EVERYTHING IS LOVE
The Carters (Beyoncé & JAY-Z)
2018
After presenting two albums to the world that explicitly state the intimate details of their broken marriage, hip hop’s greatest supercouple unite as a form of healing and an expression of Black love.
Hip Hop Soul/Trap&B/Art Deco Hip Hop
BY HARPSICHORD
MARCH 17, 2024
May 12, 2014 will be one of the most important days of both Pop Culture as well as the romantic storyline of The Carters aka Beyoncé and JAY-Z. At 8:22 AM PT, music purveyors experienced “the kicks seen around the elevator” thanks to a TMZ leak. In a shocking video of leaked surveillance footage, Beyoncé’s younger sister, Solange, is seen kicking and slapping JAY-Z, as their body guard tries to break it up, and Beyoncé just… stands to the side more worried about her gown not getting caught up in the mess.
The blogs and radio shows had buzzed about trouble in the Carters’ relationship for years. And even if you didn’t pay attention to those, it’s in the music. Beyoncé’s sophomore album, B’ Day , held songs such as “Resentment” and “Ring The Alarm,” with the former accusing “because you lied” and the latter going full femme fatale with shouting. JAY-Z seemed to have responded to those on “Lost One” on his 2006 album, Kingdom Come . He rapped about a break up in the second verse: “I don’t think it’s meant to be, Bey/For she loves her work more than she does me.”
The hip hop supercouple eventually had a reunion, and were married on April 4, 2008. But during Beyoncé’s era for her self-titled surprise album— which came after an aptly titled Mrs. Carter World Tour— the rumors persisted again. On that album, she discussed postpartum depression after the birth of their first child, the feelings of loneliness and jealousy, but also an appetite for sex once the work and arguing was over.
But the elevator footage from TMZ, was the first time we as a public saw concrete proof that their marriage had cracks. It had been the first time, the family that is known for keeping it classy, had finally been caught acting out. To which Bey simply responded, “of course some time sh!t go down when there’s a billion dollars on an elevator” on the “***Flawless Remix.”
For anyone studying the discography of The Carters, Beyoncé’s 2016 opus, LEMONADE , should come as no surprise. There she poignantly addresses the infidelity head on and the healing process. JAY-Z released 4:44 in 2017 as an apology— letting the world know he’s a changed man. During an interview with ‘The New York Times Style Magazine,’ in 2017, JAY-Z confessed that the recording process of both albums was “very, very uncomfortable.”
What the third album of the trilogy— entitled EVERYTHING IS LOVE — accomplishes is going through their healing process. Listeners are in the room— well rather the studio sessions— therapy is taking place.
The era for EVERYTHING IS LOVE began with the release of “APESHIT” on June 16, 2018. The music video featured an ode to artwork from the Renaissance period being reimagined by Black bodies and models. The Carters put on a poker face standing next to the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. Just like the famous painting, you can’t tell what the person in the depiction is thinking. When it comes to The Carters we can never tell what their facial expression or intentions are, no matter how much we try to decipher them.
On “APESHIT” — which is produced by Quavo and Offset of The Migos, as well as Pharrell— we experience hyperactive trap&B set in the environment of the jungle. “Who been ‘Lion King’ to you,” teases JAY-Z in his verse, dropping many Easter eggs to the business dealings both he and his wife would have. “Stack my money fast and go,” gloats Bey in the hook, as JAY talks about refusing the Super Bowl halftime show (which Roc Nation would eventually start producing two years later). There’s a swipe at The Recording Academy for how they snubbed ‘4:44’: “tell the Grammys f*ck that 0 for 8 sh!t”. But the show stealing moment comes from The Queen as she raps rapidly— and during their subsequent On The Run II Tour, she harmonizes the rap in a singing moment live.
The album itself is full of messages of Black love as well as their own transgressions towards one another. “SUMMER” relies on funk music of the soulful ‘70s decade with Beyoncé seductively suggesting, “Let’s make love in the summertime.” On “Boss,” they both talk about amassing their wealth, with Bey saying “ain’t nothing to a real one.” There are “ooo’s” in the background adding to the marching band instrumental and giving the song a doo wop type of feel— like something The Temptations would do. “NICE” is chilled out with a positive affirmation, with the matriarch quoting her daughter: “I ain’t ever seen a ceiling in my whole life, that’s word to Blue.”
Throughout EVERYTHING IS LOVE the pair compliment each other superbly. Despite the drama the world has now been roped into because of sneaky hotel employees, the music chemistry we’ve been accustomed to since their 2002 collab, “03’ Bonnie & Clyde,” never fades away. On “713,” the area code of Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston, she is heard interpolating Snoop Dogg’s part on “Still D.R.E.,” which JAY-Z co-wrote. Produced by Cool & Dre, “713” has a rocking drum backed instrumental that digs into the depths of authentic New York styled hip hop meant for popping bottles of Ace of Spades champagne. As JAY-Z raps “to all the good girls and the love hustlers/to the mothers who put up with us,” Beyoncé is heard ad-libbing his nickname in the background, “Ho-Va-ah-ah-ah-ahhh.”
In an attempt to explain why they stayed together, on “713” Mr. Carter drops the controversial line, “Black Queen, you rescued us.” On “FRIENDS,” JAY-Z salutes his own that have stayed true to him, with a ticking Toronto cloudy production that models after Drake cuts such as “Worst Behavior” and “No New Friends.” “HEARD ABOUT US” resembles stadium soft rock music— the kind that JAY-Z found pop success off. It takes a cue from the music of their friend, Chris Martin’s band, Coldplay. The instrumental is a mesh of the sentimentalism of Tears For Fears “Everybody Wants To Rule” and JAY’s own “Young Forever.” Beyoncé sings the hook with a cursive singing type of accent that is meant with a more masculine, aggressive tone— matching her mission of proving she’s a ride or die wife.
As the closing segment of EVERYTHING IS LOVE , they have reached the part of union. It seems as though their bond will never be broken. On “BLACK EFFECT,” there is an avid description of the meaning of love. A woman says “it’s about sensitivity, it’s about passion. It’s about unconditional giving of self to another person.” As a sample of “Broken Strings” from the Flower Travellin’ Band plays, JAY-Z hollers “I’m good on any MLK Boulevard,” with Beyoncé metaphorically patting her weave and popping gum while shouting “HE GOOD!” It’s as if she is standing behind him during an argument, ready for anyone to dare challenge her husband. In the manifesto of a ghetto love, she even drops a Shawty Lo reference and salutes “Hello,” her love confession dedicated to JAY-Z on 2008’s I Am … Sasha Fierce .
“LOVEHAPPY” plays as the ending credits of what is now a blissful relationship. Well… except for the portion where JAY has to go “yo chill man” as he interrupts her threat to never cheat again. They discuss their three children and in a way it gives ‘The Proud Family’ gone hip hop. “Hova, Beysus, watch the throne,” they declare themselves as hip hop’s true partnership— a swipe at Kanye West who spoke out against them. By listen’s end, it will take more to dissolve one of the greatest pairings in music history.
“713” for the hardest production on the album, the sheer fun it sounds like both had while recording, and the “Hova” ad-lib done by Bey.
“BOSS” for the way Bey carried the hook which is addictive.
“FRIENDS” for its smoothness, and how it modeled perfectly after what was trending in hip hop at the time.
“APESHIT” for being an important statement piece and its game changing music video that tied easter eggs together.
“BLACK EFFECT” for the “Hello” shoutout and how the ending grew in attitude, as well as JAY-Z’s funny rap monologue towards the end.
Key Tracks
Although it’s not as heavily discussed as other projects in their catalog, EVERYTHING IS LOVE was a conversation starter that showcased great chemistry between two artists that are deemed the greatest in their respective fields of music. People imagined for the longest what a joint album between the two would sound like, and this came at the perfect time for both their careers.