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Guitar World
Guitar World
Entertainment
Janelle Borg

“As soon as I heard the demo, I knew it would be crucial to add rock elements”: Justus West reveals how he sneaked Tosin Abasi and Plini onto the new Beyoncé album (sort of)

Beyoncé Tosin Abasi Plini Vince Gill Guitar World
Left - Beyoncé accepts the Innovator Award onstage during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on April 01, 2024; Right - Justus West performs during Future X Sounds Concert at John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on August 31, 2019 in Hollywood, California.

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter has been lauded for its modern take on country and Americana. Still, it might come as a surprise that guitarist Justus West, who played on single 16 Carriages, brought some progressive gear choices into the studio.

“As soon as I heard the demo version of the song, I knew it would be crucial to add rock elements on the chorus to really emphasize the scale of the song,” he tells Guitar World.

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