Beyonce is mining her anger and rage for her art — as many great artists have before her — and judging by the initial reception her new album Lemonade is getting, Queen Bey is hitting her target hard and repeatedly. Lemonade is being seen as an anthem to emotional independence, especially — but not strictly — women’s independence. And it’s doing so without calling itself an anthem like many recent pop records begging for poignancy have done.
Accusations of infidelity stamp Lemonade, accusations seemingly aimed at Beyonce’s superstar husband Jay Z. The fury behind the accusations is doubly powerful coming from the woman who, despite her own outsize celebrity, cheekily named her tour two years ago the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. (Jay Z, of course, is aka Shawn Carter.) Carter’s long-rumored dalliance with his former business partner Damon Dash’s ex-wife, designer Rachel Roy, is presumed to be one of Beyonce’s chief beefs with her husband. Roy is rumored to be “Becky with the good hair” as referenced in the song “Sorry”. Roy tweeted subtly about respecting love and marriage, seemingly in response to the rumors. Roy is 42; Beyonce is 34 — not the usual situation for the wandering husband. It’s probably worth noting that the drama surrounding Lemonade doesn’t exactly hurt Jay Z.
I respect love, marriages, families and strength. What shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone, no matter what, is bullying, of any kind.
— Rachel Roy (@Rachel_Roy) April 24, 2016
