Remix: Beyoncé respectfully reclaims Madonna’s “Vogue”, for The Queens Remix of “Break My Soul”

So, at time of writing, Beyoncé has released the A Capella and Instrumental versions of “Break My Soul”, a visualizer for “Break My Soul”, four remixes of “Break My Soul”, a Cliquebait video for “Break My Soul”, and now a fifth remix of “Break My Soul”, which unlike the others, is a REMIX remix, featuring new vocals, the music from Madonna’s “Vogue” and samples the song itself. Appropriately titled The Queens Remix. Which you would think is in sole reference to Beyoncé and Madonna, but is actually for all of the women she name drops in the song.

The Queens Remix very much fails in line with Renaissance being a reclamation of club music. And Beyoncé masterfully manages to respectfully sample Madonna and use her song, whilst flipping it and righting what some may have felt were wrongs of the original. First off, Beyoncé takes Madonna’s ‘rap’ segment and replaces all those white people with Black women in music, including her Destiny’s Child sisters Kelly and Michelle, her sister Solange, and Chloe and Halle, amongst Aaliyah, Rihanna, Grace Jones (obviously), Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Anita. That’s Anita Baker y’all. Not Anitta.

And I can’t help but wonder if Beyoncé would have named dropped Kelis had she not dragged her on Instagram. I hear them new la-la-la’s Pettyoncé. You shady bitch.

Beyoncé doesn’t stop here however. She also goes on to name iconic ballroom Houses, such as Labeija and Ninja. Those of you who have watched Paris is Burning or the HBO Max show Legendary (which will probabaly get cancelled now because of that ruthless white man over at Warner Bros. Discovery) will be familiar with some of these names.

And an interesting truth about “Vogue”, and one that I’m unsure Beyoncé and her team were aware of, but feels relevant here; is that a remix of Janet Jackson’s “Miss You Much” featured an identical beat to “Vogue” and was released a year prior it. The remixer / producer of both songs is the same guy, Shep Pettibone. Producers recycling beats is nothing new under the sun.

Madonna’s “Vogue” is a classic. There are no ifs and buts about it. Madonna recording a house song, about an underground form of dance born out of the LGBTQIWXYZ community, and then shooting a music video with a bunch of gays - it was king shit. BUT. For all the good “Vogue” did, it also whitewashed like a motherfucker. The RGB (255, 255, 255) gays tried to claim voguing, tried to claim Madonna was the originator of it. And as RGB (255, 255, 255) gays often do, they wanted all of the aesthetics and the sound of Ballroom, but with none of the Black people and people of colour that came with it all. It was a mess. And the way in which season 2 of Pose positions Madonna’s “Vogue” is an insight into how white men regard that song and the power they give it. So for Beyoncé to take what ahs become a white-ass song and to hand it back to community responsible for it, it's pretty dope.

Initially I did think ‘Oooof, did Beyoncé have to use “Vogue”?’, just because of how revered the song is. And how because of that, it would be very easy for the original version of “Break My Soul” to be replaced by this remix outright in white certain circles. But Beyoncé is a business woman. She knows using “Vogue” on a song will have it gain reach far beyond her fanbase. And I have to remember what Beyoncé intent with this song was, and that THAT is the bigger picture.

I still think the original version of “Break My Soul” is the superior version of the song. And I bet even Beyoncé knows the original is better. But again, Beyoncé is a business ‘ooman. She knows that by using Madonna’s “Vogue” (a song that many DJ’s still play), that DJ’s will mix and or mash her remix of “Break My Soul” with the original version of “Vogue”. But they will also still play the original version of “Break My Soul”. It’s just nice to hear Beyoncé having so much fun with her music. And she sounds great. This whole spoken word shit she be doing, it really suits her, and it works because she fully commits to it.

Beyoncé really be out here wanting to be in the clubs and radio for the next 6 months and beyond.

As rough around the edges as this remix is (I really do wish it were mixed and arranged better), I do like that it still fits in with the theme of Renaissance, as being a reclamation of club music, but that it also fits sonically. You could slot this remix into the album after “Alien Superstar” or “America Has a Problem” and it’d fit perfectly.

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