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Queen Bey is back, and the BeyHive is buzzing!

Beyonce’s forthcoming album Renaissance is expected to drop July 29, that much we know, thanks to cryptic messages posted to the superstar singer’s website and socials.

The first single lifted from it is “Break My Soul,” which fans were expecting to drop at midnight.

Beyonce is one for surprises and “Break My Soul” dropped early, at about 10pm ET Monday. 

On it, Big Freedia can be heard chanting, “Release your anger, release your mind.”

Renaissance is the followup to 2016’s LP Lemonade, Beyonce’s sixth straight leader on the Billboard 200 chart. Based on folks close to the recording, the new LP has elements of country and the dance-floor, the latter confirmed by the new single

“Break My Soul” arrives two days after the Juneteenth holiday.

Two years ago, Beyoncé released the charity single “Black Parade” on Juneteenth, which raised money for BeyGOOD’s Black Business Impact Fund that supports Black-owned small businesses.

With touches of house, “Break My Soul” threatening to break the Internet as fans tuned in, turned on and shared their thoughts.

Beyonce was trending on Twitter as midnight approached.

Check out some of the reaction to “Break My Soul” below, and here’s everything we know about Renaissance so far.

https://twitter.com/keyon/status/1539064615497256962

“Haylor” never goes out of style.

It’s been 10 years since Taylor Swift and Harry Styles were rumored to be dating, as they were spotted strolling around New York City’s Central Park Zoo in December 2012. While the suspected couple never publicly confirmed their short-lived relationship, fans have since gotten songs from both artists that are widely believed to be about their whirlwind romance, from Styles’ “Ever Since New York” and “Two Ghosts” to Swift’s “Out of the Woods” and the aptly titled “Style.”

Nearly a decade later, the duo sweetly reunited at the 2021 Grammy Awards, where Swift won album of the year for her eighth studio album Folklore, while Styles took home his first-ever Grammy for best pop solo performance for his Fine Line hit, “Watermelon Sugar.” In a viral video that circulated the Internet, the two were seen chatting and smiling, making it clear that there’s no “bad blood” between the exes. Swift was even reportedly seen standing up and clapping for Styles after he won his award.

Throughout the years, Styles has been asked about his famous former sweetheart in interviews — specifically about the songs that are believed to be about him — and has even made nods to her while performing onstage.

For Haylor fans, Harries and Swifties alike, we’ve compiled a complete timeline of every time Styles has talked about or addressed Swift. See it below.

Beyoncé has blessed our ears once more by giving the BeyHive a first taste of her upcoming album Renaissance with her new singleBreak My Soul,” which dropped Monday night via Tidal and a lyric video on YouTube.

It’s the first single from Bey’s upcoming seventh project Renaissance, which she announced would be released July 29 and cryptically added that it would only be “act i.” She subtly announced it by changing the bios on her socials to “6.  BREAK MY SOUL  midnight ET,” meaning “Break My Soul” is also the sixth track on the album. (Here’s everything we know about Renaissance so far.)

The house-tinged new song is dance-floor ready, with its piano production, crisp snares and Bey harmonizing with herself. “You won’t break my soul,” she repeats in the chorus, surely creating a new mantra that will grace T-shirts and coffee mugs to come. Previous Queen B collaborator Big Freedia can be heard chanting, “Release your anger, release your mind.”

While starring on the July 2022 cover of British Vogue, editor-in-chief Edward Enninful describes the Renaissance as such: “Music that makes you rise, that turns your mind to cultures and subcultures, to our people past and present, music that will unite so many on the dance floor, music that touches your soul.”

Renaissance is the follow-up to 2016’s Lemonade, which gave Bey her sixth solo No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. Since her last solo album, she dropped a joint album with husband JAY-Z, Everything Is Love, in 2018 and the The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack and Homecoming: The Live Album both in 2019. Queen B also recorded “Be Alive” for the Oscar-winning film King Richard.

“Break My Soul” arrives two days after the Juneteenth holiday. Two years ago, Beyoncé released the charity single “Black Parade” on Juneteenth, which raised money for BeyGOOD’s Black Business Impact Fund that supports Black-owned small businesses. The single received four nominations at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, including record and song of the year, and it went on to win best R&B performance, marking Bey’s 28th Grammy win and making her the most awarded single and female artist in Grammy history.

Stream “Break My Soul” below.

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CDs are back in rotation! If you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, digital discs were pretty common, but younger millennials and most Gen Zers may not be as familiar with CDs and especially CD players.

Although streaming reigns as the most popular way that consumers listen to music, vinyl has enjoyed a major comeback and CDs saw a jump in sales for the first time in 20 years. According to data compiled by the RIAA, CD sales spiked to 46.6 million in 2021, which is a 47.7 percent increase from the previous year.

To be fair, CDs never officially disappeared from stores; they’re just not as popular as they used to be. The tide seems to be changing though. BTS hopped on the seemingly retro trend with the release of their heavily anticipated Proof album, and Beyoncé is the latest music megastar to usher in a CD revival by way of her forthcoming seventh studio album Renaissance, out July 29. And if you’re a BeyHive member who bought one of the four Renaissance box sets from Queen Bey’s website, you might want to invest in a portable CD player, if you haven’t already.

Below, we’ve rounded up a collection of affordable CD players that you can buy online or purchase in store (at select retailers). From portable Bluetooth CD players that can be paired with other devices to boomboxes and vintage-inspired options for nostalgia junkies, this list has a little bit of everything.

Lukasa Compact CD Player

$57.87

$79.99

28% OFF

Suitable for home or on-the-go, this portable CD player from Lukasa offers up high-fidelity and clear sound, with stereo earbuds. Features include up to 100 seconds of anti-skip protection for CDs and 180 seconds for MP3, a rechargeable battery with up to 12 hours of play time, and seven functions to transform this mini CD player into a Bluetooth HiFi speaker, a mini home audio boombox and more. Included in the box are a Bluetooth CD player, a pair of earphones, AUX cable, USB cable, user manual, and a bag to carry the portable player around.

HOTT C105 Compact CD Player

$99.99

$199.99

50% OFF

The HOTT C105 Portable CD Player features HiFi Bluetooth 5.0, an FM Transmitter, a built-in 1800 mAh rechargeable battery, touch vibration buttons, and an automatic back light. This compact and lightweight portable CD player measures 5.6 inches and provides 40 seconds of CD anti-jumping protection and 120 seconds of MP3 CD anti-jumping protection, allowing you to enjoy music in a stable state. For a cheaper option from the same brand try the Hott 204 CD player on sale for $49.99 (regular $99).

Gimigo Portable CD Player

$45.99

The Gimigo Portable CD Player can double as a décor item for your living room, bedroom, home office and more. The wall-mountable player features a desk stand to place it in a solid surface, plus it has remote control. This CD player is equipped with Bluetooth, FM Radio, and an LCD display screen that clearly shows the playing modes or set the time, and it has an alarm clock. For another compact boombox design try the Dpnao CD Player ($57.89).

 

Studebaker Retro Portable CD Player

$40

$59.99

33% OFF

Prefer the retro look?  The Studebaker SB3703 personal CD player blends vintage aesthetic with modern functions like an FM radio features, 60-second anti-skip protection, bass boost, digital LCD display and programmable memory. This compact, lightweight device comes in three colors including mint green and pink and black. The CD player requires 2 AA batteries (sold separately) and includes a headphone jack, earbuds, and a mini USB port so the unit can be powered through a computer or another USB power source.

Jensen Portable CD Player with Bass Boost

$27.50

$

Need something more affordable? The JENSEN CD-60R Portable CD Player retails for less than $30. This slim unit has a compact, lightweight design and features 60 second anti-skip protection and digital LCD display, along with the usual skip/search, play/pause and repeat functions, and programmable memory. It also has an FM scan radio with a 3.5 mm headphone jack and comes with earbuds. The portable CD player operates on 2 AA batteries (buy them here) and has an automatic power off feature, so you do won’t have to worry about draining the batteries.

Sony BoomBox with CD Player

$99.99

$

An oldie but goodie. This Sony Boombox has received a 4.5 out of 5 star rating thanks to thousands of positive reviews. The Bluetooth boombox connects to select smartphones with NFC One-touch, while the plug-in USB allows you to play audio files or to transfer them from CDs. Turn up the power with Mega Bass and give your whole sound a boost courtesy of the dual speakers. This Sony Boombox is available at major retailers including Best Buy and Amazon.

KEiiD Bluetooth CD Player with Speakers

$218.99

$

The Keiid CD Player “looks as good as it sounds,” according to one customer review. This handcrafted CD player boasts a wooden finish with rich, clear sound; Bluetooth for easy connection to other devices, a built-in mic for handsfree calls, a 5-inch LCD display screen, FM radio, up to 12 preset functions, USB flash drive and SD card playback.

Hammacher Schlemmer Bluetooth DVD And TV Boombox

$229.95

$

This DVD/TV boombox hybrid works as its own little entertainment hub. The classic boombox plays DVDs, picks up TV stations, and streams music wirelessly. It features a 7″ TFT LCD screen (800 x 480 resolution), an integrated DVD player, plus you can broadcasts from the digital ATSC TV tuner — which picks up over-the-air HD stations. Stream music wirelessly from a smartphone or tablet and plays audio through twin full-range, 5-watt speakers with bass boost. The boombox can play digital music from USB memory sticks, SD/SDHC cards, CDs, an external MP3 player via its auxiliary port, or from the integrated AM/FM radio.

The 32-year-old pop star made a surprise appearance to give thanks for her two wins of the night while seemingly including clues that indicate her next rerecorded album project will be ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version).’

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