Break My Soul

Beyoncé’s ‘Break My Soul’ Rises To No. 1 On The Hot 100 And Becomes Her First Solo Chart-Topper In Years

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Beyoncé’s new album Renaissance has been an absolute event. The instant-classic album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and now Beyoncé is on top of the singles chart, too: On the new Hot 100 dated August 13, “Break My Soul” is No. 1 for the first time.

The song, up from No. 6 on last week’s chart, is Beyoncé’s eighth No. 1 solo single and first without a featured artist since “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” in 2008. (Worth noting is that the Beyoncé-featuring remix of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” was No. 1 in 2020, while Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé’s duet version of “Perfect” topped the charts in 2017.) It is now Beyoncé’s third No. 1 without a featured artist, following “Single Ladies” and 2006’s “Irreplaceable.”

“Break My Soul” is just the second 2022 song by a solo female artist to go No. 1, after Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” which was on top for the previous two weeks.

This is the 43rd total week Beyoncé has had a No. 1 song, which is the seventh-most of all time. She’s currently behind Mariah Carey (87 weeks), Rihanna (60), The Beatles (59), Drake (54), Boyz II Men (50), and Usher (47).

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lizzo, Tierra Whack, Santigold, And More React To Beyoncé’s Shout Outs In ‘Break My Soul (Queens Remix)’

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In the latest remix of Beyoncé‘s “Break My Soul,” the Renaissance hitmaker mashes up the hit single with another classic, Madonna’s “Vogue.” On the bridge of “Break My Soul (Queens Remix), Beyoncé updates Madonna’s iconic tribute to the icons of the past, shouting out the people who have inspired her in the past and continue to inspire her today.

“Queen mother Madonna, Aaliyah / Rosetta Tharpe / Santigold / Bessie Smith / Nina Simone / Betty Davis / Solange Knowles / Badu, Lizzo, Kelly Rowl’/ Lauryn Hill / Roberta Flack / Toni, Janet, Tierra Whack / Missy, Diana, Grace Jones / Aretha, Anita, Grace Jones / Helen Folasade Adu / Jilly from Philly, I love you, boo / Don’t just stand there, get into it / Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it,” she says on the Bridge

She later shouts out Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Michelle Williams, Chlöe and Halle Bailey, Alicia Keys, and Whitney Houston, saying, “Michelle, Chlöe, Halle, Aaliyah / Alicia, Whitney, Riri, Nicki.”

Since the remix’s release on Friday, several of the women have reacted to their name checks with glee.

“I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN ME NOW BEYONCÉ BELIEVE IN ME TOO,” said Lizzo in a tweet, with a video embedded of her sharing a story, saying, “I remember when I was telling my friend’s mom what my major in college was going to be, and I told her I was going to major in music performance, and she laughed in my face, she said, ‘Music performance? Like Beyoncé?’ and she laughed in my face. I only have one thing to say.” Lizzo then proceeded to play a portion of the bridge.

Santigold also took to Twitter, saying, “Thanks to @beyonce Queen Bey for shouting me out amongst these greats, and even more for takin’ it back! Letting the people KNOW about all these Black women, powerful powerful spirits, many of whom never received the acknowledgment they deserved!”

Jill Scott, to whom Bey refers as “Jilly From Philly,” reacted saying, “In a fast ass world, I register greatness gently, deliberately slower than admittedly most. I FEEL a thing & I can wholeheartedly say THIS IS MY FAVORITE LIFE. I LOVE YOU @Beyonce.”

On Instagram, Tierra Whack, who previously collaborated with Bey on The Gift companion album for the 2019 remake of Disney’s The Lion King, shared a clip of the song, captioning the video, “MY GOOD SIS @beyonce GON ALWAYS SHOW LOVE!”

Check out “Break My Soul (Queens Remix)” above.

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Beyoncé Shouts Out Grace Jones, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker And More On ‘Break My Soul (Queens Remix)’

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Still riding the highs of her seventh studio album, Renaissance, Beyoncé has dropped a few new remixes of the album’s lead single, “Break My Soul.” Her latest is the Queens Remix, which features none other than Madonna. The remix heavily samples and interpolates Madge’s “Vogue,” and like Madonna did on the original “Vogue,” Beyoncé pays tribute to the icons of the past and present on the song’s bridge.

On the bridge, Beyoncé shouts out the people who have inspired her and continue to do so today. Some of the people she mentions include Aaliyah, Jill Scott, Sade, Kelly Rowland, Missy Elliott, and Diana Ross.

“Queen mother Madonna, Aaliyah / Rosetta Tharpe / Santigold / Bessie Smith / Nina Simone / Betty Davis / Solange Knowles / Badu, Lizzo, Kelly Rowl’/ Lauryn Hill / Roberta Flack / Toni, Janet, Tierra Whack / Missy, Diana, Grace Jones / Aretha, Anita, Grace Jones / Helen Folasade Adu / Jilly from Philly, I love you, boo / Don’t just stand there, get into it / Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it,” she says.

Shortly after, Bey shouts out Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Michelle Williams, Chlöe and Halle Bailey, Alicia Keys, and Whitney Houston.

“Michelle, Chlöe, Halle, Aaliyah / Alicia, Whitney, Riri, Nicki,” she sings.

Elsewhere on the track, she name-checks several of the houses within the Black LGBTQ+ ballroom scene, including the House Of Labeija, House Of Balmain, House Of Aviance, House Of Amazon, and the House Of Revlon.

You can purchase the Break My Soul (Queens Remix) here.

Madonna is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Beyoncé And Madonna’s ‘Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)’ Is Now Available For Purchase

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The world is just one week into Beyoncé’s Renaissance, or a week and a half for those who listened to the leaked album, but the movement truly began back in June. The dance-inspired “Break My Soul” shook the game up and is still a force to this day. Beyoncé decided to capitalize on the single’s momentum earlier this week with an EP full of remixes, and she has now upped the ante with “The Queens Remix” to “Break My Soul” featuring Madonna available for purchase on her website.

In a tweet from earlier today (August 5), @shopbeyonce shared “Break My Soul (THE QUEENS REMIX) by Beyoncé & @Madonna. Available now” with crown emojis, a link to the website, and a disc showing the two legends’ names. The track is priced at $1.29 and will be delivered to buyers’ emails immediately upon purchase.

A Beyoncé release truly is a holistic experience, as she always provides more than music whether she intends to or not. Just in a week she’s had contention with Kelis over a sample, people offended by her lyrics referencing ableism, and questions of her credibility as an artist because several songwriters appear in the album notes.

Through it all, Queen Bee perseveres and time will tell just how impactful Renaissance and all of its fixings will be.

Purchase “The Queens Remix” to “Break My Soul” here.

Beyonce Releases A Surprise EP Of Four ‘Break My Soul’ Remixes

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When Beyonce first released her house-influenced single “Break My Soul,” it was a pop culture-shifting moment. The single sparked a growing conversation about Black artists’ pioneering efforts in dance music, as well as reviving interest in genre staples such as Robin S.’s “Show Me Love.” Now, Beyonce has doubled down on the empowering track and her commitment to a traditional rollout for her new album, Renaissance (or maybe even quadrupled), by releasing a surprise, four-track EP of “Break My Soul” remixes.

Each of the new reworkings of the song is produced by a different standout DJ from the dance music world, including Honey Dijon, Nita Aviance, Terry Hunter, and will.i.am. Their respective takes add elements such as trance or church organs to transform the hit record and expand its inescapable dance floor appeal.

The new EP should help refocus the public’s attention on the music and tastemaking history lesson at the core of Renaissance after another of the album’s tracks inadvertently hijacked the public’s interest. After “Milkshake” singer Kelis called out Beyonce for supposedly sampling her on “Energy,” much of the discourse revolved around whether or not Beyonce should credit Kelis. However, Beyonce later removed the disputed vocal, keeping the actual interpolation of “Milkshake” that prompted the speculation.

Check out Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” remixes below via Spotify.

Beyonce Fans Are Appalled By An ‘MGK Punk Pop’ Cover Of ‘Break My Soul’

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When Beyonce’s house-influenced new single “Break My Soul” first dropped, there were naturally a few fans put off by the pop-R&B queen’s shift into dance music styles. It didn’t take long for folks to jump aboard though, leading to a renaissance (sorry) of interest in Black-led dance music. Even Robin S. started to receive some belated and much-deserved accolades for her role in pioneering house music in the ’90s.

However, while Beyonce’s genre experimentation is part of a larger movement to reclaim traditionally Black music, that doesn’t mean that fans can appreciate further attempts to transform her work. Enter Ali Spagnola, a social media personality who has made kind of a name for herself with attention-grabbing stunts. Along with her band, she has reinterpreted the song as a pop-punk track in a video titled, “What if Beyonce’s ‘Break My Soul’ was by MGK?”

Obviously, it didn’t take long for the video to get negative attention from Beyonce fans for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being that it’s kind of … not good. It’s also problematic thanks to some of the reasons stated above, which makes it a bad look in the eyes of many fans who are left to wonder if Spagnola just didn’t get the cultural subtext or got it and just didn’t care (both options sap the intended humor of the situation, given the historical context here). But attention seems to have been the goal all along, and Spagnola hasn’t had any problem with retweeting the criticism as well as the sporadic praise. She even doubled down, posting a video about “How we turned Beyonce’s ‘Break My Soul’ to MGK punk pop.”

And now, if you’ll excuse me, my soul is definitely broken, because I am not Beyonce, so I’m gonna go lie down until I stop feeling so queasy.

Beyoncé Joins TikTok And Starts By Showing Love To Her Favorite ‘Break My Soul’ Videos

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Beyoncé has long been one of the biggest artists in the world and now, she’s starting to take over TikTok, too, as she just joined the platform today (and already has over 3.3 million followers as of this post).

A couple hours ago, she shared her first TikTok video, a compilation of clips from TikTok users (including Cardi B, who makes a brief appearance) either dancing or singing along to “Break My Soul.” She wrote in the caption, “Seeing y’all release the wiggle made me so happy! Thank you so much for all the love for BREAK MY SOUL! – Love B.”

@beyonce

Seeing y’all release the wiggle made me so happy! Thank you so much for all the love for BREAK MY SOUL! – Love B —#RENAISSANCE #BREAKMYSOUL

♬ BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé

Furthermore, Variety notes that Beyoncé’s full catalog of music is now available for TikTok users to use as backing sounds in their videos.

Now, we wait and see how quickly Beyoncé’s TikTok follower count will catch up to those figures on other platforms; She has approximately 15.5 million Twitter followers, 25 million YouTube subscribers, 56 million Facebook followers, and 268 million Instagram followers.

As for Renaissance, Beyoncé’s upcoming album, she said of it last year, “I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half. Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies. Still, there’s nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!”

Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” Becomes Her First Solo Top 10 Hit Since 2016

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Beyoncé's "Break My Soul" Becomes Her First Solo Top 10 Hit Since 2016

Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” has officially entered the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The single is now the first solo top 10 single for Queen Bey in 6 years.

“Break My Soul” made the achievement in its first week of tracking, jumping from No. 15 to No. 7.

Last week, Beyoncé shared the cover for the Renaissance album and delivered the following message to her fans:

“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” Bey said. “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”

– Beyoncé

You can see the cover below.

The post Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” Becomes Her First Solo Top 10 Hit Since 2016 appeared first on The Source.

Beyonce’s ‘Break My Soul’ Gets Covered By An Adorable Kid And It’s An Absolute Must-Watch

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Beyonce has fans of all ages, races, identities, and really any other characteristic used to label someone. This week’s example of her ubiquity comes in the form of a child singing along to her recent single “Break My Soul.” The young man took a break from his cheese puffs to dance with excitement before requesting his Alexa to turn the music up when the upbeat jam turned on. He then went on to sing along to its chorus, repeating “You won’t break my soul” and adding an emphatic “Everybody.” As the male voice in the background sings “Release your mind, release your job,” it appears the young man is trying to free himself of the shackles of whatever job is weighing him down. The kid gets it.

Beyonce released “Break My Soul” on June 20, coincidentally following Drake’s full dance album Honestly, Nevermind, ahead of her upcoming album Renaissance Part 1 which is set to release on July 29. “Break My Soul” featured contributions from The-Dream, Big Freedia, and her husband Jay-Z. Renaissance will mark Beyonce’s first proper solo album release since 2016’s Lemonade, though she did provide Everything Is Love in 2018 in collaboration with Hov plus Homecoming: The Live Album and The Lion King: The Gift in 2019.

Check out the charming young man’s karaoke performance of “Break My Soul” above.

Azealia Banks Calls Out Beyoncé For ‘Stealing’ From Robin S On ‘Break My Soul’

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It’s hard to understand how Azealia Banks’ brain works sometimes. Last week, the rapper and noted provocateur vehemently asked people to stop making mash-ups of her music with Beyoncé’s latest single “Break My Soul.” “Please for the love of God,” she posted on her Instagram Story. “They are horrible.” And look, we’ll give her that. She didn’t ask for her music to be thrust alongside Bey’s. But as we try to make sense of how Banks’ mind works, she was clearly perturbed my these mash-ups for a reason. Today, back on her Instagram story soap box, she went on a tirade accusing Beyoncé of “stealing” from Robin S, and then some.

For posterity, her actual words claimed that Bey, “…is out here pretending to support Black divas with bouquets of wilted flowers after stealing their art, arrogantly assuming they don’t have money for legal counsel… and muscling them into making stock PR statements to cover up this messy album roll out..”

Ok, let’s backtrack for a second. Beyoncé sampled Robin S’ 90s house hit “Show Me Love” on “Break My Soul,” and fully credited her as a songwriter. While Robin S said that she was not contacted ahead of time, she did post a video thanking Beyoncé and her team (including Jay-Z) profusely, saying, “Thank you so much for giving me my flowers while I’m still alive.”

It’s safe to say that Robin S stands to make a dandy sum from royalty checks off of “Break My Soul,” but Banks, who has noted beefs with everyone from Cardi B to Elon Musk, thinks she sees right through Beyoncé’s intent. She suggests that the best way for Beyoncé to repent for this sin of “stealing,” is to provide an, “update on Koi Knowles,” the alleged sister and daughter of Bey’s father, Mathew Knowles. Or as Banks calls her, “…your little sister you think we forgot about?” Here’s Banks’ full post from her Instagram Story:

Azealia Banks Instagram
Azealia Banks/Instagram

It’s hard to understand how the two issues are analogous, but it makes sense to Azealia Banks? An hour after calling out Beyoncé, Banks posted a video of her song, “I Rule The World,” on her Instagram, which has been out since February. Just another day for Ms. Banks…