Beyoncé’s ‘Break My Soul’ and the Long Tail of ‘Show Me Love’ - The New York Times

The ubiquitous 1992 remix of Robin S.’s song has endured in samples and covers.

Robin S.’s “Show Me Love” has “probably become the most ubiquitous dance song in modern history,” said Larry Flick, who was the dance editor of Billboard at the time of the track’s 1993 breakout.

Listeners heard echoes of “Show Me Love,” and when it debuted on streaming services, the “Show Me Love” writers Allen George and Fred McFarlane were credited on the new track, alongside Adam Pigott; Big Freedia, who appears on the song; Jay-Z; and its three producers, Terius Nash (known as The-Dream), Christopher “Tricky” Stewart and Beyoncé.

StoneBridge, then an up-and-coming producer, asked Champion, the label that had released “Show Me Love” in the United Kingdom, for possible material to remix.

“Show Me Love” was not the first house song to feature the M1 Organ 2 sound, but it hit bigger than any that came before it.

got a call from her son informing her that she was trending on social media as a result of the apparent “Show Me Love” reference in Beyoncé’s song, which replicates that M1 Organ 2 sound (in a different rhythm).

While the sound of StoneBridge’s remix is what Beyoncé appears to be referencing on her track, StoneBridge had no songwriting credit on “Show Me Love.” He called the resulting scenario “just a little bit irritating,” but because he added to the song via remix, he does not qualify as an original composer.

StoneBridge is also not convinced that Beyoncé’s song actually used portions of his remix.

“To my ears they used the organ bass sound and did a similar thing,” he said.

Nevertheless, the arrival of “Break My Soul” turned into a nuanced interrogation of ownership in contemporary popular music, and revived conversations about the impact of “Show Me Love.” (Though to some ears, the Beyoncé track nodded to another McFarlane and George composition, “Luv 4 Luv.”).

Tracks utilizing the M1’s Organ 2 sound like Livin’ Joy’s 1994 song “Dreamer” followed.

Flick said its enduring appeal derives from that Organ 2 sound and “the rawness of the vocal,” which he described as having “a church quality.” Ultimately, “It still sounds modern,” he said

Slapping an M1 Organ 2 sound on a track has proved to be such a surefire way to resonate with listeners that Flick suggested it was “a cheat” for Beyoncé to employ it

“A lot of songs are complicated — lots of chords and melodies playing all over the place,” StoneBridge said, pondering his remix’s impact