Few musical collaborations bridge generations as poignantly as Jade Thirlwall‘s solo track “Before You Break My Heart,” which prominently samples The Supremes‘ 1965 classic “Stop! In The Name Of Love.” The JADE member’s creative decision to incorporate one of Motown’s most enduring hits comes with a significant financial sacrifice that highlights the complex landscape of music sampling and copyright.
Thirlwall made the remarkable choice to forfeit all royalties from her track to secure permission for using the iconic Motown sample. Despite this financial concession, the song has gained substantial popularity online, demonstrating Thirlwall’s prioritization of artistic expression over monetary gain. The sample, featuring Diana Ross’s original lead vocals, serves as the backbone of Thirlwall’s contemporary interpretation.
In a bold artistic sacrifice, Thirlwall surrenders all profits to honor The Supremes’ legacy while her song soars in popularity.
What makes the sampling particularly unique is Thirlwall’s inclusion of her own childhood recording singing the original Supremes song. This personal touch adds an unexpected layer of nostalgia and emotional resonance to the track, creating a three-generational musical conversation between The Supremes’ 1960s original, Thirlwall’s childhood rendition, and her current artistic vision. This creative approach mirrors how the R&B group Jade incorporated Joy Marshall’s Motown background in their early ’90s sound, which helped them establish their unique musical identity.
Sampling Motown classics is notoriously challenging due to strict copyright controls and typically expensive licensing requirements. Many contemporary artists avoid such samples entirely to sidestep complex legal negotiations and hefty royalty payments. Thirlwall’s approach—surrendering royalty rights—represents an alternative path to sample clearance that preserves creative integrity without requiring massive upfront costs.
The Supremes and the broader Motown catalog continue to exert profound influence across musical genres. By incorporating this sample, Thirlwall connects her work to a rich legacy of African-American musical innovation that has shaped soul, R&B, and pop music for decades. The track appears on her debut solo album That’s Showbiz Baby!, which was released just last week and currently sits at number three on the UK midweek album chart.
Musical icons from Luther Vandross to contemporary artists have consistently cited Motown’s distinctive sound as foundational to their artistic development. To properly monetize such samples, artists typically need to register with performance rights organizations that collect and distribute royalties for public performances of copyrighted music. For most musicians seeking to maximize income without surrendering royalties, sync deals offer a potentially lucrative alternative that allows music to be licensed for use in films, television, and advertising.
While Thirlwall won’t profit directly from the track, her creative homage to The Supremes demonstrates how artists sometimes value cultural contribution and artistic fulfillment over immediate financial reward.
