10 Things We Learned From Beyonce's 'Lemonade'

Unless you've been living under a rock this weekend, you would have heard that Beyonce went and surprised us all by dropping her sixth studio album, 'Lemonade'.

However, being Beyonce, this was no ordinary album release, but rather an hour-long visual masterpiece with so many layers and hidden messages it's hard to keep track.

To keep you versed in all the talk around the office, here's 10 things you need to know about 'Lemonade', which is available to stream on Tidal (or to purchase on iTunes) now.

Beyonce in 'Lemonade'. Photo: HBO

1. Perhaps the most talked-about moment from 'Lemonade' is Beyonce's openness about Jay Z's unfaithfulness, however being the Queen Bey that she is, she makes it clear she knew about Jay Z's disloyalty from early on. "You can taste the dishonesty, it’s all over your breath as you pass it off so carefully. But even that’s a test, constantly aware of it all. My lone ear pressed against the walls of your world."

2. As for who the alleged affair was with, speculation has been rife since the album dropped, with the line "He better call Becky with the good hair" raising the question, who is Becky? US designer Rachael Roy has widely been speculated to have had an affair with the rapper and was believed to have been at the centre of the infamous 2014 elevator fight between Beyonce's sister Solange and Jay Z. Hours after the release, Roy added fuel to the fire herself by instagramming a picture, with the caption, "Good hair don't care, but we will take good lighting, for selfies. or self truths, always. live in the light #nodramaqueens". Roy removed the pic following intense backlash from Beyonce's 'BeeHive' fanbase, and took to Twitter to clarify, "I respect love, marriages, families and strength. What shouldn't be tolerated by anyone, no matter what, is bullying, of any kind."

Rachel Ray added fuel to the fire with this cryptic Instagram post. Photo: Instagram

3. Despite the alleged unfaithfulness, Beyonce sings about forgiveness and working things out, "We're gonna heal; we're gonna start again," she sings, putting rumours of a possible split between the couple to rest. "Show me your scars, and I won't walk away. And I know I promised that I couldn't stay, baby—every promise don't work out that way."

4. However Jay Z's unfaithfulness isn't the only cheating reference on the album, with Beyonce singing about her father, Matthew Knowles' indiscretions. "You remind me of my father, a magician… able to exist in two places at once. In the tradition of men in my blood, you come home at 3 a.m. and lie to me. What are you hiding? The past and the future merge to meet us here. What luck. What a f--king curse." Beyonce's father split with her mother, Tina Knowles in 2009, when it emerged that he had fathered a child with another woman while he was married.

5. The film features personal footage, including Jay Z’s grandmother, Hattie White's 90th birthday celebrations back in October 2015, which is where the name for the album came from. "I was served lemons," White said during a speech at her party, "but I made lemonade."

6. While Beyonce is credited as a writer and producer on every song, she collaborated with a number of big names on the project, including Kendrick Lamar, Just Blaze, James Blake, Diplo, Jack White, André 3000, Sleepy Brown, Big Boi, Ezra Koenig, Emile Haynie, and Father John Misty.

Beyonce wearing Roberto Cavalli in 'Lemonade'. Photo: HBO

7. The cast of the film is all-black and mainly female, with cameos from a number of famous faces including Serena Williams, Amandla Stenberg, model Winnie Harlow, Zendaya, Parkwood Entertainment signees Chloe and Halle Bailey, ballerina Michaela DePrince, and Quvenzhane Wallis.

Beyonce and Serena Williams in 'Lemonade'. Photo: HBO

8. There are a number of spoken interludes on the visual album, which were written and quoted and/or adapted from Somali-British poet Warsan Shire.

9. Beyonce employed Nigerian-born, Brooklyn-based artist Laolu Senbanjo to design the white body art that she and her dancers are seen wearing in various points throughout the album.

Beyonce wearing body art by Brooklyn-based artist Laolu Senbanjo. Photo: HBO

10. The visual album is a fashion dream, while it does feature a number of high-profile designers including Roberto Cavalli, Saint Laurent and even Yeezy himself, however the sartorial focus tends more towards names you've probably never heard of, like a crystal body suit by Kuwait designer Yousef al-Jasmi, a leather cone bra by New York-based Zana Bayne, a high-necked orange ball gown by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran. Bey also rocks a number of vintage pieces - including her own wedding dress.

Beyonce in 'Lemonade'. Photo: HBO

Beyonce in 'Lemonade'. Photo: HBO

Beyonce in 'Lemonade'. Photo: HBO