About last July, UK singer and songwriter Dean Mcintosh, who records as Arrow Benjamin, was in a Los Angeles studio with Beyoncé. One song from the sessions, UK producer Naughty Boy's Beyoncé- and Benjamin-featuring "Runnin' (Lose It All)," saw release this past September. But Benjamin and songwriting collaborator Carla Marie Williams, a veteran tunesmith who was formerly part of UK collective Xenomania, also presented Beyoncé with a sketch of what would become "Freedom," from her new album Lemonade. The song was fleshed out with songwriting and production from London mainstay Jonny Coffer, production from hip-hop heavyweight Just Blaze, and samples ranging from Puerto Rican band Kaleidoscope to Alan Lomax field recordings. Oh, and there's a guest verse from Kendrick Lamar.
Benjamin's writing and backing vocal also made it onto the record. Pitchfork talked with the idealistic songwriter about helping create perhaps the most universal—and political—song on an album more often discussed in terms of a highly personal relationship. "I write hymns," he says. "I write hymns. I believe hymns—no matter what your denomination is, or whatever it is that you're about, there will come some point in your life where you might just find yourself singing 'Amazing Grace.' I'm about writing things that unify humanity and not necessarily specific to any particular group. But if, as a human, you feel that it speaks to you, then we're just one in humanity."
Pitchfork: How did the collaboration come about?
Arrow Benjamin: We were actually together from "Runnin'." The team that was I working with, we were just constantly trying to create more and more music from our hearts, and we started working on "Freedom." It was still quite early stages. We played a little bit to her, and she loved it. She was like, "Let's finish this together." So we did that. It was just the most amazing experience.
What was the song like when you brought it to her?
Bones with a heartbeat that was pumping loud that said it needed a full body on it. And being an amazing artist like her, she was the perfect person to bring it to life, to bring it to the world, and also to make it just real.
Was there any certain inspiration that you were working on for that track? Any music that helped inspire it?
Basically, I just feel that obviously she was in the process of creating her project, which is an amazing project. With the bones that we had, she obviously had a vision for her project and it just tied in. So when we all got together to do it, her input in the whole process just streamlined it and made it fit like a glove for herself.
The album can be taken as such a personal statement. To me, that's the song where you realize the personal is political. You see that a lot more in the film, but even in the music, this is all a strong statement, too, even beyond, you know, celebrity gossip or whatever. What were you going for lyrically here? What statement does the song make, to you?
The statement is freedom for all. For me, it's not a gender-specific or a race-specific message. I believe in freedom for all. I think that she encapsulated it. Nobody knows anything about Beyoncé. She's an amazing artist, and she's a very private person. She expresses a freedom for many people but also for herself on this song.
How did the process go after you brought her the bones and the heartbeat of it?
We had an early idea for the song, but when it came to putting all the nuts and bolts and taking it to where it is now, we had the privilege of being in the studio with her. And that was obviously mind-blowing, being in the studio with Beyoncé. [laughs] I don't think there's many artists that can just hear the smallest note in the room and turn it into amazing music. I didn't feel like I was in the room with a megastar. She was so accessible, so encouraging, and I could just tell everything about her is that "I love music and I love that I'm blessed enough to be able to express myself in this way."
Did she play these samples to you, the Puerto Rican band and the Alan Lomax field recordings, or did Just Blaze bring that in? How did that all come together?
This piece that we're calling "Freedom" is a collaboration between more than one set of people. And in the beginning there was some music, basically some chords and stuff, that inspired the first stages of the song. And then the song, with all the different musicians that are on the current title, everybody added the missing piece in order to bring it to where it is now. I can't even tell you I knew which particular, whose samples—I never worry about things like that. I'm just like, "Is this the right emotion that's being captured?" I know about those things.
Is there other stuff that you've worked on with Beyoncé that is still in a vault somewhere?
There may be a vault, and if there is it would be dangerous of me to give you the code myself. What I can tell you is that "Runnin'" is a miracle, "Freedom" is a miracle, and I'm sure that many more miracles are in store.
Were you involved in the film, or planning for the tour at all?
Now this is where I start basically daydreaming. A yes would be a daydream, and the truth would be no. Maybe one day!
Did you get to work with Kendrick Lamar at all?
I didn't meet him personally. But the little birdy had mentioned while tweeting away that he might be on the record. So I had an awareness that it could possibly happen. It wasn't until the record came out in the splendid way that it did that I was just like, "Wow, it really happened." It's good to not be afraid to still have some surprises in life.
What exactly do we hear from you on the record?
There is some singing happening. I'm still scratching my head how I'm actually singing with a song on Beyoncé again. The first time I'm like, "This is still a dream." And then it happens again, and I'm like, "What do you call it when it goes past a dream? Is it like destiny?"
What else are you up to?
I'm currently completing my own album, which is titled W.A.R., which stands for "We All Rise." It's just dream timing. I'm completing my project, I'm working, and she was completing hers, and we're just blessed enough to be able to be doing similar things at a similar time. Well, I don't know if I was doing similar things. I don't know if I'll be putting out a one-hour-long masterpiece visually, but I'm going to try my best. [laughs]
Anything else?
If you could share anything to your listeners and readers: Don't give up.
