I'm so proud that Ari sits so comfortably in with the gerls. What a triumph.
Generally, the results of this were pretty great. I think, like
@Oceandrive, I knew that 'Formation' deserved my 11, and I can also very much understand those who gave it to 'Crazy in Love' also - the song is just sheer perfection.
That being said, I still feel extremely happy that I gave 'Sorry' my top score. Is it my favourite Beyoncé record ever? That's a very difficult thing to try and work out when it's your favourite artist in question, but something just felt very right upon bestowing it with my top honour.
Cue the corny
'I can relate!' anecdote, but this year, I went through my first truly horrific break up not long before
Lemonade was released. It sent me into a bit of a tailspin, and left me questioning so much about myself, my choices etc. As
@Jonathan27 pointed out earlier, Beyoncé has already made immense strides in being able to helm a track that conveys a fresh, rich perspective on the discussion of relationships within popular music, with the likes of 'Mine', for instance. For me, what's particularly interesting with 'Sorry' is that she was able to create a succinct track that develops sonically, lyrically, and tonally throughout, whilst also serving as a unequivocal
banger. It's arguably much easier to effectively convey painful emotion through a ballad, or a furious up-tempo, but 'Sorry' is neither of those. And it's been such a cathartic listen for me, because so often, artists deliver tracks centered on heartbreak in a fashion which focuses very acutely on one specific action, emotion etc. 'Sorry' manages to condense an entire wealth of emotions, dynamics, situations, and even her relationship history into a four-minute track, and it really spoke to me on so many levels, despite her situation being considerably more intense than mine ever was!
So much is going on here. The kiss-off, whilst ostensibly dismissive and empowering, gradually becomes number and number throughout. The nonchalant swagger she opens the song with crumbles when she begins to insist on just how much
'she ain't thinking' about him. And then, of course, that final minute hits, when everything that has been building up through the opening trio of tracks on
Lemonade is finally laid bare, and it's absolutely devastating. Beyoncé, as demonstrated through a staggering number of songs in her discography, manages to permeate popular culture in a way that few artists could ever dream of, but as previously discussed, it feels like you're selling the song's lyrical content so short upon the public's response to
that line, much as though I imagine Bey and co had a wry little smile whilst penning it on her Hamptons' back porch. It's bloody great.
The video is also spectacular within the album's run - harking upon
@Sam de Jour's comments on 'Formation' and thereby its parent album's shortcomings, I'd argue here that the subtleties of
Lemonade's cultural and political aspects run brilliantly here also. To see two of the most influential black women in the world exude such sheer magnitude within that empty Southern mansion is powerful, but then to have Beyoncé use that momentum to suddenly break her heart, soul, even her
empire down in front of us is something else entirely. That final, lingering shot gives me absolute chills.
Musically, the track is stunning. From the scalp-ripping intro, I'm always thrown when we launch straight into the hook, and everything is so light, clean, and fundamentally fresh. As
@RJF mentioned, for what can perhaps be defined as an uptempo electro-RnB track, it's fantastically managed to navigate its production in a way that you just know is still somehow going to sound pristine a decade down the line. Wynter and MeLo-X de-li-vered here, not only on the production, but also on the writing - so many songs rest on their laurels by the time a second verse is served (with some, even great, tracks not even delivering a unique second verse at
all), but here, we're treated to something that bears absolutely no musical relation to anything that has proceeded it (in terms of melodies etc). And it's fucking fantastic - it just never. lets. up. As for the final minute, well, it's simply breathtaking, particularly the arrangement she delivered on tour/VMAs etc where you can hear
dark, underlying strings come through which aren't present on the studio version (apologies for the quality of the vid). Queen of keeping her freshest songs even fresher.
To be honest, I could go on, but I'm actually now dying to break away for another five listens of it in a row. One of the reasons why
Lemonade is my favourite album is that every single part of the narrative is absolutely crucial - whilst self-titled lacked any of the fat that had plagued previous releases of hers,
Lemonade manages to make a star out of single piece of which it is composed of, to a degree in which it could be argued that any of the tracks could really be regarded as the album's centrepiece.
For me, me heart connected with 'Sorry', and so, in fact, it's now very clear to me why I gave it my 11. Now, excuse me while I go and find a spiral staircase to descend, because I am ready to pop the fuck
awf.
