This specific metadata snapshot—“2016” and “iTunes”—places the album in the liminal space between physical media and pure streaming. This was the era of the “visual album” as a commercial weapon. Owning the M4A file meant you were immune to the playlist algorithms that would later strip “Formation” of its political context. You possessed the Lemonade as a thesis: the journey from Intuition (Pray You Catch Me) to Redemption (All Night) to Resurgence (Formation).
Beyoncé – Lemonade (Year: 2016) – iTunes LP (w/ Digital Booklet) – Codec: M4A Beyonce - Lemonade -2016- -iTunes w Booklet-M4A-
The Alchemy of Anguish: Deconstructing the Lemonade Digital Artifact Beyonce - Lemonade -2016- -iTunes w Booklet-M4A-