Music industry heavyweights, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, released a new album this past week to the surprise of their fans. After each dropping critically acclaimed solo projects, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, or “The Carters”, are back in a full-on collaborative effort.
Jay Z and Beyonce Knowles arrive at the Costume Institute Benefit Met Gala on May 4, 2014 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. (Doug Peters/PA Photos/Abaca Press/TNS)
The artists responsible for the creation of this album need no introduction. The Carters are mainstays of the music industry. Omnipresent titans in their field that have been around far longer than just a few years. That being said, their musical presence has yet to diminish.
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Both artists are coming off critically acclaimed albums. In 2016, Beyoncé released her “Lemonade” project, and last year, Jay-Z released his album “4:44.” Now, we have this surprise drop of a collaborative album between the two titled “Everything is Love,” an album centered on the relationship between man and woman. With such a theme, it seems only right to bring both of the Carters into the equation.
“Everything is Love” is possibly the best display of the chemistry between Beyoncé and Jay-Z thus far. It oozes through your speakers. The personalities of both artists shine through while still complimenting each other.
Tracks on this album, such as “713” and “LOVEHAPPY,” showcase the infectious energy between the pair. Beyoncé’s boastful hooks are the perfect interludes to Jay-Z’s descriptive and intimidating verses. “Everything is Love” gives off the image of the Carters sharing a throne.
It’s an album that serves each of the Carters. Beyoncé’s line in “LOVEHAPPY”, “We’re flawed but we’re still perfect for each other,” comes to mind. Even though all the controversy that has surrounded that relationship in the past, “Everything is Love” shows just how genuine their relationship still is, and seeks to fortify relationships of similar statures.
At nine tracks, “Everything is Love” is quick, and only lasts about 38 minutes. The length actually serves the album in that the songs don’t make listeners feel dragged along.
In terms of production, it is both simple and effective. There isn’t a whole lot of technicality in the production on this album, but it does its job well enough. The production style on “FRIENDS” is a bit more of typical to modern trap music and the simplicity of the production adds a sense of genericism, but it is not wholly unlikable, just less ear-grabbing. As a whole body of work, there is consistency in the themes of production, and that makes the listen all the more satisfying.
Should you listen to it: Yes.
It’s pretty hard to find a reason not to listen to it. A collaborative album between Beyoncé and Jay-Z is already an incredible reason on its own, but “Everything is Love” is truthfully a worthwhile listen. It’s easy to find a couple songs to hold onto and, for some people, this may be an album you can easily revisit in its entirety. “Everything is Love” is a great, simplistic contemporary piece of artistry from two of the most seasoned veterans in the modern music world.
The album is something that may not go down in history but it does show just how capable Beyoncé and Jay-Z are as both contemporary artists, and a real collaborative team.
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Collegian reporter Miles Parrish can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @parrishm20.
