If you are like most of the world, then you've been moving to Beyoncé ever since she released her seventh studio album RENAISSANCE last week. The album is heavy on dance music elements, including a nod to house on the set's lead single "BREAK MY SOUL." However, while the song is a jam, some (including us) felt the song never went full tilt into the house realm. It seems the singer heard us, as she's released a four-song remix EP of the set with mixes that double down on that house feeling.
Bey taps a who's who of producers to rework the track. will.i.am's takes things into an international setting, infusing the song with a similar Brazilian-influenced sound that much of his recent work with Black Eyed Peas has been as of late. There's a lot of focus on the bass and kick drum along with percussive elements based around claps that makes things feel a bit tropical.
The next two mixes find seasoned house vet Terry Hunter and house DJ Honey Dijon (who also had a hand in producing a couple RENAISSANCE tracks) tapped in. Terry's remix takes things in a soulful house direction, with bright synth instrumentation, quick-paced hi-hats and a shuffling rhythm turning the song into even more of a joyful celebration. Honey's version gets a bit more industrial, with clattering rhythms brushing up against hi-hats and Bey's vocal getting chopped into the sound bed, adding some dramatics to affair while keeping the party going.
Last but not least is Nita Aviance's mix. The DJ perhaps changes the song's structure most, making the vocal echoes that are constantly repeated throughout the background against thumping synth bass and clashing hi-hats. This approach stretches the song out to nearly 10 minutes, allowing listeners to revel in the track for a good while.
If you were in the number hoping that "BREAK MY SOUL" was just a tad more house, then this remix EP is just what the doctor ordered. Hit the dance floor with Beyoncé when you stream the four remixes below.
