''Everything Is Love'' (stylized in
all caps
In typography, all caps (short for "all capitals") refers to text or a font in which all letters are capital letters, for example: "THIS TEXT IS IN ALL CAPS". All caps may be used for emphasis (for a word or phrase). They are commonly seen in ...
) is the debut
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American musical duo
the Carters
The Carters (stylized in all caps) are an American musical duo composed of married artists Beyoncé and Jay-Z. They released their first album as the Carters, ''Everything Is Love'', on June 16, 2018. Before formally naming their collaboration, ...
, consisting of spouses
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and
Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. It was released on June 16, 2018, by
Parkwood Entertainment
Parkwood Entertainment, LLC is an American management, production, entertainment company and record label founded by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in 2010. The company began as a production unit for films and videos in 2008. It has offices located in N ...
,
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
,
S.C Enterprises, and
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...
. Beyoncé and Jay-Z produced the album alongside a variety of collaborators, including
Cool & Dre
Cool & Dre are a record production and songwriting duo from North Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Antonio Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon. The duo are best known for their work with Terror Squad founder Fat Joe, first ...
,
Boi-1da
Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da ( , a play on "boy wonder"), is a Jamaican-Canadian Record production, record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
The Toronto raised producer has work ...
, and
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
. Additional vocalists recorded for the album include Williams,
Quavo
Quavious Keyate Marshall (born April 2, 1991), known professionally as Quavo (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is best known as the co-founder and former frontman of hip hop group Migos. Quavo is the uncle of late fellow Migos m ...
,
Offset
Offset or Off-Set may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Off-Set", a song by T.I. and Young Thug from the '' Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
* ''Offset'' (EP), a 2018 EP by singer Kim Chung-ha
* ''Offset'' (film), a 200 ...
(both from
Migos
Migos () is an American hip hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, founded in 2008. The group was originally composed of Southern rappers Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia; Offset and Takeoff were born and raised in Law ...
), and
Ty Dolla Sign
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...
, among others. The
hip hop and
R&B album explores themes of romantic love, fame, wealth, and
black pride
Black Pride in the United States is a movement which encourages black people to celebrate African-American culture and embrace their African heritage. In the United States, it was a direct response to white racism especially during the Civi ...
.
The album was not made public until its release was announced by Beyoncé and Jay-Z while onstage at a
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
concert for their
On the Run II Tour
The On the Run II Tour was the second co-headlining stadium tour by American singer Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z. The tour began on June 6, 2018, in Cardiff and ended on October 4, 2018, in Seattle. This is their first tour together since On the Run ...
and later through their
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
accounts. It was originally exclusive to the music distribution service
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
, before given a wider release on June 18, 2018. In its first week, ''Everything Is Love'' debuted at number two on the US
''Billboard'' 200, earning 123,000
album-equivalent unit
The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to traditi ...
s.
At the
61st Annual Grammy Awards
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...
, the album won for
Best Urban Contemporary Album
The Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for quality works on albums in the urban contemporary subgenre within the R&B field. Honors in several categories are presented at t ...
, and was nominated
Best Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...
for "
Apeshit
"Apeshit" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American musical duo the Carters, composed of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The song was written by the duo, Pharrell Williams, and Quavo & Offset from the hip hop trio Migos, with the former three producing ...
" and
Best R&B Performance
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...
for "Summer".
Recording
![UArena from GrandeArche](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/UArena_from_GrandeArche.jpg)
Plans about a joint album by the couple were announced by Jay-Z during an interview with ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' in 2017 when he said that they used "art almost like a therapy session" to create new music. However, since they also worked on their respective albums ''
4:44'' and ''
Lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage.
There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using le ...
'', and Beyoncé's music progressed more rapidly, the project was temporarily stopped. Rumors about the collaborative project began emerging in March 2018 when the couple announced their
On the Run II Tour
The On the Run II Tour was the second co-headlining stadium tour by American singer Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z. The tour began on June 6, 2018, in Cardiff and ended on October 4, 2018, in Seattle. This is their first tour together since On the Run ...
.
The majority of the album was recorded at
U Arena
U or u, is the twenty-first and sixth-to-last letter and fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pro ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
; "Friends", "Black Effect" and "Salud!" were recorded at Kingslanding Studios West in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, while further recording for "Summer" and "Nice" was done at
The Church Studios
The Church Studios is a recording studio located in a former church in Crouch End, North London, England. It was rented and then owned by Dave Stewart in the 1980s and 1990s, and was used to record Eurythmics' second album '' Sweet Dreams''. ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Beyoncé and Jay-Z co-produced all of the songs on the album themselves, with further producers including
Pharrell
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
,
Cool & Dre
Cool & Dre are a record production and songwriting duo from North Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Antonio Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon. The duo are best known for their work with Terror Squad founder Fat Joe, first ...
,
Boi-1da
Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da ( , a play on "boy wonder"), is a Jamaican-Canadian Record production, record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
The Toronto raised producer has work ...
, Jahaan Sweet,
David Andrew Sitek
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
,
D'Mile
Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II (born January 24, 1985) is an American record producer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York City. He was sometimes referred to as D. Emile, Dernst Emile II, or Dee'Mile and is most commonly known and accredited as D'Mil ...
,
El Michels,
Fred Ball
Frederick Henry Ball (July 17, 1915 – February 5, 2007) was an American movie studio executive (management), executive and younger brother of Lucille Ball.
Biography
Early life
Ball was born on July 17, 1915, to Henry Durrell Ball (1887–191 ...
,
Illmind
Ramon Ibanga, Jr. (born August 28, 1980), known professionally as Illmind (often stylized as !llmind), is an American record producer, songwriter, and educator. As of 2012, he lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Illmind has co-written and produced hip ...
,
MeLo-X
Sean Rhoden, known professionally MeLo-X, is an American disc jockey and record producer. MeLo-X co-wrote two songs for Beyoncé's ''Lemonade'' album in 2016: " Hold-Up" and " Sorry".
MeLo-X is one half of the electro/dancehall/reggae duo Electri ...
,
Mike Dean and
Nav. The album was predominantly recorded by Stuart White and
Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton.
Music and lyrics
According to ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' journalist Riley Wallace, ''Everything Is Love'' is a
hip hop album.
Mike Wass from ''
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
'' observed a "
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
sound and flashy bravado" on the record, while ''
Respect
Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...
'' magazine's Jasmine Johnson said it "involves trap with a hint of love".
Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...
found the music more rooted in hip hop than
R&B,
as did Jogai Bhatt of ''
The Spinoff
''The Spinoff'' is a New Zealand online magazine and news website that was founded in 2014. It is known for current affairs coverage, political and social analysis, and cultural commentary. It earns money through commercial sponsorship and su ...
'', who viewed it as a departure from "the sort of contemporary R&B traditionally associated with Beyoncé." Craig Jenkins from ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' said the singer played the role of an "R&B heavyweight" doubling as a "formidable rapper" throughout the album, showcasing her talents for
vocal belting
Belting (or vocal belting) is a specific technique of singing by which a singer carries their chest voice above their break or passaggio with a proportion of head voice. Belting is sometimes described as "high chest voice" or "mixed voice" (not to ...
and complex
rap cadences.
The album contains lyrics about the couple's romantic love, lavish lifestyle, media worship, wealth,
black pride
Black Pride in the United States is a movement which encourages black people to celebrate African-American culture and embrace their African heritage. In the United States, it was a direct response to white racism especially during the Civi ...
and fame; themes that were found to be characteristic of the whole record.
Other songs feature the pair singing about their family affairs as well as maintaining their relationship following hardships (i.e. infidelity). ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine's
Maura Johnston
Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Boston Globe'', ''Pitchfork'', ''The Awl
''The Awl'' was a website abo ...
regarded the album as another "blockbuster duet in R&B and hip-hop"; comparable to
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...
and
Tammi Terrell
Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery; April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye.
...
's soul songs from the
1960s
File:1960s montage.png, Clockwise from top left: U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; the Beatles led the British Invasion of the U.S. music market; a half-a-million people participate in the 1969 Woodstock Festival; Neil Armstrong and Buzz ...
and the 1995
Method Man
Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of t ...
and
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
recording "
I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By
"I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" is a duet song by the American recording artists, rapper Method Man and singer Mary J. Blige who sings the intro, the choruses, and backing vocals. The song is a remix of Method Man's "All I Nee ...
"; while incorporating contemporary elements in the form of trap
beats, critical references to the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
and the
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
, and playing with "public perceptions of the duo's relationship". Jenkins said it extolled
African-American entrepreneurship
In the US, Black-owned businesses (or Black businesses), also known as African American businesses, originated in the days of slavery before 1865. Emancipation and civil rights permitted businessmen to operate inside the American legal structure ...
while presenting Jay-Z as "a doting father and husband, an entrepreneur and
altruist
Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for the welfare and/or happiness of other human beings or animals, resulting in a quality of life both material and spiritual. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core asp ...
with ideas about how everyone else should handle their businesses, a king-tier braggart, and a rap legend".
Artwork
![Vista exterior del Museo del Louvre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Vista_exterior_del_Museo_del_Louvre.JPG)
The artwork for the album is a
still frame
In filmmaking, video production, animation, and related fields, a frame is one of the many ''still images'' which compose the complete ''moving picture''. The term is derived from the historical development of film stock, in which the sequential ...
from the
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "
Apeshit
"Apeshit" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American musical duo the Carters, composed of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The song was written by the duo, Pharrell Williams, and Quavo & Offset from the hip hop trio Migos, with the former three producing ...
". It features two of Beyoncé's background dancers, Jasmine Harper and Nicholas "Slick" Stewart, at the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
—Harper is seen picking the hair of Stewart while standing in front of
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
's ''
Mona Lisa
The ''Mona Lisa'' ( ; it, Gioconda or ; french: Joconde ) is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known ...
''.
Release and promotion
![Everything_Is_Love_Album_Release_-_OTR_II_Tour](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Everything_Is_Love_Album_Release_-_OTR_II_Tour.jpg)
On June 6, 2018, Beyoncé and Jay-Z embarked on the joint On the Run II Tour, a sequel to their 2014
On the Run Tour. At the end of their second show at
London Stadium
London Stadium (formerly and also known as Olympic Stadium and the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) is a multi-purpose outdoor stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the Stratford district of London. It is located in the Lower Lea ...
in London on June 16, 2018, Beyoncé announced to the crowd that the duo had a surprise before leaving the stage. Then, the music video for "Apeshit" played on the
LED video screen onstage. Following the conclusion of the video, the words "ALBUM OUT NOW" came across the screen. ''Everything Is Love'' was subsequently released exclusively via Jay-Z's streaming service
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
and all audience members received a free six-month trial subscription in order to be able to stream the album. The album was also made available for purchase on Tidal's online music store. The release was announced worldwide on the Beyoncé and Jay-Z's respective
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
accounts with the artist of the album being monikered as the Carters.
On the same day, the music video for the album's second track and lead single, "Apeshit", was released on Beyoncé's official
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel. It was directed by Ricky Saiz and filmed at the Louvre in Paris.
On June 18, the album was made available across numerous other platforms, including
iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
,
Apple Music
Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...
,
Deezer
Deezer is a French online music streaming service. It allows users to listen to music content from record labels, as well as podcasts on various devices online or offline.
Created in Paris, Deezer currently has 90 million licensed tracks in i ...
,
Amazon Music
Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and online music store operated by Amazon. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights man ...
,
Napster
Napster was a peer-to-peer file sharing application. It originally launched on June 1, 1999, with an emphasis on digital audio file distribution. Audio songs shared on the service were typically encoded in the MP3 format. It was founded by Shawn ...
,
Google Play Music
Google Play Music is a discontinued music and podcast streaming service and an online music locker operated by Google as part of its Google Play line of services. The service was announced on May 10, 2011; after a six-month, invitation-only be ...
and
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
.
Critical reception
''Everything is Love'' was met with general acclaim. At
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an
average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 80, based on 22 reviews.
Reviewing the album for ''The New York Times'', Joe Coscarelli said it "completes the Knowles-Carter conceptual trilogy"—referring to the previous releases of ''Lemonade'' and ''4:44''—"in an expert, tactical showing of family brand management".
Music critic Nicholas Hautman of ''
Us Weekly
''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...
'' wrote: "It's clear from the very first listen that Beyoncé outshines her husband on much of the record, which really should have been marketed as 'Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z' rather than 'Beyoncé ''and'' Jay-Z' (or 'the Carters', in this case). His verses are few and far between in comparison to hers, but it still somehow feels like a balanced body of work from two of the greatest artists of our time." In ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', Petridis believed the album retreads
braggadocio centering around the duo's wealth and excellence, with less musical daring, but still does so with likeable music, genuine wit, and energy.
As per ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' music critic
Neil McCormick
Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been Chief Music Critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV in the UK, Neil McCormick's Nee ...
pointed, "''Everything Is Love'' certainly doesn’t have the musical expansiveness of ''Lemonade''. There are neither
ballads
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
nor bangers, and not much in the way of melodic song construction at all. Rather, these are snappily repetitive beats on which the stars can put across their message as a form of hip hop conversation."
For ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', Jim Aswad described it as "solid and generally satisfying, but not the best from either."
Will Hodgkinson
Will Hodgkinson is a journalist and author from London (born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne), England. He is the chief rock and pop critic for ''The Times'' newspaper and contributes to ''Mojo'' magazine. He has written for ''The Guardian'', ''The Indepen ...
of ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' reviewed track-by-track, stated: "Jay-Z is as dynamic as ever and the new, though Beyoncé demands attention on this
surprise album
A surprise album or surprise release refers to the release of an album with little or no prior announcement, marketing or promotion. The strategy contrasts traditional album releases, which typically feature weeks or months of advertising in the f ...
,
..despite the ups and downs detailed on Beyoncé's ''Lemonade'' and Jay-Z's subsequent
mea culpa
' is a Latin phrase that means "my fault" or "my mistake" and is an acknowledgement of having done wrong. The expression is used also as an admission of having made a mistake that should have been avoided, and may be accompanied by beating the br ...
''4:44''. Instead they are coming out fighting, with all that fame and money making them defensive, even
paranoid
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...
, while a mix of
classic soul
Classic soul is a radio format that focuses on the more raw types of soul music from the 1950s-1970s that draw from certain rhythm and blues and soul music influences, after 1980 is generally considered “contemporary R&B” with the smoother ...
, hard-hitting hip-hop and slinky R&B."
''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' contributor Briana Younger wrote that the album "is a compromise between the spoils of ''Lemonade''s war and the fruits of ''4:44''s labor", and that "within this complex, messy and beautifully black display, the Carters find absolution."
Giving the album one and a half stars, Adam Rothbarth of ''
Tiny Mix Tapes
''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, a ...
'' stated that everything about the album "feels superficial, from the artists' constant pronouncement of their love for each other to their engagement with topics like fashion". He also added that the "most boring aspect of the album is its centerpiece: the couple's obsession with their wealth".
Accolades
Commercial performance
![Beyoncé and Jay-Z On The Run II](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Beyonc%C3%A9_and_Jay-Z_On_The_Run_II.jpg)
''Everything is Love'' debuted at number two on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, earning 123,000
album-equivalent unit
The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to traditi ...
s, (including 70,000 copies as pure album sales) in its first week.
The album debuted on the chart after less than six full days of activity on Tidal, and four days of activity on all other digital retailers and streaming services. In its second week, the album dropped to number four on the chart, earning an additional 59,000 units. In its third week, the album dropped to number eight on the chart, earning 33,000 more units. In its fourth week, the album remained at number eight on the chart, earning 29,000 units. In 2018, ''Everything is Love'' was ranked as the 70th most popular album of the year on the ''Billboard'' 200.
On January 14, 2019, the album was certified
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States.
Track listing
* All tracks noted as "ChopNotSlop Remix" and credited to, The Carters, OG Ron C, Slim K and DJ Candlestick
Notes
*
Simon Mavin is incorrectly credited as Simon Marvin
*
Jun Kozuki is incorrectly credited as Jan Kozuki
Sample credits
* "Apeshit" contains
** elements of an
A$AP Rocky
Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
broadcast on
Instagram Live
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can be ...
.
** an interpolation of "
Faneto
"Faneto" is a song by American rapper Chief Keef from his mixtape ''Back from the Dead 2'' (2014). It slowly achieved underground success, eventually reaching over 60 million cumulative YouTube views, and becoming sought after by MCs, DJs, and rad ...
", performed by
Chief Keef
Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. His music first became popular during his teen years in the early 2010s among high school s ...
, written by
Keith Farrelle Cozart.
* "713" contains
** an interpolation of "
Still D.R.E.", performed by
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
and
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
, written by
Melvin Bradford,
Shawn Carter
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
,
Scott Storch
Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots.
Early life
Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phila ...
and
Andre Young
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...
.
** samples from "Sphinx Gate", performed by
Hiatus Kaiyote
Hiatus Kaiyote () is an Australian jazz/funk band formed in Melbourne in 2011, made up of singer/guitarist Nai Palm, bassist Paul Bender, keyboardist Simon Mavin, and drummer Perrin Moss.
History 2011–2013: Formation and ''Tawk Tomahawk''
In ...
, written by
Paul Bender,
Simon Mavin,
Perrin Moss and
Naomi Saalfield.
** samples from "The World It Softly Lulls", performed by Hiatus Kaiyote, written by Paul Bender, Simon Mavin, Perrin Moss and Naomi Saalfield.
** an interpolation of "
The Light", performed by
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
, written by
Robert Caldwell
Robert Caldwell (7 May 1814 – 28 August 1891) was a missionary for London Missionary Society. He arrived in India at age 24, studied the local language to spread the word of Bible in a vernacular language, studies that led him to author a tex ...
,
Norman Harris,
Lonnie Lynn, Bruce Malament and
James Yancey
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
.
* "Heard About Us" contains
** an interpolation of "
Juicy", performed by
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...
, written by
Sean Puffy Combs,
James Mtume
James Forman (January 3, 1946January 9, 2022), known professionally as Mtume or James Mtume, was an American jazz and R&B musician, songwriter, record producer, activist, and radio personality.
He came to prominence as a jazz musician, working ...
,
Jean-Claude Olivier
Jean-Claude Olivier (28 February 1945 – 12 January 2013), often referred to simply as "JCO", was a French motorcycle racer and president of Yamaha Motor France S.A. from 1992 to 2010. He helped launch the careers of many famous French riders i ...
and
Christopher Wallace.
* "Black Effect" contains
** a sample of "Broken Strings", performed by
Flower Travellin' Band
was a Japanese rock band that was formed in 1967. They were connected to Japan's counterculture movement and noted for their mixture of early heavy metal with psychedelic and progressive rock. They received wide acclaim from critics but fail ...
, written by
Jun Kozuki.
* "LoveHappy" contains
** a sample of "You Make My Life a Sunny Day", performed by
Eddie & Ernie
Eddie & Ernie were an American soul duo in the 1960s, comprising Eddie Campbell (December 23, 1940 – July 10, 1994) and Ernie "Sweetwater" Johnson (October 22, 1943 – August 20, 2005). Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the duo sang in gospel groups b ...
, written by
Eddie Campbell
Eddie Campbell (born 10 August 1955) is a British comics artist and cartoonist who now lives in Chicago. Probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of ''From Hell'' (written by Alan Moore), Campbell is also the creator of the semi-au ...
,
Ernie Johnson and Pete James.
** elements of "Victory Is Certain" from ''APC Tracks Vol. 1'', written by
Bill Laswell
William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, w ...
,
Jean Touitou Jean Touitou (born December 10, 1951 in Tunis, Tunisia) is a Tunisian-French creative director and founder of A.P.C.
Biography
Touitou was born on December 10, 1951 in Tunis, to a Tunisian Jewish family. He was then "a revolutionary militant for a ...
and Thierry Planell.
** an interpolation of "
Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)
"Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu for the ''Brown Sugar'' soundtrack (2002). It features American rapper Common, who co-wrote the song alongside Badu, Madukwu Chinwah, Robert Ozuma, James Poyser ...
" performed by
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
and
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
, written by
Lonnie Lynn,
Robert Ozuna,
James Poyser
James Jason Poyser is an American songwriter, record producer, musician and current member of the hip hop band The Roots.
Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists such as Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, ...
,
Raphael Saadiq
Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group ...
,
Glenn Standridge
Jake & the Phatman is an American record production and songwriting duo, composed of multi-instrumentalists Glenn Standridge and Robert C. "Bobby" Ozuna Jr. They won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards in 2003.
Bot ...
and
Erica Wright
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
.
** samples from the
Graham Central Station
Graham Central Station was an American funk band named after founder Larry Graham (formerly of Sly and the Family Stone). The name is a pun on New York City's Grand Central Terminal, often colloquially called Grand Central Station.
History O ...
recording "The Jam", written by
Larry Graham
Larry Graham Jr. (born August 14, 1946) is an American bassist and baritone singer, both with the psychedelic soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station. In 1980, he released the single "O ...
.
Personnel
Credits adapted from Beyoncé's official website,
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
and the album's liner notes.
"Salud!" is track 10.
Musicians
*
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
– vocals
*
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
– vocals
*
Rory Stonelove – additional vocals
* Anthony Wilmot – additional vocals
*
Offset
Offset or Off-Set may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Off-Set", a song by T.I. and Young Thug from the '' Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
* ''Offset'' (EP), a 2018 EP by singer Kim Chung-ha
* ''Offset'' (film), a 200 ...
– additional vocals
*
Quavo
Quavious Keyate Marshall (born April 2, 1991), known professionally as Quavo (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is best known as the co-founder and former frontman of hip hop group Migos. Quavo is the uncle of late fellow Migos m ...
– additional vocals
* Blue Ivy Carter – additional vocals
*
Ty Dolla Sign
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...
– additional vocals
*
Pharrell
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
– additional vocals
*
Nija Charles – background vocals
* Dr. Lenora Antoinette Stines – additional vocals
*
Andre Christopher Lyon – additional vocals
* Derek Dixie – string arrangement & additional keyboards ; horn arrangement
* Chala Yancy – co-arrangement & strings
* Nathalie Barrett-Mas – co-arrangement & strings
* Crystal Alforque – co-arrangement & strings
* Jessica McJunkins – co-arrangement & strings
* Corbin Jones – co-arrangement ; horns
* Christopher Gray – co-arrangement ; horns
* Christopher Johnson – co-arrangement ; horns
* Crystal Torres – co-arrangement ; horns
* Arnetta Johnson – co-arrangement ; horns
* Lessie Vonner – co-arrangement ; horns
* Michael Jones – co-arrangement & horns
* Damien Farmer – bass guitar
* Peter Ortega – horns
* Randy Ellis – horns
* Richard Lucchese – horns
* 808-Ray – additional programming
Technical
* Tyler Scott – string engineering , recording , assistant mix engineering
* Stuart White – recording ; mixing
*
Gimel Keaton – recording ; mixing
* Mike Larson – recording
*
DJ Durel
Daryl McPherson, known as DJ Durel, is an American record producer, recording engineer, and DJ from Cleveland, Ohio. He is the official DJ of Atlanta rap group, Migos.
Career
In late 2017, '' Control the Streets, Vol. 1'', a compilation album r ...
– recording
* Zeph Sowers – recording
*
Tony Maserati
Tony Maserati is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in mixing. He was involved in the development of the New York R&B and hip-hop scene in the 1990s, working with Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Queen ...
– mixing
* Leslie Brathwaite – mixing
* Chris Godbey – mixing
* Dan Ewins – assistant mix engineering ; assistant engineering
* Henri Davies – assistant mix engineering
* Andy Maxell – assistant mix engineering
* Adrien Crapanzano – assistant engineering
* Marcus Locock – assistant engineering
* Lester Mendoza – assistant horn recording ; assistant string recording
* Colin Leonard – mastering
* Teresa LaBarbera Whites - A&R
Production
* Beyoncé – production ; co-production ; vocal production
* Jay-Z – production ; co-production ; vocal production
*
Cool & Dre
Cool & Dre are a record production and songwriting duo from North Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Antonio Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon. The duo are best known for their work with Terror Squad founder Fat Joe, first ...
– production
* Pharrell – production
*
Boi-1da
Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da ( , a play on "boy wonder"), is a Jamaican-Canadian Record production, record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
The Toronto raised producer has work ...
– production
* Jahaan Sweet – production
*
D'Mile
Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II (born January 24, 1985) is an American record producer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York City. He was sometimes referred to as D. Emile, Dernst Emile II, or Dee'Mile and is most commonly known and accredited as D'Mil ...
– production
*
Vinylz
Anderson Hernandez (born September 2, 1989),Rys, Dan (July 11, 2013)"‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Behind The Scenes: Five Producers Who Helped Craft The Album". ''XXL (magazine), XXL''. Accessed on July 11, 2013. professionally known as Vinylz, ...
– production
*
!llmind – production
*
David Andrew Sitek
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
– production
*
El Michels – co-production
*
Nav – co-production
*
Sevn Thomas
Rupert "Sevn" Thomas, Jr. (born July 7, 1991) is a Canadian record producer, songwriter and singer. He has produced and written numerous hit songs including Rihanna's "Work", Drake's "Pop Style" and "Chicago Freestyle," Travis Scott's " Wake Up ...
– co-production
* Beat Butcha – co-production
*
Fred Ball
Frederick Henry Ball (July 17, 1915 – February 5, 2007) was an American movie studio executive (management), executive and younger brother of Lucille Ball.
Biography
Early life
Ball was born on July 17, 1915, to Henry Durrell Ball (1887–191 ...
– additional production
* Stuart White – additional production
* Derek Dixie – additional production
*
Mike Dean – additional production
*
MeLo-X
Sean Rhoden, known professionally MeLo-X, is an American disc jockey and record producer. MeLo-X co-wrote two songs for Beyoncé's ''Lemonade'' album in 2016: " Hold-Up" and " Sorry".
MeLo-X is one half of the electro/dancehall/reggae duo Electri ...
– additional production
* 808-Ray – additional production
* Nova Wav – additional production
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2018 debut albums
Albums produced by Beyoncé
Albums produced by Boi-1da
Albums produced by Cool & Dre
Albums produced by Illmind
Albums produced by Mike Dean (record producer)
Albums produced by Nav (rapper)
Albums produced by Pharrell Williams
Albums produced by Beat Butcha
Beyoncé albums
Collaborative albums
Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album
Jay-Z albums
Roc Nation albums
Sony Music albums
Surprise albums
Trap music albums