Jon Batiste recently reflected on more than just what it meant to work on Beyoncé Cowboy Carterbut also how her country album breaks down genre barriers.
The five-time Grammy winner co-wrote and produced the album's opener, “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” and broke down the process by sharing a photo on his Instagram on Saturday (March 30) featuring him and legendary producer No ID (real name Ernest Dion Wilson) in the studio, as well as exchanging lyrics with Batiste writing the chorus, pre-chorus and part of the first verse.
“This is the moment we dismantle the genre machine. I was happy to produce and write for AMERIICAN REQUIEM, along with Beyoncé and Dion. When I'm inspired, words and chords pour out of me. What an honor then to see how beautifully Beyoncé made them her own and THEN further enhanced the lyrical statement by weaving it into the bulk of the work,” he wrote. “After the painful vocal prelude that happens to start Cowboy Carter, you can hear these words being read like a proclamation. “Do you hear me or are you afraid of me?” or better in our Louisiana vernacular “Looka dere, Looka dere.”
He continued, saying that he and Dion embarked on a “creative journey” asking questions about the “state of music” today. “We've had these conversations for years, but something about recent times has matured with the power of realization. When I picked up my guitar and notebook to write this song, I trusted God to free my creative mind, as I always do when inspiration flows.”
But Batiste shared another conversation he had with another legendary producer, Quincy Jones, that Jones even wrote as part of the foreword to Batiste's 2021 album We arewhich won album of the year at the 2022 Grammy Awards. “'It's up to you to categorize American music!'” Duke Ellington told him,” Batiste continued. “I really think that's the role of our generation, led by a few artists who are willing to take that leap.”
He also praised Cowboy Carter as a “brilliant album, a work of such unimaginable resonance and artistic firepower from a once-in-a-lifetime artist. So happy we finally got to work with each other right now,” Batiste wrote. “The production and writing for AMERIICAN REQUIEM was an example of great alignment – when many leading artists see a similar vision at the same time, that's when you know a major shift is happening. A new era, long overdue. Let's break free from genre and break down the barriers that marginalize who we are and the art we create. Grateful and impressed by my brother @dixson and the other collaborators who helped make this album opening statement possible.”
Check out Batiste's full Instagram post below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/country/jon-batiste-beyonce-ameriican-requiem-1235646371/
