Queen B has never been one to collaborate with too many artists. And the times she did, patterns emerged. We are going to break down 90% of Beyoncé’s collaborations that when summed up, they all scream: DO NOT COLLABORATE WITH YOUR OFFICIAL COMPETITORS. Read further to see what is considered a competitor and who you should actually seek to work with to benefit your brand image and credibility as a music artist in the long run.
3. The collaborating act should preferably be of the opposite sex.
It is rather obvious Queen B prefers men to women when it comes to collaborations. And that might actually be the smartest thing ever. Why? Because you two will be judged by different metrics. The voices are vastly different from one another, the appearance and performance expectations are decidedly different, the delivery styles are on opposite spectrums, and there’s no competition whatsoever between the two. Accordingly, you both get to shine equally without being pitted against each other. Collaborations that match this rule: Mi Gente ft. J Balvin, Hymn For The Weekend ft. Coldplay, all song with Jay Z, Baby Boy ft. Sean Paul, Ego ft. Kanye West, Party ft. J Cole, Mine ft. Drake, 6 Inch ft. The Weeknd, Love In This Club ft. Usher, Perfect ft. Ed Sheeran, Freedom ft. Kendrick Lamar, Shining ft. Dj Khaled, Walk On Water ft. Eminem, Gitana ft. Alejandro Fernandez.
2. The collaborating artist should be a master of another genre.
And when the collaborating artist is of the same sex, then she/he should be a major in another genre than yours. Take the Feeling Myself song for example. Nicki is a rap monster and Beyoncé an R&B-Pop singer. Their audiences don’t overlap. You can easily like both Nicki and Beyoncé without having to choose one over the other. That yet again grants both artists equal visibility and credibility without putting anyone at disadvantage. Other collaborations that match this rule: Mi Gente ft. J Balvin, Hymn For The Weekend ft. Coldplay, Ego ft. Kanye West, Party ft. J Cole, Mine ft. Drake, Telephone ft. Lady Gaga, Savage ft. Megan Thee Stallion, Beautiful Liar ft. Shakira, Freedom ft. Kendrick Lamar, Shining ft. Dj Khaled, Walk On Water ft. Eminem.
1. The collaborating musician should be from another generation.
Megan Thee Stallion was born in 1995 and Beyoncé in 1981. A whopping 14 years difference. Notice that Megan is also a master of another genre than Bey’s. So we got 2 patterns at the same time. The big age gap ensures that the two acts are not compared by the same standards. One is looked at as the youngest, hottest star in the making, and the other one is a living legend. This is Bey’s most recent collaboration and another similar one we were familiar with is Proud Mary ft. Tina Turner.
Besides these rules, Beyoncé also favors collaborating with other nationalities (Shakira, J Balvin, Shatta Wale, Alejandro Fernandez, Busiswa, Yemi Alade). In conclusion, it is unlikely you will ever hear Beyoncé collaborating with Ciara, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, or Jennifer Hudson. Take some notes from her book and work with acts that will boost your brand image instead of taking away from it.