Immediately dubbed an “anthem for the Great Resignation” on social media, fans didn’t skip a beat, posting memes and all-cap tweets aligning themselves with Queen Bey’s motivational message to ditch hustle culture and get back to “sleeping real good at night.”
The song, Beyoncé’s first single since Juneteenth last year, blends 1990s club culture with 2022 Pride vibes. It’s an inescapable summer psalm, with heavy sampling from the early-90s hit “Show Me Love” by Robin S and vocals from Big Freedia, a rapper best known for her New Orleans “bounce music,” aka bass-heavy booty-shaking.
“Release your anger/Release your mind/Release your job/Release the tide/Release your trade/Release the stress/Release your love/Forget the rest,” sings Big Freedia, lyrics that embrace both the socio-economic pandemic fatigue and the desire to break free of it.
Dubbed the “Great Resignation,” the offset between job vacancies and job seekers means there are now almost two job openings for every unemployed worker, a situation that Fed Chair Powell has called “unhealthy.”
Last week, the central bank hiked its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point in an aggressive bid to tamp down spiraling inflation and cool the economy — but the move could also shake up the labor market.
Amid this backdrop, “Break My Soul” resonated immediately with fans — and economists.