Raphael Saadiq discusses his work on Renaissance and Cowboy Carter
Raphael Saadiq discusses his work on Beyoncé‘s Renaissance and Cowboy Carter in the new episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast:
The Cowboy Carter single “Texas Hold ‘Em” actually dates back to the Renaissance sessions.
“When any artist is working on a record,” says Saadiq, “you’d have an idea about what you want to work on, but sometimes you don’t know what sort of album you’re going to go with.”
Another Cowboy Carter standout, “Bodyguard,” started as a potential Saadiq solo track.
“That little bass line, it feels like Fleetwood Mac,” says Saadiq. “Because I love those eras of music.” Beyoncé first heard the track when Saadiq was playing her some songs from his Dropbox. “‘Bodyguard’ came up for a second — like the intro — and I went to the next one, and she was like ‘Go back, go back!’ And then what she added vocally was bars up from what I did. She sounded like Reba McEntire, felt like Aretha. She took what I did and completed it.”
The Cowboy Carter single “Texas Hold ‘Em” actually dates back to the Renaissance sessions.
“When any artist is working on a record,” says Saadiq, “you’d have an idea about what you want to work on, but sometimes you don’t know what sort of album you’re going to go with.”
Another Cowboy Carter standout, “Bodyguard,” started as a potential Saadiq solo track.
“That little bass line, it feels like Fleetwood Mac,” says Saadiq. “Because I love those eras of music.” Beyoncé first heard the track when Saadiq was playing her some songs from his Dropbox. “‘Bodyguard’ came up for a second — like the intro — and I went to the next one, and she was like ‘Go back, go back!’ And then what she added vocally was bars up from what I did. She sounded like Reba McEntire, felt like Aretha. She took what I did and completed it.”
