I usually try to write about things that aren’t the big pop songs even if I really like them because no one needs me to tell them there’s a new Beyoncé song, especially when it’s almost two weeks old at this point. However, I am going to write about “Break My Soul” today for a couple of reasons. One, it is in fact new to me this week because I finally listened to it for the first time a couple days ago. Second, it’s a slow week for new music. I mean I could write about the Minions: The Rise of Gru soundtrack that has every indie artist you know doing covers of 70s hits, but does anyone need that? I don’t think so. The second part of the four album Tedeschi Trucks Band’s I Am the Moon series is out today, but I don’t have anything to say about it that I didn’t already say about the first part. So here we are talking about Beyoncé’s new song because I have some thoughts.

It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Beyoncé’s music in general even though I 100% respect her career, her talent, and the influence she has had on culture. There are a handful of songs that I like, but on the whole she is literally not my jam. I actively dislike “Single Ladies”, which is still ubiquitous in culture 14 years later. Sometimes even if you don’t like something if you hear it enough it grows on you. That song never has, and I can’t escape it. Anyway, that’s all to say that all that is the reason that when I heard there was a new Beyoncé song out I didn’t rush right out to listen to it. I figured I would hear it eventually whether I wanted to or not.

The first time I heard it was actually only in snippets because it was while listening to the most recent episode of the Switched on Pop podcast in which they talked about the song. I knew nothing about it going into that and the first bit they played I was immediately like oh my gosh this song is very reminiscent of Robin S.’s “Show Me Love” , which is a song from the 90’s that I very much love. As has apparently been pointed out by everyone by now “Break My Soul” is very much drawing on the influence of 90’s house music, and I am here for it. I loved all the popular 90s music by bands like C + C Music Factory, Black Box, and CeCe Peniston as well as the aforementioned Robin S. so this is a sound I can get behind. Not to mention the sentiment of the lyrics. Let’s be real. This song is the anthem we all need right now. Sorry to Kate Bush who has weirdly so far had the song of the summer with a song from the 1980s. We’re moving on up with a new song of the summer that’s very influenced by the 1990s.