Forward
by Beyoncé (featuring James Blake)

Album: Lemonade (2016)
Charted: 63
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Having vented her anger over her husband Jay-Z's infidelity over the first half of Lemonade, Beyoncé now feels ready to move on. This short, hymn-like duet finds her singing along with James Blake. The British electro-soul singer also co-wrote and co-produced the song with the Texan songstress.
  • James Blake's self-titled debut album was released in the United Kingdom in 2011 to critical acclaim. Its follow-up, Overgrown, was even more successful, winning the Mercury Prize in 2013. Blake also co-wrote Lemonade's opening track "Pray You Catch Me."
  • James Blake told Pitchfork how the collaboration came about: "Beyoncé came to the studio, and I was sitting at the piano when I met her. She was just lovely. I came up with something to go with an idea she had; I just embellished her melody. I think the idea was to use some of her lyrics, but I didn't realize that - I misunderstood and did something entirely different from what she wanted. But it didn't matter, because she really liked it, and they ended up using [my version]."

    "Blue Ivy was there, too, which was nice. She was singing along to the song, which was a huge compliment, because kids just don't have any pretence whatsoever."
  • Speaking to BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac, James Blake discussed working with Beyoncé. "She's wonderful. As wonderful in person as I hoped that she'd be," he said. "I just sang the right thing, I don't know. I didn't know what was going to happen with it. It could have ended up falling into the ether, but somehow it didn't."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Amy Lee of Evanescence

Amy Lee of EvanescenceSongwriter Interviews

The Evanescence frontwoman on the songs that have shifted meaning and her foray into kids' music.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Gary Lewis

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

Jon Anderson of Yes

Jon Anderson of YesSongwriter Interviews

From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.

Edie Brickell

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."