BeyoncePhoto: Mason Poole (Getty Images)
No, that’s not a joke: just a few days after announcing her long-awaited new studio album, Renaissance, will be released on July 29, Beyoncé seems to have confirmed that the project’s main single, “Break My Soul”, will be released. tonight at midnight EST / 9. pm PST.
The artist updated his biography on social media Monday morning to read: “6. BREAK MY SOUL MIDNIGHT ET.” The number preceding the song’s title seems to confirm that “Break My Soul” is the sixth song on the album.
Hawkeyed fans on social media have already noted that Renaissance appears to be a 16-song album. When Beyoncé first announced the new project last Thursday, it also included the caption “act and”, implying that Renaissance could be split into several parts.
For Variety, the new project will feature contributions from OneRepublic composer Ryan Tedder and Rafael Saadiq, a legendary hit creator who has worked with Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo and Stevie Wonder, among others. Saadiq is no stranger to the Knowles family; she also worked on Beyoncé’s sister’s acclaimed 2016 album A Seat At The Table, Solange.
Although Beyoncé brought her talent to the recent soundtracks of King Richard and The Lion King, she has not released a solo studio album since the stunning Lemonade of 2016. She collaborated with her husband Jay -Z for Everything Is Love of 2018 and released a live album of their historic Coachella ensemble in 2019 titled Homecoming.
While some outlets predicted that Beyoncé would release a new song to honor Juneteenth on Sunday, as she did with 2020’s “Black Parade,” the timing of “Break My Soul” doesn’t necessarily seem to be related to the holidays. However, for workers who enjoy a Monday day off, a midnight release tonight is the perfect way to end a celebratory weekend before returning to the office. Queen B always considers the hive.