After a stunning performance at last night’s Grammys, Beyoncé has released the music videos for her songs “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles” online. The visuals first appeared as part of the Lemonade film, which aired on HBO last year.
Beyoncé, who recently revealed that she’s pregnant with twins, performed both songs at last night’s event, draped in gold while being attended by a host of dancers. The imagery, certainly of a piece with Lemonade as a whole, evoked African spirituality while also incorporating Renaissance iconography. While not necessarily arresting for its choreography, the performance was still awe-inspiring as a visual display, and it’s only fitting that the videos be released to capitalize on the renewed attention.
Even though Beyoncé lost the Album of the Year Grammy to Adele, it can’t be denied that the execution of the original film and the slow rollout of videos over the last year has been perfect. Lemonade is still considered a singular cultural artifact, and the fact that repackaged content from the original release can stir new interest in the work is a big reason why.