Beyoncé’s latest audiovisual epic, Lemonade, was in many ways the artist’s most specific album yet. At its most narrow, it’s an account of Beyoncé’s relationship with her unfaithful but loving husband Jay-Z. At its widest, it’s a powerful ode to the emotions of black women. However, neither the album’s narrative complexity nor its scope have prevented it from completely dominating the charts. Billboard reports that all 12 of Lemonade‘s tracks are now on its Hot 100 chart. This makes Queen Bey the first woman in history to chart 12 or more songs there at once. The previous record was held by Taylor Swift, who had 11 singles on the chart following the release of her album Speak Now in 2010.
Lemonade‘s most popular tracks bar the current #10 “Formation” — which was dropped leading into Super Bowl weekend in February — are “Sorry,” “Hold Up,” and The Weeknd-featuring “6 Inch” at the time of writing. The same tracks are also dominating the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, making Beyoncé the first woman ever to earn four concurrent top 10s there. While all the tracks are undeniably melodious and powerful, they lack the karaoke-friendly banger appeal of “Halo” or “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Which, of course, only makes her latest feat all the more awesome.
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Text Hannah Ongley