Beyone surprised fans on Monday night when she released her latest single Break My Soul – off her much-anticipated upcoming album Renaissance.
The 40-year-old superstar dropped the song – which is a jol number that samples Robin S’s 1990s club hit Show me Love.
South African music fans, however, are not all that impressed.
The song, said to be the sixth track on the new album, appears to have bypassed several streaming platforms, including Spotify, in favour of a Tidal release, of which her husband Jay-Z is a co-owner.
Beyoncé worked with hot shot producers Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, who previously collaborated on her hit Single Ladies.
“Release your anger, release your mind / Release your job, release the time / Release your trade, release the stress / Release the love, forget the rest,” she sings on the track, which features rapper Big Freedia.
Beyoncé’s seventh album Renaissance will feature 16 tracks, with genres ranging from dance to country, and is set for a July 29 release date.
While the BeyHive is buzzing, SA music producer Nota expressed his disappointment.
“South African music has reached the stage where Drake & Beyoncé don’t excite us anymore,” he tweeted.
“I’ve waited my whole career for it to dawn in people that South Africa makes the best music in the world. Amapiano is proof that we are superior. We’re the best the world has to offer Mzansi!”
South African music has reached the stage where Drake & Beyoncé don’t excite us anymore. I’ve waited my whole career for it to dawn in people that South Africa makes the best music in the world. Amapiano is proof that we are superior. We’re the best the world has to offer Mzansi!
— GOOD Authority (@lavidaNOTA) June 21, 2022
Singer and producer Muzi called the new single “trash”, saying, “South African music is just too good for us to be fangirl-ing Beyoncé, like she’s Zoë Modiga or something. She’s just light skinned!”
South African music is just too good for us to be fangirl-ing Beyoncé, like she’s Zoë Modiga or something. She’s just light skinned! https://t.co/Pqdl39EtjY
— GOOD Authority (@lavidaNOTA) June 21, 2022
Bey’s last solo studio album was the worldwide hit Lemonade (2016), followed by 2018’s Everything Is Love, a collab album with Jay-Z.
In 2019 she put out the live album Homecoming from her 2018 Coachella gig.
That same year, she worked on the remake of The Lion King with The Gift, a soundtrack album featuring her new songs.