Happy Pri Month to everyone who gets to vibe to Queen B samplg the gay anthem “Show Me Love” by Rob S. and n fally be back on a dance floor as Bey croons a new h.
Contents:
- "BREAK MY SOUL" IS BEYONCé’S MOST ENVELOPG EMBRACE OF HER BLACK GAY AUDIENCE
- BEYONCé & MADONNA’S “BREAK MY SOUL (THE QUEENS REMIX)” IS A FULL GAY PANIC
- BEYONCé’S ‘BREAK MY SOUL’ JT BROKE THE INTER AND—HELL YEAH—IS A PRI MONTH DANCE BOPTHE RENAISSANCEHAPPY PRI MONTH TO EVERYONE WHO GETS TO VIBE TO QUEEN B SAMPLG THE GAY ANTHEM “SHOW ME LOVE” BY ROB S. AND N FALLY BE BACK ON A DANCE FLOOR AS BEY CROONS A NEW H.COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JUL. 08, 2022 3:45PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 21, 2022 2:26AM EDT LARRY BAC/PW18SIX YEARS AFTER HER LAST FULL SOLO ALBUM, THE GAME-CHANGG LEMONA, BEYONCé IS BACK WH “BREAK MY SOUL,” THE LEAD SGLE OM HER UPG SEVENTH STUD ALBUM RENAISSANCE, OUT JULY 29. AFTER REVOLUTNIZG THE DTRY BY PNEERG THE BIG-BUDGET SURPRISE DROP—A STRATEGY THAT HAD SO MUCH IMPACT THAT SHE HELPED TO SHIFT THE NEW MIC RELEASE DAY TO FRIDAYS—BEYONCé HAS ONCE AGA PROVEN THAT WE ARE NOTHG BUT PAWNS HER GAME, OPERATG UNR HER WHIM HAPPILY.BUT BEYONCé JT ULDN’T RIST PLAYG WH OUR RTG HEART RAT JT ONE MORE TIME, DROPPG “BREAK MY SOUL” THREE HOURS BEFORE MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME ON TIDAL, BEG SO KD AS TO THROW JAY-Z A FEW EXTRA $12.99 SUBSCRIPTN FE BEFORE MANDG THE RT OF THE SUMMER AS HER OWN. THE TIDAL RELEASE WAS FOLLOWED AN HOUR LATER WH AN OFFICIAL LYRIC VIO WHICH NFIRMED WHAT THE 15 PEOPLE WHO E TIDAL HAD JT FOUND OUT: BEYONCé IS SENDG THE WORLD’S POPULATN TO WORK ON TUDAY MORNG HALF-ASLEEP, GETTG THEIR BAG WH BAGS UNR THEIR EY OM DANCG THROUGH THE NIGHT.“BREAK MY SOUL” IS AN ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE RETURN TO THE CLUB FOR BEYONCé, FEATURG WALL-TO-WALL THROBBG SYNTHS AND IRRISTIBLE VOL NS THAT THANKFULLY STRETCH WELL PAST THE FOUR-MUTE MARK. THE SONG OPENS WH QUEER IN AND QUEEN OF BOUNCE BIG FREEDIA’S UNMISTAKABLE VOICE AND HIGH-OCTANE ENERGY ASSURG THE LISTENER THAT SHE’S ABOUT TO EXPLO.AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH TO GET YOU LACG UP YOUR SIX-CH PLATFORM HEELS AND ORRG AN UBER XL TO THE NEART BAR, THEN THE FAIAR SAMPLE OF ROB S.’ LEGENDARY HOE CLASSIC “SHOW ME LOVE” WILL DO FOR YOU. ELR LENNIALS ARE SHAKG. BEYONCé SAID, “HAPPY PRI, GEN X!” THAT TWKLG HOE BASSLE MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST REGNIZABLE THE ENTIRE GENRE’S HISTORY, BUT BEYONCé IS NO STRANGER TO TAKG SAMPL AND PUTTG HER OWN LIBLE SP ON THEM. THE TERPOLATN ON “BREAK MY SOUL” TWISTS, TURNS, AND TRANSFORMS OVER BEYONCé’S RASPG, TERMED VOLS AND A POUNDG HOE PIANO, FADG AND OUT AND LAYERED WH REVERB AS BEYONCé LNCH HERSELF TO ANOTHER TRIUMPHANT CHOS.LYRILLY, THE SONG IS A CLASSIC HOE TRACK: ’S FILLED WH AS MUCH JUBILATN AS IS SPERATN. HERE, BEYONCé FDS THE SPACE TO DROP ALL OF THE ARTIFICE AND CELEBRY TO SLK ONTO A SMOKY CLUB FLOOR LOOKG FOR THE SAME THG THAT WE ALL WANT: AN PE.SHE CRAV A NEW MOTIVATN, A HT OF SALVATN, A LTLE B OF LOVE, AND A WHOLE LOT OF STRENGTH. “YOU WON’T BREAK MY SOUL/I’M TELLG EVERYBODY,” SHE CRE WH A FIRM PERD TACKED ONTO THE END. IT’S NOT DIRECTED AT ANYONE PARTICULAR, BUT RATHER EVERYONE AND EVERYTHG. IT’S A NEW PHILOSOPHY AT A TIME HISTORY WHEN SCROLLG TWTER FOR ONE SEND IS SURE TO PUT YOU FACE TO FACE WH A NEW, UNEXPECTED HORROR. EACH REPEATED REA OF THE CHOS IS AN AFFIRMATN FOR THE FUTURE. “BREAK MY SOUL” IS AS MUCH GOSPEL AS IS DANCE.AND, OKAY, Y, ’S A LTLE SANE TO HEAR BEYONCé SGG ABOUT QUTG HER 9-TO-5 JOB—SOMETHG SHE KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHG ABOUT, BUT WHO R? ON “BREAK MY SOUL,” SHE IS A WOMAN FOR THE PEOPLE, OUR RILIENT LEAR GUIDG THROUGH THE PLIGHT OF EVERYDAY MUNDANY. IN THE FOUR MUT AND THIRTY-EIGHT SENDS, BEYONCé IS NOT BEYONCé. SHE’S EVERY SGLE ONE OF WHO IS JT TRYG TO MAKE THROUGH THE DAY. “BREAK MY SOUL” IS SO BRILLIANT LARGELY BEE SOUNDS LIKE ONE LONG, REFERENTIAL CLUB MIX, AS IF 16 DIFFERENT SAMPL WERE ALL LAYERED ONTO ONE TRACK, MAKG FOR THE MOST FIERCE AND WALLOPG DJ SET YOU’VE EVER HEARD.YOU N THANK TRICKY STEWART AND THE-DREAM FOR KEEPG THE SUMMER’S BT PRI PARTY GOG WELL PAST THIS MONTH. THE LLABORATIVE DUO HELMED ONE OF BEY’S BIGGT HS, “SGLE LADI,” AND ARE POISED FOR ANOTHER ONE JT AS PABLE. IT’S NOT JT BEYONCé, BIG FREEDIA, AND ROB S. IT’S THE GOSPEL CHOIRS, THE TOUCH OF ANS, AND THE GLEAMG DIS SYNTHS AS WELL, ALL WORKG TOGETHER TO TURN A NIGHT OF BCHERY ON A DARK DANCE FLOOR TO THE LIGHT OF A NEW DAY THAT HOLDS A LTLE MORE PROMISE THAN THE LAST.ITS CLUB KID NATURE RULTS A SONG THAT’S JT BEGGG FOR MULTIPLE LISTENS. THAT’S ALSO MAK SLIGHTLY REPETIVE, WH A SOMEWHAT ATYPIL VERSE-CHOS STCTURE. BUT THAT’S ULTIMATELY PART OF S CHARM. IT’S MA TO BE PLAYED ON REPEAT OVER AND OVER THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOME PEOPLE WON’T LIKE THAT, AND “BREAK MY SOUL” WILL BE DIVISIVE, JT LIKE ANY CENT POP EBACK SHOULD BE. ANYTHG THAT RULTS THE PUBLIC LEANG HARD ONE WAY OR ANOTHER IS FAR TOO BORG. AND BEYONCé DON’T DO BORG (WELL, UNLS YOU UNT “HALO”).THE SONG HAS ONLY BEEN OUT FOR A FEW HOURS AND HAS ALREADY PROVEN NTENT AMONG FANS, BUT BEYONCé WOULDN’T HAVE ANY OTHER WAY. SHE KNOWS THAT NTROVERSY AND DOG THE UNEXPECTED ARE FAR BETTER FOR A PROJECT’S LONGEVY THAN A SET CULTURAL NSENS. AND WH SURPRISE RELEAS OUT THE WDOW FOR THE RENAISSANCE ERA, THERE’S NO DOUBT TEAM BEY HAS A WHOLE PLAN PLACE. THE WORST THG THAT N BE SAID ABOUT “BREAK MY SOUL” IS THAT STS A LONG SHADOW OVER CHARLI XCX’S FANTASTIC “USED TO KNOW ME” OM MARCH, WHICH ALSO SAMPLED “SHOW ME LOVE.” BUT WHEN BEYONCé WANTS TO PULL FOC? WORLD, STOP.IF “BREAK MY SOUL” IS ANY DITN OF THE SOUNDS THAT BEYONCé WILL BE EXPLORG ON RENAISSANCE—AND THE ASTOUNDG DIS-SPIRED PHOTOS OM HER RECENT PROFILE BRISH VOGUE SUGGT THAT THEY ARE—THEN WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PREPARE OURSELV FOR THE SWEATIT, CRAZIT, MOST ASS-SHAKG AND FLOOR-FILLG STRETCH OF LATE SUMMER GLORY SCE “DéJà VU” KEPT BOTH THE CLUBS AND THE TRL STUDS PACKED 16 YEARS AGO. LEAVE TO ONE OF THE GREATT OF ALL TIME TO GIVE A LTLE TASTE OF THE PAST WHILE PROPELLG TO A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE. COLEMAN SPIL
"BREAK MY SOUL" IS BEYONCé’S MOST ENVELOPG EMBRACE OF HER BLACK GAY AUDIENCE
What we were hearg was so vividly Black, so unapologetilly gay; no doubt, liberately telegraphed to the Beehive’s bedrock, queers of lor who have rallied for their queen om day From Harper's BAZAARWhat a time to be a “hive, ” ed.
BEYONCé & MADONNA’S “BREAK MY SOUL (THE QUEENS REMIX)” IS A FULL GAY PANIC
We’ve got another drag performance standard on our hands here, but more trigugly, has arrived as culture verg on the long-overdue evolutns that would afford Black gay muni their proverbial seat at the sce Aretha Frankl’s “Pri a Deeper Love” has a soul megastar’s sonic empowerment anthem felt so dialed to the distctly Black queer club mic ’s a mil alchemy that channels uniquely triumphant tenacy, darg to prevail agast any and all odds. When played at a Black gay club’s “1st Fridays” (celebratg each month’s least bill-dimished paycheck), dance floor vib match Baptist revivals nvictn and feverish exaltatn. Her Homeg album ver of Frankie Beverly and Maze’s “Before I Let Go” memorated the proverbial Black fay okout, but this time around, Beyoncé shows siar love to the Black gay club along wh the “chosen fai” ntu to foster.
But I didn’t need to post the note for many around me to lote my gayns; along wh a flair for trickg out my school uniform, a penchant for female-vol-driven hoe mic srchers nsummately proved my “tell. What we were hearg was so vividly Black, so unapologetilly gay; no doubt, liberately telegraphs to the Beehive’s bedrock, queers of lor who have rallied for their queen om day the margs was not whout s hard-fought and hidn blsgs. In most major Amerin ci, there existed a social “unrground railroad” of belongg for Black gays lookg to fd both each other and an addictive beat to which we uld shimmy and she.
At the outposts, a cheap cup of ffee supplied a chance through p observatn to hone my then difyg gay-male language of style, or granted headphone-equipped turntabl and hours of listeng to rare-edn remix vyls. ’s then reigng mega-club) or the Delta (a Black gay nightspot wh unspoken s of closeted-patron nfintialy), wrapped a shroud of stigma-ducg mystery, was still mercilsly takg liv that chillg duck-duck-goose manner, but the nightspots supplied pure pism om that and other grim reali.
BEYONCé’S ‘BREAK MY SOUL’ JT BROKE THE INTER AND—HELL YEAH—IS A PRI MONTH DANCE BOPTHE RENAISSANCEHAPPY PRI MONTH TO EVERYONE WHO GETS TO VIBE TO QUEEN B SAMPLG THE GAY ANTHEM “SHOW ME LOVE” BY ROB S. AND N FALLY BE BACK ON A DANCE FLOOR AS BEY CROONS A NEW H.COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JUL. 08, 2022 3:45PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 21, 2022 2:26AM EDT LARRY BAC/PW18SIX YEARS AFTER HER LAST FULL SOLO ALBUM, THE GAME-CHANGG LEMONA, BEYONCé IS BACK WH “BREAK MY SOUL,” THE LEAD SGLE OM HER UPG SEVENTH STUD ALBUM RENAISSANCE, OUT JULY 29. AFTER REVOLUTNIZG THE DTRY BY PNEERG THE BIG-BUDGET SURPRISE DROP—A STRATEGY THAT HAD SO MUCH IMPACT THAT SHE HELPED TO SHIFT THE NEW MIC RELEASE DAY TO FRIDAYS—BEYONCé HAS ONCE AGA PROVEN THAT WE ARE NOTHG BUT PAWNS HER GAME, OPERATG UNR HER WHIM HAPPILY.BUT BEYONCé JT ULDN’T RIST PLAYG WH OUR RTG HEART RAT JT ONE MORE TIME, DROPPG “BREAK MY SOUL” THREE HOURS BEFORE MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME ON TIDAL, BEG SO KD AS TO THROW JAY-Z A FEW EXTRA $12.99 SUBSCRIPTN FE BEFORE MANDG THE RT OF THE SUMMER AS HER OWN. THE TIDAL RELEASE WAS FOLLOWED AN HOUR LATER WH AN OFFICIAL LYRIC VIO WHICH NFIRMED WHAT THE 15 PEOPLE WHO E TIDAL HAD JT FOUND OUT: BEYONCé IS SENDG THE WORLD’S POPULATN TO WORK ON TUDAY MORNG HALF-ASLEEP, GETTG THEIR BAG WH BAGS UNR THEIR EY OM DANCG THROUGH THE NIGHT.“BREAK MY SOUL” IS AN ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE RETURN TO THE CLUB FOR BEYONCé, FEATURG WALL-TO-WALL THROBBG SYNTHS AND IRRISTIBLE VOL NS THAT THANKFULLY STRETCH WELL PAST THE FOUR-MUTE MARK. THE SONG OPENS WH QUEER IN AND QUEEN OF BOUNCE BIG FREEDIA’S UNMISTAKABLE VOICE AND HIGH-OCTANE ENERGY ASSURG THE LISTENER THAT SHE’S ABOUT TO EXPLO.AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH TO GET YOU LACG UP YOUR SIX-CH PLATFORM HEELS AND ORRG AN UBER XL TO THE NEART BAR, THEN THE FAIAR SAMPLE OF ROB S.’ LEGENDARY HOE CLASSIC “SHOW ME LOVE” WILL DO FOR YOU. ELR LENNIALS ARE SHAKG. BEYONCé SAID, “HAPPY PRI, GEN X!” THAT TWKLG HOE BASSLE MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST REGNIZABLE THE ENTIRE GENRE’S HISTORY, BUT BEYONCé IS NO STRANGER TO TAKG SAMPL AND PUTTG HER OWN LIBLE SP ON THEM. THE TERPOLATN ON “BREAK MY SOUL” TWISTS, TURNS, AND TRANSFORMS OVER BEYONCé’S RASPG, TERMED VOLS AND A POUNDG HOE PIANO, FADG AND OUT AND LAYERED WH REVERB AS BEYONCé LNCH HERSELF TO ANOTHER TRIUMPHANT CHOS.LYRILLY, THE SONG IS A CLASSIC HOE TRACK: ’S FILLED WH AS MUCH JUBILATN AS IS SPERATN. HERE, BEYONCé FDS THE SPACE TO DROP ALL OF THE ARTIFICE AND CELEBRY TO SLK ONTO A SMOKY CLUB FLOOR LOOKG FOR THE SAME THG THAT WE ALL WANT: AN PE.SHE CRAV A NEW MOTIVATN, A HT OF SALVATN, A LTLE B OF LOVE, AND A WHOLE LOT OF STRENGTH. “YOU WON’T BREAK MY SOUL/I’M TELLG EVERYBODY,” SHE CRE WH A FIRM PERD TACKED ONTO THE END. IT’S NOT DIRECTED AT ANYONE PARTICULAR, BUT RATHER EVERYONE AND EVERYTHG. IT’S A NEW PHILOSOPHY AT A TIME HISTORY WHEN SCROLLG TWTER FOR ONE SEND IS SURE TO PUT YOU FACE TO FACE WH A NEW, UNEXPECTED HORROR. EACH REPEATED REA OF THE CHOS IS AN AFFIRMATN FOR THE FUTURE. “BREAK MY SOUL” IS AS MUCH GOSPEL AS IS DANCE.AND, OKAY, Y, ’S A LTLE SANE TO HEAR BEYONCé SGG ABOUT QUTG HER 9-TO-5 JOB—SOMETHG SHE KNOWS ABSOLUTELY NOTHG ABOUT, BUT WHO R? ON “BREAK MY SOUL,” SHE IS A WOMAN FOR THE PEOPLE, OUR RILIENT LEAR GUIDG THROUGH THE PLIGHT OF EVERYDAY MUNDANY. IN THE FOUR MUT AND THIRTY-EIGHT SENDS, BEYONCé IS NOT BEYONCé. SHE’S EVERY SGLE ONE OF WHO IS JT TRYG TO MAKE THROUGH THE DAY. “BREAK MY SOUL” IS SO BRILLIANT LARGELY BEE SOUNDS LIKE ONE LONG, REFERENTIAL CLUB MIX, AS IF 16 DIFFERENT SAMPL WERE ALL LAYERED ONTO ONE TRACK, MAKG FOR THE MOST FIERCE AND WALLOPG DJ SET YOU’VE EVER HEARD.YOU N THANK TRICKY STEWART AND THE-DREAM FOR KEEPG THE SUMMER’S BT PRI PARTY GOG WELL PAST THIS MONTH. THE LLABORATIVE DUO HELMED ONE OF BEY’S BIGGT HS, “SGLE LADI,” AND ARE POISED FOR ANOTHER ONE JT AS PABLE. IT’S NOT JT BEYONCé, BIG FREEDIA, AND ROB S. IT’S THE GOSPEL CHOIRS, THE TOUCH OF ANS, AND THE GLEAMG DIS SYNTHS AS WELL, ALL WORKG TOGETHER TO TURN A NIGHT OF BCHERY ON A DARK DANCE FLOOR TO THE LIGHT OF A NEW DAY THAT HOLDS A LTLE MORE PROMISE THAN THE LAST.ITS CLUB KID NATURE RULTS A SONG THAT’S JT BEGGG FOR MULTIPLE LISTENS. THAT’S ALSO MAK SLIGHTLY REPETIVE, WH A SOMEWHAT ATYPIL VERSE-CHOS STCTURE. BUT THAT’S ULTIMATELY PART OF S CHARM. IT’S MA TO BE PLAYED ON REPEAT OVER AND OVER THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOME PEOPLE WON’T LIKE THAT, AND “BREAK MY SOUL” WILL BE DIVISIVE, JT LIKE ANY CENT POP EBACK SHOULD BE. ANYTHG THAT RULTS THE PUBLIC LEANG HARD ONE WAY OR ANOTHER IS FAR TOO BORG. AND BEYONCé DON’T DO BORG (WELL, UNLS YOU UNT “HALO”).THE SONG HAS ONLY BEEN OUT FOR A FEW HOURS AND HAS ALREADY PROVEN NTENT AMONG FANS, BUT BEYONCé WOULDN’T HAVE ANY OTHER WAY. SHE KNOWS THAT NTROVERSY AND DOG THE UNEXPECTED ARE FAR BETTER FOR A PROJECT’S LONGEVY THAN A SET CULTURAL NSENS. AND WH SURPRISE RELEAS OUT THE WDOW FOR THE RENAISSANCE ERA, THERE’S NO DOUBT TEAM BEY HAS A WHOLE PLAN PLACE. THE WORST THG THAT N BE SAID ABOUT “BREAK MY SOUL” IS THAT STS A LONG SHADOW OVER CHARLI XCX’S FANTASTIC “USED TO KNOW ME” OM MARCH, WHICH ALSO SAMPLED “SHOW ME LOVE.” BUT WHEN BEYONCé WANTS TO PULL FOC? WORLD, STOP.IF “BREAK MY SOUL” IS ANY DITN OF THE SOUNDS THAT BEYONCé WILL BE EXPLORG ON RENAISSANCE—AND THE ASTOUNDG DIS-SPIRED PHOTOS OM HER RECENT PROFILE BRISH VOGUE SUGGT THAT THEY ARE—THEN WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PREPARE OURSELV FOR THE SWEATIT, CRAZIT, MOST ASS-SHAKG AND FLOOR-FILLG STRETCH OF LATE SUMMER GLORY SCE “DéJà VU” KEPT BOTH THE CLUBS AND THE TRL STUDS PACKED 16 YEARS AGO. LEAVE TO ONE OF THE GREATT OF ALL TIME TO GIVE A LTLE TASTE OF THE PAST WHILE PROPELLG TO A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE. COLEMAN SPIL
They throbbed wh hoe mic’s upliftg melodi, so directly tappg of gospel’s church-rooted grandsy yet ironilly crafted for an dience that had too often been st out of the ’t get me wrong: I may nostalgilly cherish memori of those fake-ID-enabled nights at the club, but I’m thrilled to know new days are upon ; treatments that may effectively “cure” those fected wh HIV appear to be on the horizon, and new-era parents like Gabrielle Unn and Dwyane Wa creasgly embrace their Black children’s thenticy intifitn, exceedg tolerance’s ndnal brand of love to provi affirmatn and—most spirgly— listeng to this newly anoted song of summer 2022, ’s all enough to make this ltle-gay-Black-boy-cum-genr-prentatn-non-nformg-Black-gay-man dance the streets, and—much to his neighbors’ bewilrment—wh "Break My Soul" loopg on full blast, that’s jt what I did that eveng.