Meet Ryan Beatty, the out singer-songwriter who helped Beyoncé craft 4 songs on 'Cowboy Carter'
| 04/03/24
cornbreadsays
The Ryan-aissance is here!
While singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty has been creating music since 2011, a fresh wave of fans have been put on to the out, gay musician following the release of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter.
The 28-year-old has released three albums of his own since 2018, multiple EPs, and originally broke into the industry as a teenager.
Let's take a quick trip through Beatty's musical journey that led to working with the one and only Beyoncé!
What songs did he write on 'Cowboy Carter?'
Beatty has writing credits on not one, not two, but four tracks on Beyoncé's cultural phenomenon of an album, Cowboy Carter.
"writing these songs over the last four years has been one of the brightest highlights of my life on earth," Beatty wrote on Instagram the day of the release. "beyoncé, you are the greatest there is. thank you for letting me express myself on something so big and beautiful and important. it feels rare / unreal in the best way. thank you thank you thank you."
The songwriter has credits on "PROTECTOR," "BODYGUARD," "JUST FOR FUN," and "II HANDS II HEAVEN."
What music has he released recently?
Warner Music
When you listen to Beatty's most recent album, Calico, it becomes clear how prevalent his pen is all over Beyoncé's "PROTECTOR" in particular. The tender and reflective body of work is stripped back and raw, with many tracks seeing Beatty sing simply over guitar riffs and a drum. Out included the album in our Best Albums of 2023 list, calling it "a crisp breath of fresh air in a world in turmoil."
Calico is "not just a mantra about looking on the bright side of things, but Beatty actively carving something divine out of all the hardships life has thrown, whether that's disapproval of his identity, failed relationships, or just general nihilism."
Can he sing live?
Oh, absolutely. Beatty released a handful of live versions of tracks off of Calico, each one more breathtaking than the last.
How did he first emerge in the music industry?
Beatty first emerged on the music scene as a teenager in 2011 after uploading covers of pop songs to YouTube. In 2012, Ryan Seacrest debuted his first music video "Every Little Thing" which has since been deleted from streaming platforms. He was initially marketed as another Justin Bieber-esque singer.
After management and legal troubles led him to take a hiatus, he reemerged in 2016, came out as a "raging homosexual," and began working on his more mature work, songwriting, and producing.
In 2018, Beatty released Boy In Jeans and followed it up with Dreaming of David in 2020.
What was he doing before 'Calico'?
Beatty has worked on, written, and produced, many projects since 2017 and was a close affiliate of the music collective BROCKHAMPTON, though never officially a member. He donned a shirt that read "aphex twink" when the group performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2019.
Alongside his work with Beyoncé, Beatty worked on thirteen songs with BROCKHAMPTON and many more tracks with Kevin Abstract, Tyler, the Creator, Benny Blanco, Marcus Mumford, and Bleachers.
