Anna Good
The lyric video for Beyoncé’s new track “Break My Soul,” the first song from her upcoming album Renaissance, was released on Monday night, leading to fans posting an influx of memes.
The album itself will be released on July 29. “Break My Soul” features Big Freedia rapping as well as samples from Robin S’s “Show Me Love,” which play throughout the track. There are also moments from Big Freedia’s “Explode.” This first preview into Beyoncé’s new album is a major callback to house music.
“Instantly, a wall of sound hits me,” British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful wrote of Renaissance. “Soaring vocals and fierce beats combine and in a split second I’m transported back to the clubs of my youth. I want to get up and start throwing moves. It’s music I love to my core. Music that makes you rise, that turns your mind to cultures and subcultures, to our people past and present, music that will unite so many on the dance floor, music that touches your soul.”
“As ever with Beyoncé, it is all about the intent. I sit back, after the wave, absorbing it all.”
On top of the absolute joy of the music itself, it is also Beyoncé’s first song from a solo album since Lemonade in 2016. Fans are excited and celebrating Beyoncé’s new music, sharing their excitement and memeing the new track on social media.
The newly-released song, with the artistic combination of “Show Me Love” and Beyoncé’s own music, is inspiring people to get up and dance.
The more entertaining memes coming out of the track’s release are connected to Big Freedia’s “Explode” sample, which is looped into the song three separate times as she raps, “Release ya anger, release ya mind / Release ya job, release the time / Release ya trade, release the stress / Release the love, forget the rest.”
The common thread of the song as a whole appears to be Beyoncé and Big Freedia telling listeners to not take any crap from their jobs, maybe even to quit or strike against bad working conditions. Some people pointed out the irony of this message, given that fans wouldn’t be able to buy Beyoncé’s music, the mystery boxes that were revealed last week, or tickets for the Renaissance tour that will inevitably happen in the future.
Comparisons were also drawn between “Break My Soul” and Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind, which was released last week and is sparking debate on social media for his controversial music video featuring Khloe Kardashian’s ex, Tristan Thompson. Both albums are harkening back to popular subgenres of a bygone era, but it’s clear to fans that Beyoncé’s take is much, much better.