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Beyoncé‘s comeback single “Break My Soul” has gotten the whole world dancing, with many viewing the song as an indicator of Beyoncé’s immersion into house music. The song itself samples a ’90s house classic, Robin S.’s “Show Me Love.” And despite having to clear a sample for one of the biggest entertainers in the world, Robin S. didn’t know Beyoncé sampled her song until it was released and listeners made her name go viral.

Singer Robin S., whose song was sampled by Beyoncé, raises her hands while holding a microphone on stage.
Robin S. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)

Beyoncé’s song ‘Break My Soul’ samples Robin S.’s song ‘Show Me Love’

Robin S. first released “Show Me Love” in 1990. The song was instrumental in making house music mainstream. In the years that followed, several hit songs featured female vocalists singing over dancefloor-ready beats, including “Gypsy Woman” and “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters and “Free” by Ultra Naté.

By reworking “Show Me Love” for “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé paid homage to a house music trailblazer.

Robin found out about the sample when everyone else did

Robin S. told Good Morning Britain the story of when she found out Beyoncé sampled “Show Me Love” — and showed Robin love in the process.

“My son called me and he’s like, ‘Mom! Mom! You’re trending all over the place! Beyoncé put her song out and it’s ‘Show Me Love’ and you’re trending everywhere!” she recounted.

The singer went on to share her gratitude with Beyoncé and her collaborators. “This message goes out to the Queen Bey herself, Beyoncé, to Jay-Z, to the entire team,” she said. “Thank you so much for giving me my flowers while I’m still alive. I am honored, and I’m excited to see what else can happen.”

She revealed to Australia’s ABC that she had no idea that Beyoncé had even worked “Show Me Love” into her own song. “I’m a person of transparency: I did not know about this single,” she said honestly. “I knew nothing about it. Nothing.”

“This morning when I woke up and my alarm went off, so did my phone,” she continued. “It just kept going off. It kept pinging, pinging, pinging, pinging, pinging.”

Overall, the singer couldn’t be more thrilled with the Queen Bey herself shining a light on an often-forgotten musician. “I have a plethora of emotions going on right now,” she said. “Elated, proud, happy, shocked, excited. I just keep going up and down the scale here.”

“I don’t know whether to cry because I’m so happy, or to laugh because this is so exciting, or do both at the same time,” she added. “I’m just moved. Because most times people give you your accolades after you’ve transitioned from this world. So, to be able to enjoy my flowers while I’m alive, I’m giddy. It feels good!”

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Robin is proud of Beyoncé

Robin S. admires Beyoncé’s artistry, and even teased that she and the Queen Bey could work together. “Maybe we can do a collab together,” she said. “That’s always a dream.”

Robin shared with ABC that as a longtime fan of Beyoncé, she couldn’t be happier with how she’s evolved up until this point in her career.

“I’m very proud of her,” she said. “I’ve always been proud of her. Because she’s put out stuff that puts women in a position to understand who they are and the power that they have in this world. Because we were made to feel, in the industry, that we were subservient. The industry was always a man’s world and certain women had to give in or sell their souls in order to make it. She’s changed the game.”

“Her delivery is always on point with her songs,” she pointed out. “You feel what she’s feeling when she’s singing it. That right there is what it’s all about. If I feel what you feel when you are singing this, it’s a groovy thing, it’s a great situation, it’s a wonderful marriage.”

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