Beyoncé began work on her forthcoming album, ‘Cowboy Carter’, prior to her previous, chart-topping LP, ‘Renaissance’, according to a producer who worked on the project.
Atia ‘Ink’ Boggs worked on 16 Carriages, one of the first singles to be released from the album, alongside the No. 1 hit Texas Hold ‘Em, and opened up about the process in a new interview.
“So a lot of people don’t know, we actually had this first,” she told the ‘Acknowledged’ YouTube series. “So imagine having this timeless, classic music first and having to wait, and then she came up with ‘Act I’.”
Explaining that she started working with Beyoncé in 2020 and that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic influenced the direction of their music, she continued: “So we came out of being isolated, back into the world from no parties to finally expressing ourselves.”
Boggs touched on how the new project, which explores Beyoncé’s “southern roots”, was put on hold in favour of her previous house effort, featuring the singles Break My Soul and Cuff It, adding it’s some of her favourite material that she’s worked on.
“Representation matters, that sound matters. This sound is Black music, this is what we started,” she said. “16 Carriages, that was one of my favourite songs I’ve ever made and produced in all of my life. Because it’s so personal. I love to see her in that personal light.”
When it was announced in 2022, ‘Renaissance’ was labelled as the first in a trilogy, with ‘Cowboy Carter’ the second part and fans convinced that a rock album is also on the way.
However, Boggs wouldn’t confirm or deny the rumours, saying: “See, y’all skipping… Shit, we got to get to ‘Act II’ first.”
A complete tracklist has yet to be confirmed, although Dolly Parton recently let slip that the former Destiny’s Child star has recorded one of her classic hits.
