Member Since: 5/27/2016
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Beyonce "Sandcastles" written by homeless man
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When Beyonce released her latest album, “Lemonade,” many saw the project – particularly a tender ballad about reconciliation and forgiveness entitled “Sandcastles” – as confirmation that tabloid speculation about her husband Jay Z’s infidelities was true.to the album (also titled “Lemonade”), “Sandcastles” featured Jay embracing his tearful wife and lying at her feet – the most intimate of displays for pop’s most intensely private couple.
“Sandcastles,” however, was originally about another man’s heartache.
Vincent Berry II promised himself it would be the final song he’d write about his ex-girlfriend. Little did he know at the time that such a painful chapter of his life would translate into the most successful moment of his career.
Berry was homeless when the song made its way to Beyonce last year, and uncertain how, or if, “Sandcastles” would be ever be used.
“When someone sings your song, it’s incredible,” said Berry. I said, ‘You know what, this is my last time writing a song about this girl,” he continued. “I’m putting it all in this.”
It was, after all, one of the album’s most emotional tracks. In her film released as a companion world sings your song, it’s really a defining moment for yourself that you know you’re supposed to be doing what you’re doing.”
The idea for the song came when Berry, 30, was working with poet-rapper-actor Malik Yusef. It was early last year when Yusef pitched an idea for a song called “We Built Sandcastles That Washed Away.”
So how did it reach Beyonce? Old fashioned word of mouth.
Berry got invited to another studio session where he was introduced to another songwriter, Midian Mathers. He played her the record. “When she heard it, she started crying,” he said.
As Beyonce worked on the project – she received “Sandcastles” in February 2015, Berry said -- the songwriter knew he wanted to keep ownership of the record instead of signing a publishing agreement, but that meant making great sacrifices.
“I wanted to own it and that’s a harder road. That meant being homeless and sleeping in cars and garages and studios and that’s what I was willing to do,” said Berry, who now lives in Woodland Hills. “I knew I couldn’t sign a publishing deal knowing what they are -- essentially a high-interest loan. Why would I take that kind of deal?”
On the final version of the record, which Berry heard ahead of the album’s April release, Beyonce wrote a more hopeful ending than the one Berry originally penned.
“And your heart is broken cause I walked away / Show me your scars and I won't walk away,” Beyonce sang. “And I know I promised that I couldn't stay, baby / [But] every promise don't work out that way.”
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http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...htmlstory.html
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queen is so generous
and it's one of my favorites
Sandcastles is my favourite from the album because of it's imperfections. I'm genuinely happy Beyonce used this man's song on her album