Beyoncé and Jay Z shocked the world when the dropped their surprise joking album, “Everything is Love” this past weekend. After years of countless rumors, teasers, and letdowns, the joint album dropped exclusively on Tidal this weekend and now is available on other streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. But, how long have Jay and Bey fans actually waited for this epic collaboration between the husband and wife?
In honor of the long-awaited joint album, we created a timeline of events that led up to the collaborative release.
September 2014
In the summer of 2014, Dash Radio host DJ Skee announced that several sources had confirmed that Jay and Bey were officially working on a collaborative project, according to Complex. At the time, rumors hinted at late 2014 to early 2015 album release date. These rumors surfaced as the duo was finishing up their On the Run tour in Paris.
Here’s the video of DJ Skee with the exclusive news:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=aPeIXHzFV7E
February 2015
In early 2015, producer Noel Fisher (aka Detail)—Grammy award winner for his work on Bey’s smash record “Drunk in Love,” sat down for an interview with Billboard, and stated that he was working with Jay and Bey on a “mysterious project.” Fisher did not confirm an official joint album at the time, but then again, he didn’t deny it either. “When you think of Jay and Bey together, you think ‘album,’ you should already know,” Fisher stated.
When Billboard asked if the “mysterious project” would be released by the end of 2015, Fisher replied: “in my imaginary mind, I will work to say it’s true.”
May 2016
In May 2016, sources claimed that the joint album was finished. Fans of Queen Bey remember May 2016 a little differently, because it was right after Bey dropped surprise album, “Lemonade.” According to Page Six, sources revealed that the “Formation” singer had another project “on deck.” The project reportedly would address the couple’s marital issues and rumors of infidelity. Rumors that Jay cheated on Bey skyrocketed after a certain line in Bey’s song, “Sorry” said, “you better call Becky with the good hair,” and hinted at Jay’s possible mistress.
According to Complex, an inside source hinted at the possible joint album collab as the infidelity rumors increased. “Jat and Beyonce were never going to do an interview to address all the questions that came up after ‘Lemonade.’ It’s more their style to respond through music,” the source said.
The source also claimed that the album was complete and set to drop on Tidal, “very soon.”
November 2017
After the release of Jay-Z’s Grammy-nominated album, “4:44,” Jay confirmed to T Magazine that the long-time rumored project with Beyoncé exists. Jay confirmed that he and his wife started working on music together “as a way to mend their relationship,” and that there is “a lot of material sitting in the vault.” But, Jay never confirms if/when the music would ever be released.
“We were using our art as like a therapy session. And we started making music together,” Jay said. “And then the music she was making at that time was further along. So her album came out as opposed to the joint album that we were working on. Um, we still have a lot of that music,” Jay confirmed.
March 2018
In March 2018, Jay and Bey announced a follow-up to their 2014 On the Run Tour called, “On the Run II.” With the sudden news, fans knew an album had to be coming soon. Bey recently wrapped up her Formation tour in 2016, and Jay finished his 4:44 tour at the end of 2017, so something new had to be in store for the four-month tour.
June 2018
The album finally is released! On Saturday the iconic couple surprisingly dropped their nine-track joint album, “Love is Everything.” With no teasers or promos, and everything in complete secrecy, it made the project that much more special, according to Complex.
After years of waiting, Jay Z and Beyoncé finally completed their album trilogy and fans couldn’t be more stoked. The On the Run II Stadium Tour kicked off June 6 in the UK and will be coming to the US at the end of July.
What do think of Jay and Bey’s new album?
Featured Image via Flickr/waqar Khan.
