Single Review: Beyonce – ‘Freedom’
2 min read
If you have not yet heard of the album Lemonade, I kindly ask that you emerge from the rock under which you have been living for the past number of months and familiarise yourself with this collection of songs by Beyonce. It is a conceptual album that pushes the boundaries of music, blurring the lines of genre to create a sublime piece of art, a pinnacle record that will be revisited by music lovers for ages to come. Lemonade is the culmination of the efforts of some of the finest talent in the music industry today, each a master in their field and some even pioneers in new styles and sound. The song Freedom, which features the talent of Kendrick Lamar is one of the masterpieces on Lemonade.
Freedom can be summed up in one word; powerful. This song gives a new lease of life to the R’nB and Hip Hop genre. The production of the track, which was Just Blaze and Jonny Coffer’s domain, has been executed with such skill in the way that samples of many culturally significant songs have been included and the moment in Lamar’s rap where the echo effect gives a scare- I instinctively looked back over my shoulder expecting a haunting figure to be there. This hair raising moment is an exciting theatrical effect in Freedom. Lamar is a huge star in the hip hop universe and his pairing with Beyonce for this track is formidable.
The core message in the song is about breaking away from your own metaphorical chains. The organ wailing while the lyric “cause a winner don’t quit on themselves” is sung in full blown soul mode by Beyonce and is inspiring and makes you feel as if you can take on the world. It is an empowering track. Beyonce has extended herself in Freedom, reaching deep to deliver the message, music and emotion with absolute finesse. If I could give Freedom more stars, I would.
