Did Beyoncé Just Release a Song About the Great Resignation?
As you peruse this article on a Tuesday morning, thousands of people are quitting their jobs because of Beyoncé. I don't have hard numbers to support this statement, but I'm putting it out there: Bey's new single, "Break My Soul," has more than a few listeners out there reconsidering their 9-to-5.
The first single off Beyoncé's upcoming album, RENAISSANCE, "Break My Soul" sees — or rather, hears — the empress of R&B lament the spirit-crushing nature of capitalism.
"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," Bey delivers in the first verse. "Work by nine, then off past five / And they work my nerves, that's why I cannot sleep at night."
Big Freedia, featured on the track, comes in clutch with a catchy post-chorus: "Release ya anger, release ya mind / Release ya job, release the time."
Naturally, the BeyHive has jumped on to Twitter to provide some pretty spot-on commentary ranging from Drake disses to resignation memes.
"Break My Soul" is a masterpiece of a song, for many reasons: Bey's vocals, Big Freedia's feature, the pulsing house beat.
But audio aside, the single hits hard because it encapsulates today's cultural landscape, one in which employees are voluntarily quitting their jobs at higher rates than ever (the main reasons being low pay, no opportunities for advancement, and feeling disrespected at work), a trend professor Anthony Klotz dubbed the "Great Resignation."
Beyoncé isn't actually anti-capitalist, and I'm not even sure why she's telling us to quit our jobs after making us spend $50 on mystery merch boxes. Still, "Break My Soul" is a fabulous song, whether it inspires listeners to hand in their two weeks notice, power through their work day with renewed determination, or just take a dance break.
