Break My Soul

Album

Renaissance (Beyoncé album)

Label

Parkwood Entertainment

Genre

House

Composer(s)

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter;Terius Nash;Christopher Stewart;Allen George;Fred McFarlane;Shawn Carter;Adam Pigott;Freddie Ross

Entered Chart

Jul 2, 2022

Peak Date

Aug 13, 2022

Released

Unknown

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Parkwood Entertainment

"Break My Soul" is a house jam where Beyoncé refuses to let the stresses of work and the pandemic era break her soul. She quits her job, steps outside, and takes in the positive energy. "Break My Soul" samples the synth melody from Robin S's 1990 house-pop hit "Show Me Love." Other artists who have sampled that classic single include: Jason Derulo for his 2011 hit "Don't Wanna Go Home." Kid Ink on his 2013 cut "Show Me." Dutch DJ Sam Feldt's 2015 remake of the same title. A slowed-down deep-house version featuring vocals from Kimberly Anne, it peaked at #4 on the UK singles chart. Charli XCX for her 2022 track "Used To Know Me." The song also contains a vocal sample lifted from New Orleans bounce veteran Big Freedia's 2014 track "Explode." This is not the first time Big Freedia has appeared on a Beyoncé tune. She previously provided a spoken interlude on Lemonade's lead single, "Formation." Allen George and Fred McFarlane, who wrote "Show Me Love," are listed as co-writers along with Big Freedia and her "Express" producer BlaqNmilD, plus Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream. R&B and pop icons Tricky Stewart and The-Dream previously worked with Bey on her 2008 hit "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." Beyoncé co-produced the track with Tricky Stewart and The-Dream. Report an ad Beyoncé released "Break My Soul" on June 20, 2022 as the lead single from Renaissance, her first solo album since 2016's Lemonade. "With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again," she told Harper's Bazaar. "I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible." Robin S. only discovered Beyoncé's sample of "Show Me Love" via social media. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the house music icon explained that because she didn't write her hit song, Beyoncé's team didn't need to clear the sample with her. "My son called me and he's like, 'Mom, mom, you're trending all over the place,'" she said. "You know Beyoncé put her song out and it's 'Show Me Love' and you're trending everywhere!" "This message goes out to the Queen Bey - herself - Beyoncé, to Jay-Z, to the entire team," Robin S added. "Thank you so much for giving me my flowers while I'm still alive." "Break My Soul" debuted at #10 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. It was the first song to premiere in the Top 10 of that tally since Toni Braxton's "You're Makin' Me High" opened at #9 26 years previously in May 1996. Beyoncé took to TikTok for the first time on July 14, 2022 when she posted a compilation of TikTok creators shaking, grooving and, singing to "Break My Soul." Cardi B made a surprise appearance, where she shouts the lyrics, "In case you forgot how we act outside." During this song, Beyoncé encourages fans to quit people and places that break their souls. In the first verse, she steps away from her arduous employment. Now, I just fell in love, and I just quit my job I'm gonna find new drive, damn, they work me so damn hard Work by nine, then off past five And they work my nerves, that's why I cannot sleep at night The lyric trended on TikTok after users uploaded amusing memes where they quit their jobs. Beyoncé dropped a remixes EP on August 3, 2022, with four refreshed versions of "Break My Soul." They are: A 3:58 will.i.am remix A 5:30 version by Chicago house DJ Terry Hunter A 6:27 interpretation by house queen Honey Dijon A 9:54 club mix by New York producer/DJ Nita Aviance Dijon is credited as a songwriter on two Renaissance tracks: "Alien Superstar" and "Cozy." According to Will.i.am, he inspired Beyoncé's remix EP. "I was in France and her song came out and I'm like, 'I wish the beat did this,'" he told Britain's Metro newspaper. "So I called my collabo partner and we did it remotely on FYI, a collaboration tool." "They weren't thinking about remixes until I sent it," Will.i.am added. "They put out a remix EP and my song's first one on it - and I inspired it!" Beyoncé dropped another remix featuring Madonna on August 5, 2022. A core theme around Renaissance is LGBTQ club culture, and vogueing is a popular dance among the gay community. When Madonna brought it to the mainstream with her 1990 hit "Vogue" it solidified her standing as a gay icon. "Break My Soul The Queens Remix" interpolates "Vogue" with an alternative list of iconic black music artists and legendary ballroom houses (places where Black and Latinx queer, gay and trans people hang out). When "Break My Soul" climbed to #1 on the Hot 100, it became Beyoncé's sixth chart-topper as a solo artist and first in over 13 years. Her previous visit to the summit in a lead role was "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" in 2008-'09. Since then her collabs with Ed Sheeran ("Perfect") and Megan Thee Stallion ("Savage") have reached the chart's peak position.

I'm 'bout to explode, take off this load
Spin it, bust it open, won't ya make it go (come on)
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka (release ya wiggle)
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka (release ya wiggle)

Ahh (release ya anger)
La-la-la-la (release ya anger)
La-la-la-la (release ya mind)
La-la-la-la (release ya job)
La-la-la (release the time)
La-la-la-la (release ya trade)
La-la-la-la (release the stress)
La-la (release the love, forget the rest)

You won't break my soul
You won't break my soul
You won't break my soul
You won't break my soul
I'm tellin' everybody (ohh, let's go, let's go)
Everybody (ohh, let's go, let's go)
Everybody
Everybody

Now, I just fell in love
And I just quit my job
I'm gonna find new drive
Damn, they work me so damn hard
Work by nine, then off past five
And they work my nerves
That's why I cannot sleep at night

I'm lookin' for motivation
I'm lookin' for a new foundation, yeah
And I'm on that new vibration
I'm buildin' my own foundation, yeah
Hold up, oh, baby, baby

You won't break my soul (na, na)
You won't break my soul (no-no, na, na)
You won't break my soul (no-no, na, na)
You won't break my soul (na, na)
I'm tellin' everybody, na, na
Everybody
Everybody
Everybody

Release ya anger, release ya mind (ohh, let's go, let's go)
Release ya job, release the time (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Release ya trade, release the stress (ohh, let's go, let's go)
Release the love, forget the rest (ohh, let's go, let's go)

I'ma let down my hair 'cause I lost my mind
Bey is back and I'm sleepin' real good at night
The queens in the front and the Doms in the back (ohh, let's go, let's go)
Ain't takin' no flicks but the whole clique snapped (ohh, let's-)
There's a whole lot of people in the house
Tryna smoke with the yak in your mouth
(Good at night) and we back outside
You said you outside, but you ain't that outside
Worldwide hoodie with the mask outside
In case you forgot how we act outside

Got motivation (motivation)
I done found me a new foundation, yeah (new foundation)
I'm takin' my new salvation (oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, new salvation)
And I'ma build my own foundation, yeah (oh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah) oh, baby, baby

You won't break my soul (you won't)
You won't break my soul (break my soul)
You won't break my soul (you won't)
You won't break my soul (break my soul)
And I'm tellin' everybody (everybody)
Everybody (everybody)
Everybody (everybody)
Everybody, yeah

If you don't seek it, you won't see it
That we all know (can't break my soul)
If you don't think it, you won't be it
That love ain't yours (can't break my soul)
Tryna fake it never makes it
That we all know (can't break my soul)
You can have the stress and not take less
I'll justify love
We go 'round in circles, 'round in circles
Searchin' for love ('round in circles)
We go up and down, lost and found ('round in circles)
Searchin' for love (yeah, yeah)
Looking for something that lives inside me
Looking for something that lives inside me

You won't break my soul
You won't break my soul
You won't break my soul
You won't break my soul
I'm tellin' everybody (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Tellin' everybody
Everybody (ohh, let's go, let's go, let's go)
Everybody

You won't break my soul
You won't break my soul, no, no
You won't break my soul
You won't break my soul
And I'm tellin' everybody (motivation, oh, yeah, yeah)
Everybody (oh, yeah, yeah)
Everybody (I done found me a new foundation, yeah)
Everybody (oh yeah, yeah)

I'm takin' my new salvation (hey, yeah-yeah)
And I'ma build my own foundation, yeah (yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah, yeah)
Got motivation (motivation)
I done found me a new foundation, yeah (new foundation)
I'm takin' my new salvation (new salvation)
And I'ma build my own foundation, yeah (own foundation)

I'm 'bout to explode, take off this load
Spin it, bust it open, won't ya make it go (come on)
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka (release ya wiggle)
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka
Yaka, yaka, yaka, yaka (release ya wiggle)

Release ya, release ya, release ya wiggle
Release ya anger, release ya mind (ohh, let's go)
Release ya job, release the time (let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go)
Release ya trade, release the stress (ohh, let's go, let's go)
Release the love, forget the rest (ohh, let's go, let's-)