Runnin' (Lose It All)
by Naughty Boy (featuring Beyoncé)

Album: single release only (2015)
Charted: 4 90
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Produced by Naughty Boy, this yearning, piano-led power ballad features Beyoncé's pained vocals about romantic reconciliation. It is the first feature from Queen Bey since she teamed up with her former Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for "Say Yes," a track on the latter's 2014 album, Journey To Freedom.
  • British newcomer Arrow Benjamin follows Beyoncé on the second verse soulfully crooning about searching for a love that is hard to find. Bey then joins him on the bridge and climactic final chorus.
  • The accompanying music was directed by Charlie Robins and features world champion freediver Guillaume Nery and fellow diver Alice Modolo, portraying two aquatic-crossed lovers running, twirling and dancing underwater on the ocean floor toward each other. We then see them connect with a passionate embrace.

    The clip was inspired by the acclaimed short film Ocean Gravity by Nery and freediver/film-maker Julie Gaultier. Robins reached out to the pair immediately upon hearing this song. "I absolutely knew I wanted to work with them," recalled the director. "As soon as I received the track from Naughty boy I contacted them to see if they wanted to collaborate on a music video with me."

    Robins, Nery and Gaultier traveled back to Rangoria in the South Pacific where Ocean Gravity was shot. "In order to achieve the effect we were after we had to film in the middle of a fast, deep and quite dangerous current through a lagoon, this gave us the forward momentum you see in the film," explained Robins. "They didn't use tanks for air so everything you see in the film was done holding their breath, sometimes up to 6 minutes at a time. I still can't quite believe how they do it. No CGI was used. Quite something."
  • Naughty Boy originally met Arrow Benjamin on the stairs to his studio, and they got together to work on this track. Having first encountered Beyoncé in Los Angeles in January 2015 around the time of the Grammys, he sent over an unfinished version to the Texan songstress' publisher. After the demo was played to her, Beyoncé rewrote some of the lyrics, recorded a vocal in New York and sent it over to the English producer.
  • That Beyoncé' should collaborate with Naughty Boy is very appropriate: In 2004 she had a worldwide hit with "Naughty Girl."
  • The song was used as the background track in Chanel's 2017 Kristen Stewart-starring commercial for its fragrance, Gabrielle.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in Rock

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.

Vanessa Carlton

Vanessa CarltonSongwriter Interviews

The "A Thousand Miles" singer on what she thinks of her song being used in White Chicks and how she captured a song from a dream.

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

Billy Gould of Faith No More

Billy Gould of Faith No MoreSongwriter Interviews

Faith No More's bassist, Billy Gould, chats to us about his two new experimental projects, The Talking Book and House of Hayduk, and also shares some stories from the FNM days.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.