Let's Examine Beyonce's "Sorry" Lyrics

On Saturday night, music fans, after reeling from the loss of Prince, were treated to a bit of happiness. Beyonce dropped her new visual album Lemonade on Tidal after an hour long special on HBO of the same name, and since it's been about three years since we've received the musical blessings of Queen B, you best believe that the news was welcome. The album is already trending, but one of the songs is gaining a lot of attention. Is Beyonce's "Sorry" about Jay Z? Let's examine the lyrics.

The Lemonade HBO special didn't shy away from addressing the rumors that she and husband, and father of their child Blue Ivy, confronted infidelity. The special hinted that Jay Z cheated on Beyonce, but nothing was explicit. That's how Beyonce rolls, though. Innuendo is key. Bustle reached out to Beyonce and Jay Z's reps for comment, but has not yet heard back.

So! Could Beyonce's new song "Sorry" reveal what she went through during the alleged infidelity? Here are the lyrics:

Sorry, I ain't sorrySorry, I ain't sorryI ain't sorry, n*gga, nahSorry, I ain't sorrySorry, I ain't sorryI ain't sorry

The first refrain would make it seem like the storyteller has something to apologize for, but really, it seems like she's actually saying "sorry not sorry" for her reaction to being the victim. Then the first verse goes:

He trying to roll me upI ain't picking upHeaded to the clubI ain't thinking 'bout youMe and my ladies sip my D'USSE cupI don't give a fuck, chucking my deuces upSuck on my balls, pause, I had enoughI ain't thinking 'bout youI ain't thinking 'bout

And then the bridge gives us a hint at how she really feels:

Middle fingers up, put them hands highWave it in his face, tell him, boy, byeTell him, boy, bye, middle fingers upI ain't thinking 'bout you

The hook, which is starts off the song repeats again.

Then we get the second verse:

Now you want to say you're sorryNow you want to call me cryingNow you gotta see me wildingNow I'm the one that's lyingAnd I don't feel bad about itIt's exactly what you getStop interrupting my grindingI ain't thinking 'bout you

We get the hook again here, then the third verse:

Looking at my watch, he shoulda been homeToday I regret the night I put that ring onHe always got them f*cking excusesI pray to the Lord you reveal what his truth isI left a note in the hallwayBy the time you read it, I'll be far awayI'm far awayBut I ain't f*cking with nobodyLet's have a toast to the good lifeSuicide before you see this tear fall down my eyesMe and my baby, we gon' be alrightWe gon' live a good lifeBig homie better grow upMe and my woodies 'bout to stroll upI see them boppers in the cornerThey sneaking out the back doorHe only want me when I'm not thereHe better call Becky with the good hairHe better call Becky with the good hair

And that's the song.

Now, does every song by an artist have to autobiographical? Not in the least. But Beyonce has a tendency to reveal her truth through music — see "Blue" and "Heartbeat," a song about her miscarriage — so it's possible that "Sorry" references her emotions after Jay allegedly cheated on her. The lyrics "Today I regret the night I put that ring on/ He always got them f*cking excuses" sounds like someone regrets their marriage, and "Me and my baby, we gon' be alright/ We gon' live a good life" sounds like someone who knows that despite a divorce or a split, she and her child are going to be just fine.

There are strong suggestions throughout Lemonade that Jay Z and Beyonce experienced a bumpy road in their marriage (even the name itself implies that she ended up with something sweet after being dealt something bitter) but until she reveals without question the motivation for "Sorry," we're left to speculate.

Regardless if the song is from Beyonce's heart, it's for Beyonce's fans:

An anthem is an anthem, no matter what the intention.

Lemonade, with "Sorry," is currently on Tidal.