The difference between Beyonce other soul divas of the past is that they all sang original songs. Bey is the great remaker of old, forgotten songs.
There are 16 songs on the new album, “Renaissance,” which is released Thursday night. Most of the songs have 14 or 15 writers credited. Not one is written by Beyonce herself but her name is on them contractually to get the song publishing royalties.
Listed among the song titles on her new album, “Renaissance” is a track called “America Has a Problem.” That’s the name of a 1990 trap hit by Andrell Rogers aka Kilo Ali. His original record cited “Cocaine” as America’s problem. We don’t know yet what Beyonce will target as the problem– racism, violence, poverty, hunger, guns. She has a lot to choose from.
“America Has a Problem” would be the second single remade from the early 90s on Beyonce’s new album. The first one is the current single, “Break My Soul,” which was borrowed from a 1990 disco hit. And this follows a pattern since Beyonce went solo from Destiny’s Child years ago. Her first solo single was “Crazy In Love” which came from the Chi-Lites‘ “Are You My Woman?”
Beyonce’s legacy is going to be a lot of sampled records and nothing original. Very strange. All the song credits are below indicating lots of samples from artists like Donna Summer, James Brown, and Nile Rodgers. PS Rogers’s lawyer, representing him another case, says she can’t answer any questions about the licensing of the sample.
1. I’m That Girl
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Kelman Ducan, MIKE DEAN, Tommy Wright III & Andrea Yvette Summers
2. Cozy
Beyoncé, Nija Charles, Honey Redmond, Christopher Lawrence Penny, Luke Francis Matthew Solomon, MIKE DEAN, Dave Giles II, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant & Curtis Alan Jones
3. Alien Superstar
Beyoncé, Honey Redmond, Christopher Lawrence Penny, Luke Francis Matthew Solomon, MIKE DEAN, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, S. Carter, David Debrandon Brown, Dave Hamelin, Timothy Lee Mckenzie, Danielle Balbuena, Rami Yacoub, Lev
4. Cuff It
Beyoncé, Nile Rodgers, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Raphael Saadiq, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Morten Ristorp, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Mary Christine Brockert & Allen Henry McGrier
5. Energy
Beyoncé, Skrillex, Tyshane Thompson, BEAM, Almando Cresso, Jordan Douglas, Tizita Makuria, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Mary Christine Brockert, Allen Henry McGrier, Pharrell Williams, Chad
6. Break My Soul
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Christopher A. Stewart, S. Carter, Allen George, Fred McFarlane, Adam Pigott & Freddie Ross
7. Church Girl
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Ernest “No I.D.” Wilson, Elbernita Clark Terrell, Jimi Stephen Payton, Dion Lamont Norman, Derrick Robert Ordogne, James Brown, Orville Erwin Hall, Phillip Glen Price, Ralph MacDonald & William Salter
8. Plastic Off the Sofa
Beyoncé, Sabrina Claudio, Sydney Bennett & Nick Green
9. Virgo’s Groove
Beyoncé, Leven Kali, Solomon Fafenson Cole, Daniel Memmi, Dustin Bowie, Darius Dixson, Jocelyn Donald, Jesse Wilson, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews & Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney
10. Move
Beyoncé, Richard Isong, Ariowa Irosogie, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Temilade Openiyi & Ronald Banful
11. Heated
Beyoncé, Aubrey Drake Graham, Matthew Samuels, Jahaan Sweet, Rupert Thomas Jr., Sean Seaton, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney & Ricky Lawson
12. Thique
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Chauncey Hollis, Jr., Atia Boggs, Julian Martrel Mason, Jabbar Stevens & Cherdericka Nichols
13. All Up in Your Mind
Beyoncé, Jabbar Stevens, MIKE DEAN, Cherdericka Nichols, Michael Tucker, Alexander Guy Cook, Jameil Aossey & Larry Griffin, Jr.
14. America Has a Problem
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, MIKE DEAN, S. Carter, Andrell D Rogers & Tino Santron Mcintosh
15. Pure/Honey
Beyoncé, Michael Tucker, Raphael Saadiq, Darius Dixson, Michael Pollack, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Moi Renee, Eric Snead, Jerel Black, VEJAI MARCEL ALSTON, Michael D. Cox, Andrew Richard
16. Summer Renaissance
Beyoncé, Leven Kali, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, MIKE DEAN, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Atia Boggs, Lavar Coppin, Saliou Diagne, Ricky Lawson, Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder & Peter Bellotte
