Beyoncé‘s Renaissance era has been filled with twists and turns, but her Madonna-approved remix of “Break My Soul” is one of the brightest moments yet.
On the reworked version of her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, Beyoncé incorporates elements of Madonna’s “Vogue” — a 1990 Hot 100 No. 1 hit that helped signal the earliest mainstream embrace of ballroom culture. Madonna’s track featured a roll call of exclusively white silver-screen legends despite the song owing its existence to the Black and Latinx queer artists who pioneered voguing and ballroom culture.
In line with her recent efforts to re-center Black artists in histories where their contributions have been erased, Beyoncé revises Madonna’s original roll call and instead gives shout-outs to 29 legendary Black women in music (plus Madonna herself), as well as a slew of iconic ballroom houses. From Diana Ross and Whitney Houston, to the House of Aviance and the House of Balenciaga, the “Queens Remix” of “Break My Soul” is a rich capsule of music and pop culture history.
Queen Bey unleashed “Break My Soul” on June 20, 2022, as the lead single from Renaissance, her seventh solo studio album. The track, which blends elements of Robin S.’ “Show Me Love” and Big Freedia’s “Explode,” has since spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 — Beyoncé’s first solo song to achieve such a feat since “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” in 2008. Renaissance launched atop the Billboard 200 with 2022’s largest first-week sales total for a female artist, and the second-largest first-week sales total overall.
Check out every iconic woman Beyoncé showed love to on “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix).”
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Madonna
Of course, Beyoncé kicked off the shout-outs with “queen mother” Madonna herself. The “Queens Remix” of “Break My Soul” merges Beyoncé’s Hot 100 No.1 with Madonna’s own “Vogue,” which topped the Hot 100 in 1990. The updated version of the Renaissance lead single marks the first official collaboration between the two pop titans.
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Aaliyah
Aaliyah, one of Beyoncé’s contemporaries while Queen B was still in Destiny’s Child, is the second namedrop in “Break My Soul.” Although Beyoncé and the late Aaliyah never collaborated, the pair crossed paths numerous times. For example, Beyoncé interviewed Aaliyah on the MTV VMAs red carpet back in 2000!
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Known as the Godmother of Rock n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe is a music legend in every sense of the term. Her combination of the sacred and secular as well as her virtuosic guitar skills paved the stage for the futures of gospel, R&B, and rock. Her music and performance style have influenced everyone from Elvis Presley to Eric Clapton.
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Santigold
Spanning punk rock, hip-hop, and dance music, Santigold’s singular pen and voice have helped shape the past two decades of popular music. In addition to collaborations with Jay-Z, Kanye “Ye” West, and Mark Ronson, Santigold has earned No. 1 albums on both the Top Dance/Electronic Albums (2012’s Master of My Make Believe) and Top Reggae Albums (2018’s I Don’t Want: The Gold Fire Sessions) charts.
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Bessie Smith
Although her illustrious career predates the Billboard charts, Bessie Smith’s legacy speaks for itself. The Empress of the Blues’ slick contralto anchored hundreds of recordings for Columbia Records in the 1920s and 1930s. A blues and jazz legend who advocated for more inclusive visions of Black womanhood, Smith’s recording of “Downhearted Blues” has been inducted to both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.
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Nina Simone
Nina Simone, the epitome of both a music legend and sociopolitical touchstone, is one of the most recognizable names in the world. Nonetheless, this isn’t the first time Beyoncé has shown affection for the “Mississippi Goddam” singer. During her landmark 2018 Coachella headlining performance, Beyoncé incorporated elements of Simone’s “Lilac Wine” during her rendition of her own “Drunk in Love.”
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Betty Davis
Funk diva Betty Davis is another oft-overlooked Black music icon who recieved a shout-out from Queen Bey on this remix. In the mid-1970s, Davis charted a pair of albums on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: 1974’s They Say I’m Different (No. 46) and 1975’s Nasty Gal (No. 54). On “Vogue,” Madonna saluted the similarly named screen legend Bette Davis (“Bette Davis, we love you”).
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Solange
Is anyone surprised that Bey shouted out her own sister? Of course not! Solange, Beyoncé’s younger sibling, is an incredibly talented artist in her own right. With writing credits on a number of her sister’s songs (“Get Me Bodied,” “Why Don’t You Love Me,” etc.) as well as the Billboard 200-topping A Seat at the Table, Solange emerged as one of the most important artists of the 2010s.
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Erykah Badu
Widely hailed as the Queen of Neo-Soul, Badu has earned five top 10 titles on the Billboard 200, including her No. 2-peaking landmark debut album Baduizm. Over on the Billboard Hot 100, Badu has scored a pair of top 10 hits.
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Lizzo
When “Break My Soul” rose to No.1 with Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” right behind it at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart dated Aug. 13, 2022, the pair became the first Black women to lead the chart with solo songs in 14 years. Between their joint 2022 successes and their ties to Houston, a Lizzo shout-out was a no-brainer.
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Kelly Rowland
Beyoncé rarely does anything without lifting up her Destiny’s Child bandmates, and the “Queens Remix” was no different. Kelly Rowland, the first Destiny’s Child member to score a Hot 100 No. 1 outside of the group, has earned a trio of top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 as well as three chart-toppers on the Dance Club Songs chart.
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Lauryn Hill
The elusive Lauryn Hill is revered by just about everyone, so hearing her name in the “Queens Remix” wasn’t much of a surprise. While on the “On the Run” tour in 2014 with her husband Jay-Z, Beyoncé covered Hill’s “Ex-Factor.” Hill hailed Beyoncé’s “beautiful voice” and expressed her gratitude for the “wonderful acknowledgement.” Lauryn Hill’s seminal The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks in 1998.
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Roberta Flack
Known for her classic records with Donny Hathaway and her considerable impact on quiet storm, Roberta Flack has earned three No. 1 singles on the Hot 100, including “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” For Beyoncé 2003 debut album, Dangerously In Love, Queen Bey duetted with Luther Vandross (and won a Grammy in the process) on a cover of Flack and Hathaway’s “The Closer I Get to You.”
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Toni Braxton
Beyoncé loves her some Toni Braxton. Four years after dressing up as “Phoni Braxton” for Halloween, Beyoncé shouted out the R&B legend on the “Queens Remix.” Braxton has earned a pair of leaders on the Hot 100 and six top 10 titles on the Billboard 200.
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Janet Jackson
In 2014, Beyoncé dressed up as Rhythm Nation-era Janet Jackson for Halloween, and four years later she attended the “Nasty” singer’s Las Vegas residency alongside Kelly Rowland. Now, in 2022, Beyoncé has shouted out the music legend on the “Queens Remix.” Janet Jackson has earned 10 No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and seven No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. She currently ranks as the No. 14 Greatest Artist of All Time on the Billboard charts.
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Tierra Whack
Tierra Whack and Beyoncé last joined forces for “My Power” off the latter’s The Lion King: The Gift — a soundtrack compilation album released alongside the 2019 photorealistic remake of The Lion King. Whack earned her first Hot 100 entry in 2020 with the No. 83-peaking “T.D” (with Lil Yachty, A$AP Rocky & Tyler, The Creator).
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Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott and Beyoncé go way back. The pair have collaborated countless times since Bey’s Destiny’s Child days, ranging from the group’s “Confessions” to Missy’s own “Crazy Feelings.” Elliott has earned nine top 10 hits on the Hot 100 and five top 10 albums on the Billboard 200.
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Diana Ross
Diana Ross and Beyoncé have arguably the most substantial impact on the girl group-leader-turned-solo-superstar blueprint, so this shout-out was inevitable. The two music icons have interacted a few times, including in 2019 when Beyoncé serenaded Ms. Ross at her 75th birthday party! Since leaving The Supremes in 1970, Diana Ross has earned six No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 and one No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. Her and Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love” ranks as the No. 20 Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Song.
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Grace Jones
It’s only fitting that Grace Jones, who is featured on “Move” from Renaissance, got a double shout-out on the “Queens Remix.” The ultimate innovator, Jones has earned a pair of top 10 hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, including the No. 5-peaking “Pull Up to the Bumper.”
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Aretha Franklin
No “Queens Remix” would be complete without mentioning the Queen of Soul. Franklin, one of the most impactful and influential musicians in modern music, earned 73 entries on the Hot 100, including the No. 1 hits “Respect” and “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).” Franklin made history throughout her storied career by blending gospel, soul, and R&B while foraying into dance and hip-hop stylings along the way.
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Anita Baker
One of the culture’s most beloved R&B legends, Anita Baker is also a member of the Beyhive. The eight-time Grammy winner routinely shows Queen Bey love on Twitter, and Bey returned the love on the “Queens Remix.” Back in 2009, Beyoncé covered Ms. Baker’s classic “Sweet Love” during her first concert residency, I Am… Yours. Baker has earned a pair of top 10 singles on the Hot 100: “Sweet Love” (No. 8) and “Giving You the Best That I Got” (No. 3).
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Sade
Sade, the enigmatic lead singer of the band of the same name, is one of the most lauded names in R&B. She has earned a pair of top five hits on the Hot 100, and nine top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including 1985’s Promise (No. 1) and 2010’s Soldier of Love (No. 1).
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Jill Scott
“Jilly from Philly, I love you, boo!” From covering “He Loves Me” while on tour in 2007 to this “Queens Remix” shout-out, Beyoncé has been showing love to Jill Scott for years. The three-time Grammy winner has earned two chart-toppers on the Billboard 200: 2011’s The Light of the Sun and 2015’s Woman.
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Michelle Williams
Just like Kelly got a shout-out, we all knew Michelle’s was right around the corner. The third member of the trio-version of Destiny’s Child, Michelle Williams has found great success in the gospel music industry since the group’s hiatus. She’s scored three consecutive top two albums on the Top Gospel Albums ranking, and “Say Yes” (which features Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland) spent seven weeks atop the Hot Gospel Songs chart.
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Chloe X Halle
Just like Beyoncé routinely uplifts her Destiny’s Child bandmates, she always makes sure to shout-out her protégés. Chloe x Halle have earned such hits as “The Kids Are Alright” and “Do It.” The sister duo notched a No. 9 peak on Top Album Sales with the release of their Grammy-nominated sophomore album, Ungodly Hour.
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Alicia Keys
Beyoncé and Alicia Keys have been peers since the early aughts, and they even collaborated on the 2010 duet “Put It In a Love Song.” Keys has earned nine top 10 hits on the Hot 100 including the chart-toppers “Empire State of Mind,” “My Boo,” “No One,” and “Fallin.'” Over on the Billboard 200, the 15-time Grammy winner has notched five leaders, including multi-week runs at No. 1 with 2001’s Songs in A Minor, 2003’s The Diary of Alicia Keys, and 2007’s As I Am.
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Whitney Houston
Did you really think Beyoncé would leave out The Voice? This one was also a given, but this isn’t the first time that Beyoncé has shown love to Whitney Houston. In a 2012 statement about Houston’s death, Beyoncé recalled meeting her when she herself was just 15, calling Houston the “ultimate legend” and “ultimate woman.” Houston earned 11 No. 1 singles on the Hot 100, incuding classics such as “I Will Always Love You,” “How Will I Know,” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” The music legend currently ranks as the No. 9 Greatest Hot 100 Artist of All Time.
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Rihanna
While fans continue to hold out hope for a collaboration between these two superstars, Beyoncé’s RiRi shout-out on the “Queens Remix” will have to do for now. Rihanna has earned 14 No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, including smashes such as “Diamonds,” “Rude Boy,” and “Disturbia.” She currently ranks as the No. 10 Greatest Hot 100 Artist of All Time.
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Nicki Minaj
Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj have collaborated on world-stopping singles such as “Feeling Myself” and the “Flawless” remix, so this shout-out was also a given. Over the course of Minaj’s career so far, she has earned 123 entries on the Hot 100, including the No. 1 hits “Say So” (with Doja Cat) and “TROLLZ” (with 6ix9ine).