Beyoncé’s single “Break My Soul” hits a new peak of No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of July 9.
It’s the music icon’s 20th top 10 single as a solo act. The return single from Beyoncé’s forthcoming album Renaissance debuted at No. 15 the previous week.
Beyoncé’s recent attainment registered her name in the Billboard history books as one of 23 artists (soloist and group) to rack up 20 or more top 10 Hot 100 hits. She joins the likes of Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson and others.
Further, Beyoncé stands as the first woman and second Black person behind Michael Jackson to have reached the top 10 of the Hot 100 at least 20 times as a solo act and 10 times as a group member. With Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé gained ten entries, four of which topped the list, including “Bootylicious” and “Say My Name.”
The number 20 for Beyoncé holds great significance. This December will mark 20 years since she first visited the top 10 ranks, as her mogul husband, Jay-Z’s “’03 Bonnie & Clyde,” on which she’s featured, stormed to No. 8. It eventually peaked at No. 4 the tracking week of Dec. 28, 2002.
The following year, “Crazy in Love,” the Grammy-winning single featuring Jay-Z, would be Beyoncé’s first top 10 victory as a lead artist. The gold-selling smash later shot to number one and stayed for eight weeks.
In May 2020, Beyoncé reached the pole position for the seventh time with Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage (Remix).”
View this post on Instagram
As highlighted earlier, “Break My Soul” is the lead single from Beyoncé’s seventh studio album Renaissance, which releases on July 29 via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records. Her seventh studio album comes six years after her last proper solo album Lemonade.
Of Renaissance, Beyoncé wrote on Instagram, “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving.”
She continued, “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”
Following the acclaimed 2016 record, which won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 59th Grammy Awards, Beyoncé released a handful of other notable projects, one of which (Everything Is Love) was under the stage name The Carters (with Jay-Z).
In January, Beyoncé landed a Best Original Song nomination for “Be Alive” at the 79th Golden Globes. She achieved the same recognition at the 94th Oscars. The King Richard song, co-written and co-produced by Dixson, was performed by Beyoncé at the latter ceremony.
“I’m very blessed to have a great team behind me,” Dixson told Rated R&B of collaborating with Beyoncé. “When the opportunity came, I said yes and did my best. When I turned my part of the song in, it wasn’t quite a complete thought. It became complete when she did what only Beyoncé can do.”
Revisit Beyoncé’s new single “Break My Soul” below.
