“Break My Soul” Becomes Beyoncé’s First Solo #1 Hit Since 2008
Yesterday Beyoncé’s Renaissance debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with the biggest sales week of 2022 by a woman (332,000 equivalent album units including 190,000 in sales, to be exact). Today, boosted by the album’s release and a Madonna-featuring remix available by purchase only (among other remixes), lead single “Break My Soul” has risen to #1 on the Hot 100. Remarkably, it’s her first solo #1 hit in 14 years.
This is wild to think about, but until today Beyoncé hasn’t topped the Hot 100 by herself since “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” in 2008. In the interim, Bey has released culture-shifting albums and landed at #1 as a featured guest on songs by Ed Sheeran and Megan Thee Stallion. She was technically credited as a lead artist on Sheeran’s “Perfect Duet,” so “Break My Soul” is not her first #1 as a lead artist since 2008.
“Break My Soul” jumped from #6 to the top spot this week, after spending a few weeks hovering in the top 10. “Soul” notched 61.7 million radio impressions (up 8%), 18.9 million streams (up 114%), and 13,000 downloads (up 113%) in the past week. Counting her time in Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé’s span of appearing at #1 on the Hot 100 now stretches over 23 years and three weeks. (We just looked at the second Bey-affiliated chart-topper, “Say My Name,” in our The Number Ones column.)
Coming in after “Break My Soul” on the Hot 100 is Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” which was #1 the previous week. That’s followed by Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” and Future, Drake, and Tems’ “Wait For U.” Steve Lacy scores his first top-10 hit this week as “Bad Habit” rises to #7, while Nicky Youre and dazy earn their first top-10 each with a new #9 peak for “Sunroof.” More details on this week’s Hot 100 can be found at Billboard.
UPDATE: The Beyoncé x Madonna remix is now streaming.