Which Beyoncé song features a sample of “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin?

“Don’t Hurt Yourself” features a sample of Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks.”

The song appears on Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade and includes a guest vocal contribution from Jack White. Its production incorporates elements of rock, blues, and R&B, giving the track a more aggressive sound than many of Beyoncé’s earlier mainstream singles.

The Led Zeppelin connection comes through the use of “When the Levee Breaks,” originally recorded by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy in 1929 and famously reworked by Led Zeppelin for their 1971 album Led Zeppelin IV. The drum pattern from the Led Zeppelin recording is one of the most recognizable sounds in rock music.

“Don’t Hurt Yourself” uses that musical history to intensify Lemonade’s themes of anger, betrayal, and self-worth. The song also includes a spoken quotation from Malcolm X’s 1962 speech about Black women, adding another historical layer to its musical and lyrical construction.