An artist liking a cover of their song doesn’t happen all the time, but Frankie Beverly had positive things to say about his cut “Before I Let Go” sung by Beyoncé.
The former Destiny’s Child member covered the classic 1981 tune in her Netflix documentary “Homecoming,” and it also appears on the 40-track live album of the same name.
The doc, which has been a complete hit, covered Bey’s groundbreaking performance at Coachella last year — she was the first Black woman to headline the event — and, as the singer usually does, she pulled out all of the creative stops.
She also used an HBCU theme for the performance, played with a funky marching band, and brought out body-twisting dancers that wowed the crowd.
Of course, “Before I Let Go” has been a mainstay at HBCU parties, family gatherings, barbecues, weddings and other places, where folks usually sing and groove at the same time.
Beverly talked about the remake during an interview with Billboard, and he said that although Beyoncé is his friend, he wasn’t 100 percent sure she was going to cover the song.
“She’s a great friend of mine, but I didn’t know she was going to do this,” he said. “I was hearing stuff, but I didn’t even want to approach her about it. She kept it quiet, until her people called me one day maybe a week or two ago. When they played it, that’s when I heard the first draft of it, and I was blown away.”
The Frankie Beverly & Maze lead singer also said Beyoncé remaking the cut is huge for him, and he had kind things to say about her artistry as well as the kind of person she is.
“It’s a blessing. It’s amazing how she works, she’s very smart. I’m caught off guard, but in a beautiful way,” he stated. “She’s such a sweet person too. She’s a very sweet, religious kind of person. Then the way she just released it, it’s off the chain. She’s done so much, this is one of the high points of my life.”
“Before I Let Go” climbed to the 13th spot on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts in 1981, and as far as Beyoncé’s “Homecoming: The Live Album” it’s now No. 4 on that very same chart.
