. Of course the Beyhive is immature, that’s painfully obvious to all.

      • Naddie says:

        As I said, slowly. I don’t think the stupid hive will ever go away because there’s a lot of them on her too, but she’s surely gathering some real adult’s attention as well. She’s aiming for longevity and it’s working.

  26. nikkisixx says:

    “its pretty clear people are just bothered that a black couple has accumulated so much wealth and they lash out with the most irrational arguments.”

    Um no. I’m a huge Jay and Bey fan, been to a bunch of their concerts (put money in their pockets) and I dont think its irrational hatred to agree with what the story says about how they saw dollar signs? Why is it irrational to point out that they’re both business minded. BEyonce had always been extremely personal about her private life and they both saw a chance to capitalize on personal drama because they know the public is dying to hear about their life and will eat it up. Not saying that she didnt create a good work of art for herself and for her fans, but she definitely saw dollar signs. So yes, money and business is a huge component to this. But yeah let’s attack anyone with a different view point. Ridiculous.

  27. Julie says:

    All about the money. Period. They’ve been a business arrangement since the beginning, and now that poor little girl who not only looks like her father (unfortunate) , but will also be sold into the business the same way her parents were. All a mess. It’s called show business for a reason. The kardashian’s and the Carters share more similarities than differences. Main difference is one group has discernible “talent” and the other doesn’t.

    • AlmondJoy says:

      Calling a four year old unfortunate looking makes it very hard to get the rest of the point you’re trying to make… Really shows the type of person you are. Glad Blue Ivy’s mom was able to show her in all her beautiful glory at the end of Lemonade.

    • kri says:

      @Julie…um. Blue Ivy is an adorable kid. SHE”S ONLY FOUR. She looks lovely. I can’t believe you.

    • Mimz says:

      What a horrible statement. Please, dislike and despise them all you want, but to call a child unfortunate looking, that’s low. And tells us more about you than about them – who treat their daughter and teach her that she’s beautiful, as every parent should.

    • Magnoliarose says:

      Wow. You actually criticized a sweet little girl’s looks. Usually I am a snarky beach to people like you but all I have is disgust. Shame on you.

    • Ennie says:

      Besides what you unfairly said about the little girl, I agree with the rest of your comment.

  28. kri says:

    I don’t know about how much Jay was in with this. Since he did end up in the piece, he had to know what it was about, I suppose. Oth, no artist wants to starve (not that Bey ever would) they all want to be commercially and artistically successful-that’s normal. An artist who puts out their work for public viewing has to be a business person and a creator. Hard line to walk if you think about it. As to some of the posters saying this album may not appeal to white women…well I’m buying it. It appealed to me as a woman, full stop. The all out beauty of it was stunning. Images that are pure art, and let’s just breathe in Shire’s poetry, because this woman is killing me and making me live with her words. This production is a success on every level.

  29. Dana says:

    I can bet money Jay-Z cheating isn’t a one time thing. Serial cheaters with two side pieces and counting… do not deserve forgiveness. Maybe if a person cheated once and didn’t cheat again, I would say yes to forgiving them. However, if a man or woman continues to cheat on their spouses with several others, I would not forgive them. You’ll look like a fool taking a person back that doesn’t love or respect you. Suddenly, it’s alright to forgive serial cheaters. I’m sure if this were any other celebrity, the comments wouldn’t be so forgiving.

    • lola says:

      I totally agree , that is why i do believe this album is not Bey biography rather than the song writer words or poet words. But that does not take any credit from Bey efforts of making this Albume rather than complement her or choosing good lyrics music and visuals.

      To stay with serial cheater is very against what she is promoting in her songs. forgiveness is BS in this case.

      • WTW says:

        Yes, I’m surprised that everyone is taking this album as proof that Jay-Z cheated and this is what the aftermath was like for Beyonce. The lyrics are likely a mixture of truth and fiction. It’s music. It’s not a memoir. On the other hand, is it surprising that the man who penned “Big Pimpin'” would cheat on his wife? Absolutely not. Is it surprising that a gazillionaire with his pick of willing women would be unfaithful? No. I actually feel like Sharon Osbourne has a pretty good take on celebrity marriages. She admits that Ozzy cheated on her multiple times and seems to take it with a grain of salt. It seems this is the perspective most celebrities (married to other celebs) would have to take to maintain their sanity. I would never recommend this attitude for normal people, but for celebrities, yes.

  30. cakecakecake says:

    I agree with everything Kaiser said.

    Well said at that.

  31. Magnoliarose says:

    I don’t understand people being bothered about the monetary aspect. It’s the entertainment business not the entertainment charity. Authors write biographies in order to tell their story and make money. You have to market your book for it to have any social impact, but it doesn’t make the story less important.
    Sure there are aspects about their partnership that can inspire suspicion because of the hard selling they do but it is their brand and it works. It still doesn’t mean her feelings aren’t real.

    • Kitten says:

      Exactly.
      Again, people seem think that everything is a choice of either/or. I’ve been commenting on this blog for 6 years and it never ceases to amaze me how people view most celebs as caricatures or like one-dimensional villains from a comic book, rather than the nuanced human beings that they likely are. Not because they’re special snowflakes, but just because most humans are complex and most celebs likely aren’t much different (excluding the Klan of course).

      Maybe Beyonce’s equally motivated by both money AND the need to create.

      Because there is not an artist on the face of the earth who doesn’t aspire to profit from their creative endeavors. Hell, it’s why people go to art school, dance school, theater school, acting school, whatever: we all fantasize about making money doing what we love and Beyoncé is no different. Just because she’s managed to achieve the American Dream, we’re supposed to sh*t on her for that?

  32. Fiona says:

    I love this album. I disagree that it is fully tailored to a certain audience, especially the idea that it does not relate to the younger audience. It’s not a club banger, it’s a sit and listen, reflect. In Kenya and I think the larger Africa we are not as involved in our artists lives, I can’t even tell you who they’re married to or their kids, the value Is always placed in the message. Eg. Diamond from Tanzania sang about loving a blind woman, that there are personal struggles in dating a disabled person, it also talks of the social stigma that men face when they date disabled women, no one cared if he dated a blind woman or not alot of people focused on the message
    I look at lemonade the same way. I’ve been a Beyonce fan since I was I think 10. Her message has never wavered and it’s always relatable. I still listen to survivor before I get into a meeting… Lol!!! And I listened to it every day after and a while before I left my college boyfriend who slapped me, held me in a choke hold and told me he’d kill me. That song, got me through some hard self doubt times. To her music on women’s sexuality to women owning their own hard work. I live in a country where when they write about a strong female successful, rich entrepreneur they need to add that she still respects her husband. Like its wrong for her to say she’s doing well on her own accord, like making money makes her a disrespectful headache. So I applaud Beyonce for making a butt load of money while also spreading positive attitudes about women that we are humans too with all sought of needs. Lemonade is amazing I’ve gone through the motions of a cheating partner from the intuition, going crazy and checking his phone and feeling real stupid to have to reduce yourself to that, watching our mothers go through our dad’s pockets. It’s the whole thing, how much crap women take and are made to feel crazy, my boyfriend in college slapped me because I dared to ask if he was cheating. Women, we are not allowed to talk about it, but men can revenge porn us to the end of the world and we’re still the ones who get blamed. She made money, it’s her job, she should make money, but she did what most of us don’t. That is the pain, humiliation, crazy, bullshit that women deal with in our complicated relationships with men, whether politely, sexual or romantic. I get the album. Definitely adding the album to my Sunday feel good music.

  33. jlee says:

    Lemonade has put music and images to my private hell of the last 6 months. Listening to the album and watching the special has been a cathartic experience. I was never a fan but would agree she was a great performer and a hard worker. Now I would agree that she’s an artist and has a point of view that interests me.
    Infidelity shatters your self image, makes you feel electric rage, exhaustion like you might turn to dust in your bed sheets, it breaks you….it truely does. But there is also a side you never hear about. Women don’t discuss it. The work of forgiveness, self disection, understanding, the reality that hurt people, hurt people.
    They usually hurt the people they love most. When Beyonce sang ” you hurt me, you hurt yourelf, you lie to me, you lie to yourself, you play me, you play yourself “….I was just vibrating.

  34. Dana says:

    Why are there so many bs stories in the pubs lately. First everything about this negates anyone really listening to the full album. You don’t need to be a POC to see this is bigger than a cheat album. LOL
    Also, when has Beyonce ever openly disclosed problems in her marriage or any activity in her life or marriage. There is no truth to any of this – 2yrs ago it was a lie, and its a lie now. Even Tina’s new hubby said its about the 11 stages of grief in anyone life and not Beys or her moms. Stop people and think. Its about yourself not Jay. Beyonce isn’t Taylor Swift.

  35. Veronica says:

    I assume the underlying implication here is that any artistic message intrinsic to Lemonade is undermined by its monetary ambitions. I suppose the kind of people who think like this are the ones who like to imagine Michelangelo did the entire Sistine Chapel by himself while sustained on bread crusts and milk.