Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Actually Originated From A Music She and Jay-Z Were Working on Together

Beyoncé’s 2016 tell-all album Lemonade was one of the most memorable moments in recent music history. Crafted from the pain and drama she dealt with due to marital troubles with her husband Jay-Z, the album told stories of infidelity, family trauma, Black feminism, and her cultural origins. 

Although everyone knows that the album goes into great detail about her relationship with Jay-Z, few people know about the process behind its production and where it started. As it turns out, despite the fact that the album’s content revolves around her issues with Jay-Z, a fair amount of it was actually produced in his company, as they had already been working on music together.

Does this seem hard to believe? Read more to find out how they were able to pull this off. 

Beyoncé and Jay-Z were having serious relationship problems prior to ‘Lemonade’

While it’s general knowledge now that Beyoncé and Jay-Z were having difficulties with their marriage, there was a long period of speculation prior to the album’s release. Rumors were swirling about the couple and inexplicable moments such as the infamous elevator incident fueled suspicions about the state of their marriage. 

However, neither of the two released any statements about their marriage to the public, and many fans were left wondering what standing the couple was in. Instead of confirming the rumors that were running rampant, Beyoncé decided to get into the studio and handle things the best way she knew how: through her music. 

Beyoncé had a unique recording process for ‘Lemonade’

Beyonce began producing ‘Lemonade’ in 2014 and finished in 2015, recording the album in 11 studios throughout the United States. According to AudioTechnology, Beyoncé wrote the album in stages, working on the album at home with her engineer while raising her daughter, Blue Ivy. 

Despite the fact that the majority of the album’s lyrical content spoke on her strained relationship with Jay-Z, few people know that much of the work came from writing sessions Beyoncé and Jay-Z were already having together. In an interview with The New York Times Style Magazine, Jay-Z revealed: “It actually started out [that] we were working on material together, and it became Lemonade.” He continued: “She went off and did her thing, and it just felt like ‘she should go first’, and she should share her truth with the world.”

Although they recorded some music together in the early stages of the album’s development, there were many moments where the two worked separately, and most of that music ended up becoming the basis for Lemonade. 

‘Lemonade’ actually helped save Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s marriage 

Although many people would probably take issue with their partner airing all of their indiscretions out to the world, Beyoncé and Jay-Z found the release of their individual works to be cathartic. Despite the media whirlwind that ensued after the couple revealed their marital issues, both found the process to be helpful in resolving their issues. 

According to BBC, Jay-Z felt that the creative expression of their journey was a major turning point in saving their marriage, stating: We were using our art almost like a therapy session.” 

After the release of Lemonade, Jay-Z shared his own revelation, 4:44, with the world. On his album, he addressed many of the same issues Beyoncé had alluded to in her own work, bringing their relationship full circle.