Released: November 18, 2008

Songwriter: Beyoncé James Fauntleroy II Hey

Producer: Andrew Hey Beyoncé

[Verse 1]
Diamonds used to be coal
Look young 'cause they got soul
That's why they're beautiful
And my heart used to be cold
'Til your hands laid on my soul
Baby, that's why you're beautiful

[Chorus]
I'm not wondering why
The sky's blue; that's not my business
All I know is I
Look up and tell myself
"Be patient, love. That could be us."

[Verse 2]
Lovers used to make love
And died just to give us
Their piece of the beautiful
Remember when we made love?
Love
Wasn't it beautiful?

[Chorus]
Don't ask me why
The sky's blue; that's not my business
All I know is I
Look up and tell myself
"Be patient, love. That could be us."

[Bridge]
Diamonds used to be coal (Be coal)
Look young 'cause they got soul (got soul)
And my heart used to be cold (be cold)
'Til your hands laid on my soul
Somebody's got to stay deep in love
That could be you
That's why we're beautiful
That's why you're beautiful
Ooh

[Outro]
Why, why?
That's why you're beautiful
That's why you're beautiful
That's why you're beautiful

Beyoncé

In the twenty-first century, no pop star was as poised, as polished, or as generally fierce as Beyoncé. She scored early success with Destiny’s Child, who started out as a sexier and sassier (if less adult) version of TLC, then steadily became more and more of a vehicle for Beyoncé’s operatic vocals and general diva-tude, which may have been the plan all along.

Whether appearing in TV spots, co-starring in films like Dreamgirls, or killing it every night on stadium tours, Beyoncé was omnipresent in the 2000s. Almost everybody, Beygency member or otherwise, loved shiny, hip-hop-fueled hits like “Crazy in Love”, and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”. Moving into the 2010s, Beyoncé fights on, gaining more and more traction in pop culture with her work and music.

She has made a significant impact upon the music landscape in general with her recent albums 4 and BEYONCÉ, which explored complex themes like motherhood, feminism, marriage, sexuality, and doubt in a greater depth. With Lemonade, she went a step further—the fierce, intimate exploration of marriage, infidelity, and forgiveness was her most personal and musically daring album yet.