Jay Z's grandmother the inspiration for Beyonc's new album Lemonade

At a recent birthday party, surrounded by friends and family,JayZ's grandmother stood upand reflected on her 90 years, making a statement that would become the basis of Beyonc'snew album.

"I was served lemons but I made lemonade," Hattie White said.

For Amanda Parris, host of CBC ArtsExhibitionists, that statement reflects the experience of many black women, something to which she says Beyonc'salbum Lemonade pays tribute.

Parris sat down withMetro Morning host MattGallowayTuesdayto talk about whatBeyonc'snew album means to her as a black woman.

"It's very specifically curated to say, 'I'm speaking about a personal experience but I'm going to connect it beyond myself to this story of black womanhood and black women.'"

Beyoncmade waves in February when she delivered a Super Bowl halftime performance ofthe final track on the album, Formation, featuring lyrics celebrating black culture.

• Beyonc's Formation video, Super Bowl gig spark uproar

Clad in a black, military-inspired costume, Knowles delivered a set that clearly referenced the Black Panthers and included the black power salute. Her small army of female dancers at one point formed an X-shape behind her and sported afro-style hair and berets reminiscent of the Black Panthers aesthetic.

"Beyonchas had this incredibly perfectly constructed image for so many years and you think that she would be free of all the sorts of the criticisms that the average black woman would be served," Parris said.

But the moment sparked a firestorm of controversy, nevertheless.

Still, Lemonade is unapologetic. Its third-last track, Freedom, specifically shines a spotlight on the struggles that black women face and their resilience, quoting directly from civil rightsactivist Malcolm X.

"To me it's another anthem that she's contributed to a larger movement celebrating black lives," Parris said, "making sure that these lives do matter."