A couple of weeks ago we received our first taste of Beyoncé’s first solo studio album since 2016’s Lemonade. ‘Break My Soul’ is the lead single of Renaissance, a project due on July 29 that Queen Bey calls her “most ambitious musical project to date.”
Lemonade was both a groundbreaking release — a complete visual album recorded in secret and dropped with no advance notice — and a phenomenal piece of music. It’s a tough act to follow, especially after half a decade. I eagerly anticipate the new directions Beyoncé will no doubt take on Renaissance.
In the meantime, ‘Break My Soul’ is a glorious preview of what’s to come. This empowerment anthem grooves like a 90s dance track (thanks to liberal sampling of Robin S’ ‘Show Me Love’) and finds Bey in fine form as both a vocalist and a rapper.
Lyrically, ‘Break My Soul’ is an ode to resilience for anyone tired of their job, the pandemic, discrimination, you name it. After the news the past couple of weeks of news, it’s a welcome message.
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, yaka-yaka (Release ya wiggle)
Yaka-yaka, yaka-yaka, yaka-yaka, yaka-yaka
Yaka-yaka, yaka-yaka, yaka-yaka, yaka-yaka (Release ya wiggle)
La-la-la-la, la-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]
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
[Chorus: Beyoncé]
You won’t break my soul (Na, na)
You won’t break my soul (No-no, na, na)
You won’t brеak my soul (No-no, na, na)
You won’t break my soul (Na, na)
I’m tellin’ evеrybody (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)
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, 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
Release ya job, release the time
Release ya trade, release the stress
Release the love, forget the rest
Meet Me In Montauk 
While I assume this was a typo, I think “after the news the past couple of weeks of news…” perfectly captures the sentiment of the past several weeks/months.