It was late 2013 when the world stopped. Beyoncé dropped her self-titled visual album with zero warning, effectively changing how the music industry operates forever. But amidst the high-concept videos and the "Feminist" backdrop, one specific line from the track "Drunk in Love" caught fire like a California brush through a dry canyon.
Beyonce I've been drinking isn't just an opening line. It’s a mood. It’s an era.
Honestly, the way she delivers that first "I’ve been drinking, I’ve been drinking" feels almost like a confession you weren't supposed to hear. It’s raw. It’s grainy, much like the black-and-white Hype Williams video that accompanied it. But for years, fans and critics alike have been debating what she actually meant, specifically when she gets to that "watermelon" part later in the bridge.
The Story Behind the Freestyle
Most people think "Drunk in Love" was this meticulously crafted pop product. It wasn't.
Beyoncé actually freestyled a huge chunk of it. She was in the studio with the producer Detail, who had this beat originally titled "Drunk." They were just vibing. No ego. No "we need a Billboard #1" pressure. She just started flowing.
"We just kind of had a party," she said in her Self-Titled documentary series. Jay-Z jumped in and started flowing his verse right there on the spot. Timbaland was there, too, adding those signature keys. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated creative synergy.
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When you hear her growl "Drunk in loooove," you’re hearing a woman who is genuinely having a blast in the booth. It’s the sound of a superstar letting her guard down. That’s probably why it still sounds fresh today, whereas other hits from 2013 feel like they’re covered in a layer of dated dust.
The Watermelon Debate: Urban Legend vs. Reality
You've probably seen the theories. If you spent any time on Urban Dictionary or Twitter in the mid-2010s, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
The line "I've been drinking, watermelon" sparked a million think pieces.
- Theory A: It’s a very literal, very "adult" metaphor for... well, certain fluids. The "seeds" in a watermelon were the smoking gun for the conspiracy theorists.
- Theory B: It was just a nod to a refreshing drink she liked while recording.
The reality? It’s probably a bit of both, but with a business twist. In 2016, Beyoncé actually invested in a company called WTRMLN WTR. It’s a brand that uses "discarded" watermelons to make cold-pressed juice.
Suddenly, the lyric felt less like a secret code and more like a brilliant, long-term brand placement. Or maybe she just really likes the fruit. Either way, the "semen" theory remains one of the most persistent pieces of Beyhive lore to this day. It’s the kind of ambiguity that makes her lyrics so sticky.
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Why the "I've Been Drinking" Intro Works
Musicologists often talk about "the hook before the hook."
In this song, that "I've been drinking" intro is the hook. It sets the stakes immediately. You aren't getting the "Single Ladies" Beyoncé here. You’re getting the "7/11," "looking-at-the-kitchen-floor" Beyoncé.
The song is structurally weird. It’s heavy on the trap beats and features a half-rapped second verse from Bey herself. It shouldn't have been a massive radio hit, yet it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
Breaking Down the Production
- The 808s: The Roland TR-808 drum machine provides that deep, pulsing bass that feels like a heartbeat.
- The Vocal Inflections: She goes from a sultry whisper to a "sassy" growl in seconds.
- The "Surfboard" Effect: The way she says "surfboardt" with that sharp "T" at the end. It became a meme before we even really called everything memes.
The Controversy Most Fans Ignore
We have to talk about the Jay-Z verse.
While the song is a celebration of marital bliss and, frankly, great sex, Jay-Z’s verse contains a line that hasn't aged particularly well for some. When he raps "Eat the cake, Anna Mae," he’s referencing a scene from the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do with It.
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In that scene, Ike Turner (the abuser) forces Tina to eat cake in a diner.
For many, using a reference to domestic violence in a song about "love" felt jarring. Some radio stations even edited the line out. It’s a reminder that even the most "perfect" pop culture moments often have these complicated, messy layers underneath the surface.
Beyond the Glass: The Cultural Legacy
Beyonce I've been drinking became a shorthand for being "reckless" in a fun way. It launched a thousand Instagram captions. It made "surfboard" a permanent part of the sexual lexicon.
But more than that, it signaled Beyoncé’s transition into her "Imperial Phase." This was the moment she stopped chasing the charts and started making the charts come to her. She proved that you could be explicit, experimental, and still be the biggest star on the planet.
If you’re looking to capture that same "Drunk in Love" energy in your own life—minus the 5:00 AM kitchen floor realizations—start by embracing the "mistakes." That’s what Bey did. She stopped trying to be perfect and started being real.
Next Steps for the Beyhive:
- Watch the "Drunk in Love" music video again, but pay attention to the lighting. It was shot in Golden Beach, Florida, and almost the entire thing is improvised movement.
- Check out the 2014 Grammy performance. It’s widely considered the "definitive" version of the song because of the chair choreography and the undeniable chemistry between Bey and Jay.
- Listen to the Kanye West remix if you want a version that’s even more chaotic and "unfiltered."
The song isn't just about alcohol. It’s about the intoxication of another person. And ten years later, we’re still nursing the hangover.