Beyoncé surprised and delighted her fans on Monday night when she released her latest single Break My Soul hours before it was originally expected.
The 40-year-old hitmaker dropped the song — which is saturated with danceable beats — not long after 10 p.m. ET, despite promising that it wouldn’t be out until midnight.
Break My Soul is the first advance single from the former Destiny’s Child singer’s upcoming seventh studio album, titled Renaissance.
She’s back! Beyoncé, 40, surprised and delighted her fans on Monday night when she released her latest single Break My Soul hours before it was originally expected
Make way: She later shared the art for her single
The song, which seems to be the sixth track on Renaissance, appears to have bypassed several streaming platforms, including Spotify, in favor of a Tidal release, which is fitting, as her husband Jay-Z is a co-owner of the company.
The hard-charging single reunites Beyoncé with the in-demand producers Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, who previously worked on her classic tune Single Ladies.
‘Release your anger, release your mind / Release your job, release the time / Release your trade, release the stress / Release the love, forget the rest,’ she sings on the track, which features interjections from Bounce rapper Big Freedia.
Beyonce’s husband Jay-Z doesn’t appear to be featured on Break My Soul, but he’s listed under its multiple songwriters (as S. Carter).
Letting loose: Break My Soul features a hard-charging dance beat inspired by house music
Back to the well: The hard-charging single reunites Beyoncé with the in-demand producers Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, who previously worked on her classic tune Single Ladies; seen in 2018 at Coachella in Indio, Calif.
‘I’m so honored’: Beyonce’s collaborator Big Freedia was excited about being part of the project
Beyonce featuring Big Freedia – ‘Break My Soul’ lyrics
[Intro: Big Freedia & Beyoncé]
I’m ’bout to explode, take off this load
Bend it, bust it open, won’t ya make it go
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 (Release ya wiggle)
Ah, la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
[Chorus: Beyoncé]
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
Everybody
Everybody
Everybody
[Verse 1: Beyoncé]
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
[Pre-Chorus: Beyoncé]
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
[Chorus: Beyoncé]
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
[Post-Chorus: Big Freedia]
Release ya anger, release ya mind
Release ya job, release the time
Release ya trade, release the stress
Release the love, forget the rest
[Verse 2: Beyoncé]
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
Ain’t takin’ no flicks but the whole clique snapped
There’s a whole lot of people in the house
Tryin’ to 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
[Pre-Chorus: Beyoncé]
Got motivation (Motivation)
I done found me a new foundation, yeah (New foundation)
And 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
[Chorus: Beyoncé]
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
[Verse 3: Beyoncé]
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)
Tryin’ to 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
Searchin’ for love
Looking for something that lives inside me
Looking for something that lives inside me
[Chorus: Beyoncé]
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
Tellin’ everybody
Everybody
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 (Oh yeah, yeah)
Everybody (Oh yeah, yeah)
Everybody
Everybody (Oh yeah, yeah)
[Bridge: Beyoncé]
I’m takin’ my new salvation
And I’ma build my own foundation, 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)
[Outro: Big Freedia]
I’m ’bout to explode, take off this load
Bend it, bust it open, won’t ya make it go
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 (Release ya wiggle)
Release ya wiggle
Release ya wiggle
Release ya anger, release ya mind
Release ya job, release the time
Release ya trade, release the stress
Release the love, forget the rest
Other credited songwriters include Adam Pigott (best known as BlaqNmilD, a collaborator with Drake and Megan Thee Stallion, among others), and Freddie Ross, who performs as Big Freedia.
Break My Soul heavily samples Robin S’ 1993 top five hit Show Me Love, and both of its songwriters Allen George and Fred McFarlane are credited.
Although Beyoncé is justly celebrated for her show-stopping vocals, the new single also gives her a chance to show off a bit of rapping.
The songstress sounds more confident than ever as she sings, ‘I’mma let down my hair ’cause I lost my mind / Bey is back and I’m sleeping real good at night / The queen’s in the front and the Dom’s in the back / Ain’t taking no flicks but the whole clique snapped.’
It takes two: Beyonce’s husband Jay-Z doesn’t appear to be featured on Break My Soul, but he’s listed under its multiple songwriters (as S. Carter); seen in 2019 in Los Angeles
She’s a fan: Kim Kardashian shared a screenshot from Beyonce’s new track on her Instagram Story
According to a report from Variety that was published Thursday, Beyoncé’s upcoming album Renaissance will feature a diverse array of songs touching on country and dance music, the latter of which is clearly represented by Break My Soul.
Fans had previously discovered that the album would feature 16 tracks, and it’s expected to be released in multiple parts, though the composition and timing of those sections aren’t yet known.
The album (or a portion of it) is slated for a July 29 release and is reportedly subtitled Act 1.
Their are four different versions of the album that can be preordered, which include different mystery ‘poses’ as well as a T-shirt, a CD, a 28-page booklet, and a mini-poster.
However, Variety speculated that they may just be different packages for Act 1 of the album, as they will all be released on the same day.
Although fans initially needed a Tidal subscription to stream the single, Beyoncé’s official account also shared a lyric video to YouTube.
Coming soon: The album is reportedly 16 tracks and will be released in multiple parts, though the composition and timing of the releases isn’t yet clear. Act 1 is set to be released on July 29
Some fans had expected the Drunk In Love singer to drop Break My Soul on Sunday to commemorate Juneteenth, as she previously did with Black Parade in 2020, but she appears to have waited a day, possibly because the new song doesn’t have many obvious connections to the holiday.
A source for Variety claimed that Ryan Tedder, who co-wrote Beyoncé’s 2008 hit Halo, would be working on the album.
Raphael Saadiq, who produced much of her sister Solange’s acclaimed 2016 album A Seat At The Table, is also expected to have his hand in Renaissance.
The initial reported raised the possibility that the promised country songs might be featured on a subsequent release and not as part of the Act 1 release of Renaissance.
Beyoncé’s last solo studio album was the critical and commercial hit Lemonade (2016), which featured a 65-minute film of the same name featuring most of the songs on the album.
She followed it with 2018’s Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with Jay-Z, and in 2019 she put out the live album Homecoming from her instantly iconic 2018 Coachella performance.
In 2019, she followed up her performance in the computer-generated remake of The Lion King with The Gift, a soundtrack album featuring several new songs from her and other collaborators.
Behind the scenes: A source for Variety claimed Ryan Tedder, who co-wrote Beyoncé’s 2008 hit Halo, would be working on the album. Raphael Saadiq, who produced much of her sister Solange’s 2016 album A Seat At The Table, is also expected to have his hand in Renaissance
The Crazy In Love singer previously told Harper’s Bazaar for an August 2021 cover story that her upcoming album would represent a ‘renaissance,’ prior to officially settling on that term as its title.
‘With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again,’ she said at the time.’I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible.’
She continued, ‘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!’
She added, ‘I have paid my dues and followed every rule for decades, so now I can break the rules that need to be broken. My wish for the future is to continue to do everything everyone thinks I can’t do.’
Hint hint: The Crazy In Love singer previously told Harper’s Bazaar for an August 2021 cover story that her upcoming album would represent a ‘renaissance,’ prior to officially settling on that term as its title