Ryan Beatty: From

Ryan Beatty is known as an artist’s artist, from writing hooks for Brockhampton and Tyler, The Creator in the late 2010s to co-writing four songs for Beyoncé’s groundbreaking Cowboy Carter album. After picking up the Album of the Year Grammy for Cowboy Carter in 2025, Beatty, a Clovis, California, native, released his fourth solo studio album in June, Sweet Fortune , and is currently on the road promoting the LP with the “Arms Over Armor Tour.”

Beatty once again teamed up with producer Ethan Gruska, who worked on Beatty’s 2024 album, Calico, and collaborated with Clairo on Sweet Fortune, his most personal release yet. The indie pop LP, which incorporates Americana and jazz, is highlighted by vulnerable lyrics centered around a long-distance relationship, with lush production helping invite listeners into the love story.

Pollstar caught up with Beatty shortly before the Sept. 9 opener of the tour, which boasts stops at L.A.’s Greek Theatre and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The tour continues in the UK and Europe in late October and November.

The 30-year-old artist is repped by agents Max Braun, Marty Diamond, Eli Gelernter and James Whitting at THE·TEAM, who Beatty calls “the best of the best.”

Pollstar: You have this quote where you said, “With every record, I have to feel pulled to and by it. I can’t think about what I’ve done in the past or what people expect from me.” Do you generally find it easier to write songs for other people or yourself?

Ryan Beatty: I’ve learned that they’re two different muscles, really. … Obviously, when you’re writing for yourself, you’re probably connected to it in a more personal way because it’s coming directly from you. When you’re working for other people, you can kind of step away from what you would do for yourself for a bit, and that’s always really fun. They’re both really different, but I enjoy both.

How did you approach the songs in terms of expanding them with horn and string arrangements? I think because this was more of a love record, I wanted the music to feel lush in that way. So the storytelling is also really in the production. As you said, lots of strings, horns. It goes a little bigger than my previous record, and I intentionally wanted it to feel that way.

Any art that inspired the album – as far as music, film, etc.? Or was it more so focused on telling the story of your relationship? I’d say the record, a lot of it’s about distance, and sort of being able to see things for what they are, whether you’re far from it or really, really close to it. And so, being in my relationship, I think that it definitely shaped the record for sure. … Musically, I was listening to a lot of different stuff. I was listening to a lot of Lucinda Williams, Judee Sill, Bread, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder; I always listen to Joni Mitchell. I mean, the list goes on. I admire the artists that I look up to, and I definitely use them as North Stars for when I need to be grounded while making a project.

Do you have a favorite song on the album – either as far as writing it or performing live? I would say that my favorite changes all the time. I love “Fleur De Lis.” I’m really proud of it because I think it’s a beautiful way to end the record. Sonically, it’s so gorgeous, and that guitar solo at the end is one of my favorite parts of the whole album. But I’m proud of all of it. I’m really grateful that I accomplished it. …[The vibe is] similar to my last record, but I felt like it was just a bigger leap of faith in some ways, talking about certain things that in the past maybe I wouldn’t be as comfortable talking about. And so it took a lot of bravery, so I’m proud of that.

You have a lot to be proud of. You won the Album Of The Year Grammy for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter – what were your biggest takeaways from contributing to that project? Working on that was a lot of hard work. … I learned a lot about my own work ethic in some ways – showing up for something and not expecting anything of it, just having to work hard and let go of any expectations. … Ultimately I’m so proud of how it turned out; so grateful to be a part of it. It’s a big moment in my life that I’ll always look back on and be appreciative of.

You’ve also toured with Noah Kahan and Maggie Rogers – any lessons learned on the road? Opening is a different kind of beast. I think that opening for somebody takes a lot of bravery because, especially with those tours, they have such dedicated fans, and so you go out there not knowing if people in the crowd even know your music. For me, I definitely learned to just be a little more brave on stage. So I’m really grateful for those experiences. And I think that it definitely got me ready for my own tour, which I’m really excited for.

What’s the setup for your live show? I have a great band, beautiful lighting setup. … A bit of a bigger production on this tour, which I’m excited about. My band’s so amazing, and they really bring the music to life with me, so I think people will be really excited about that.

Any tour dates you’re especially excited about? I’m excited to play the Greek in L.A. I think that will be really fun. I’m excited to play the Ryman in Nashville, such an iconic venue. I’m excited to go over to Europe as well. It’s my first time doing a solo tour in Europe, and that will be really fun. Overall, I’m just excited to see how the show continues to develop while we’re on the road.

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/18/ryan-beatty-from-writing-hooks-helping-craft-beyonces-cowboy-carter-to-creating-his-own-sweet-fortune-artist-pov/)._