When Beyoncé released her self-titled album back in 2013, hysteria encompassed the Beyhive. The album, featuring hits such as “Drunk in Love” and “***Flawless,” received unprecedented praise. The question remained, could Beyoncé outdo herself? Apparently yes. In fact, she recently debuted her new album, “LEMONADE” on April 23, coinciding with a one-hour film special on HBO.

“LEMONADE” is Beyoncé’s sixth album and it does not disappoint. The first single, “Formation,” debuted on Feb. 6 and was performed during the Super Bowl on Feb. 7. Some critics said that Beyoncé stole the show from Coldplay, the main Super Bowl headliner, and yielded a politically charged performance that was talked about in the following weeks. Her appearance at the Super Bowl, surprisingly enough, was only a glimpse into what was to be released in the following months.

The album begins with a wounded heart on “Pray You Can Hear Me,” then collapses into “Hold Up” where she grieves for all the good love her husband put to waste. “Don’t Hurt Yourself” features Jack White of the White Stripes and relentlessly takes down a cheating and faithless husband with distorted vocals and discordant chorus. “Sorry” is a beautiful clap-back about an imperfect boy who was messing with “Becky,” specifically “Becky with the good hair.” This lyric obviously caused controversy, as the public tried to piece together who “Becky” was. Some speculated that Rachel Roy or Rita Ora were “Becky,” but both have denied the accusation.

The album also talks about issues beyond romance, such as the suffering of African-American women in America. More specifically, “Freedom,” a motivational anthem, spotlights a sharp rap from Kendrick Lamar as well as mixes in a spoken work snippet from Jay-Z’s grandmother that ends up becoming the title of the album: “I was served lemons, but I made lemonade.”

“6 Inch,” even with its appearance from the Weeknd, is somewhat forgettable. “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles” serve as the album’s ballads, displaying impeccable and soaring love songs. The album ends with “All Night,” a ballad where the couple makes up and together lives happily ever after, perhaps signaling a reconciliation among the couple.

Her album is not solely a gossip machine or basic “crank-it-out” pop album. At the center of its lyrics are gut-wrenching and contemptuous confessions about adultery and sneering, sarcastic remarks about the hardship of African-Americans in America. The music solidifies Beyoncé as a regal and momentous queen of pop music. “LEMONADE” is simply refreshing and only leaves fans waiting to see how she will triumph beyond the barriers she created herself in the future.

“LEMONADE”  is available on Tidal and iTunes.