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The Best Reactions to Beyoncé’s Joyous New House Anthem, ‘Break My Soul’

The official artwork for “Break My Soul. Photo: Courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records

Back in 2013, Beyoncé released her critically-acclaimed self-titled record (and its accompanying visual album) in a surprise drop—and by doing so, changed the game forever. Bey may not have been the first artist to debut her latest project unannounced, though she was by far the highest-profile; since then, the model has been adopted by artists as wide-ranging as Frank OceanTaylor Swift, and Drake, whose latest record Honestly, Nevermind dropped as a surprise release just last week.

But for her widely anticipated seventh album, revealed in a British Vogue cover story  last week to be titled Renaissance, Beyoncé is turning the tables all the way back around, delivering the kind of traditional multi-chapter promotional rollout that she all but did away with a decade or so ago. Last Thursday, the cover dropped featuring the pop superstar resplendent in an Alaïa gown and a feathered headdress, strutting atop a horse straight into her new era. (The comparisons to Bianca Jagger riding her white horse through Studio 54 were, very clearly, intentional.)

In the accompanying article, British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful offered a glimpse of what that music might promise. “Soaring vocals and fierce beats combine and in a split second I’m transported back to the clubs of my youth,” he wrote. “I want to get up and start throwing moves. It’s music I love to my core.” (Sign us up.) And yesterday, the news arrived that Beyoncé would be releasing her new track at midnight ET—the early hours of the morning in Europe—and that it would be titled “Break My Soul.”

Earlier this morning, the song finally hit streaming services. The verdict? It turns out all the rumors are true: The rumors being that Beyoncé would be embracing the joyous spirit of house music, a genre pioneered by Black and Latinx communities in 1980s Chicago, and which has bubbled under the mainstream over the decades since. (One of the genre’s greatest and most authentic champions to this day, Honey Dijon, is also reportedly involved in the new record.) “Break My Soul” is a thunderous house pop track that recalls the likes of Crystal Waters, CeCe Peniston, and Robin S., featuring infectious backing vocals from the New Orleans bounce legend Big Freedia, who memorably contributed the “I came to slay” sample in 2016’s “Formation.”

Of course, Twitter erupted with joy at the release of a new Beyoncé track. Here, find the best reactions to her surprise release, whether celebrating its homage to the origins of house music—or appreciating the Bobby Fischer-level strategy of her release plan.

https://twitter.com/fake_jaris/status/1539076143214632960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1539076143214632960%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.com%2Farticle%2Fbeyonce-break-my-soul-best-reactions

https://twitter.com/BeeBabs/status/1538881002831024128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1538881002831024128%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.com%2Farticle%2Fbeyonce-break-my-soul-best-reactions

https://twitter.com/RickysBurnbook/status/1539078087752798208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1539078087752798208%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.com%2Farticle%2Fbeyonce-break-my-soul-best-reactions

https://twitter.com/OrangePaulp/status/1539085086599135233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1539085086599135233%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.com%2Farticle%2Fbeyonce-break-my-soul-best-reactions

https://twitter.com/HeyyBran/status/1539075066096279552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1539075066096279552%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.com%2Farticle%2Fbeyonce-break-my-soul-best-reactions

https://twitter.com/JohnnySibilly/status/1539083872729591808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1539083872729591808%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.com%2Farticle%2Fbeyonce-break-my-soul-best-reactions

Originally published in Vogue.co.uk

Read next: Beyoncé Officially Announces Her New Studio Album, Act I Renaissance

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