Beyoncé just dropped her new anti-work house groove “BREAK MY SOUL” from her upcoming album RENAISSANCE, thrilling Twitter’s theys, gays, and enemies of the capitalist cogs oiled by the blood of the proletariat. It’s a decent club tune, offering more of a vibe than a banger, however the lyric video could really do with a photosensitivity warning.
Followers of Queen B who also have epilepsy will want to click away from the the video before the 4:10 mark, at which point the entire screen starts rapidly flashing red and black. Fortunately for those hoping to read along with Beyoncé, the YouTube description also includes the full lyrics for “BREAK MY SOUL,” so you can just scroll down and frame out the surprise strobing.
The first verse sees Beyoncé complaining about how hard her 9-5 job is, which seems a little disingenuous but can be seen as an expression of solidarity with those of us who actually have one: “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.”
“BREAK MY SOUL”, released pointedly on Juneteenth weekend, samples heavily from queer New Orleans bounce icon Big Freedia’s song “Explode“, which is bound to see the phrase “release the wiggle” everywhere this northern summer. It also credits Fred MacFarlane and Allen George, who co-wrote Robin S’ 1990 house-pop crossover hit “Show Me Love” among other songs — which might be why that synth sample sounds familiar.
The track is the first single from RENAISSANCE, her first standalone studio album since 2016’s LEMONADE, which drops July 29.