“Spotlights shimmer on the floor / And fall on the ingénue in powder blue.” There is something rather poetic about the opening words of Ryan Beatty’s Sweet Fortune, sung on the album’s first track, ‘Phantom.’ On October 17, inside Brooklyn Paramount, the singer-songwriter found himself beneath those very lights, surrounded by an audience that seemed to know every word he had ever written.

A dirty gin martini at a bar in Fort Greene seemed like a fitting prelude to a night with Ryan Beatty. Somewhere between catching up with friends and making our way to the show, I found myself reflecting on how his music has accompanied so many of us through the peculiar emotional terrain of growing up. Since Boy in Jeans and Dreaming of David, Beatty has had a particular gift for articulating feelings that often escape explanation. There is a tenderness in returning to those songs years later, hearing them sung by an artist who has been growing alongside his audience.

Since appearing in the pages of VMAN 40 for Fall/Winter 2018, Beatty has continued to distinguish himself as one of contemporary music’s most compelling songwriters. His critically acclaimed 2023 album Calico marked a significant turning point, showcasing his knack for putting a finger on emotions that are otherwise hard to pin down. That same lyrical finesse soon found its way into Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, to which he contributed four songs. For all the recognition his pen has earned him, Beatty’s own music retains an almost confessional intimacy.

On my way to meet friends, I passed the Paramount, where a line of concertgoers stretched down the block. There was something endearingly sweet about the gathering, a shared sensibility expressed in their clothes, their mannerisms, and the excitement of finding themselves among people who understood the same songs. Beatty’s writing has a way of making listeners feel personally acquainted with him, fostering a closeness between the artist and his audience. “I believe it’s important to keep certain things sacred, kept behind the curtain so that the listener can project their own heart onto it,” Beatty told VMAN when asked about explaining his writing.

Inside the Paramount, that understanding seemed almost palpable. Dressed in a black suit and tie, Beatty stood beneath a soft, sultry haze of light that seemed to mirror his own understated nature. Alongside his band, he allowed the music to do most of the talking. What struck me most was the stillness. Not an absence of excitement, but the rare sensation of a room giving someone its undivided attention. Hundreds of voices joined his, each carrying a different memory of what those words meant. “Sweet fortune was a leap from where I left off with Calico,” he explained. “I was excited for people to hear this chapter of my life, in all its lushness and vulnerability. It was nice to deliver something with a lighter heart and a smile on my face.”

Sweet Fortune finds Beatty singing from a place of love rather than longing for something lost. Where Calico explored the more complicated corners of love and memory, his latest record celebrates the vulnerability of loving someone in the present. For an album largely written in New York, bringing the songs back to their birthplace held a particular significance. Beatty even laughed at the thought of how the Brooklyn audience might receive ‘Dust,’ where he declares his love and hatred for New York in the same breath. 

By the time the crowd’s voices had grown hoarse from singing along, ‘Fleur de Lis’ brought the evening to a tender close. Beatty had already told me it was one of his favorite songs to perform, and hearing it live made that affection easy to understand. When I asked what a small sweet fortune in his own life looked like these days, his answer returned to the audience. “These shows have inspired me in ways I couldn’t have imagined,” he said. “I’m genuinely moved when I get to look out in the crowd every night and see people singing every word, connecting to the music deeply. It’s a real life dream.”

VMAN handed Beatty a Strap film camera to document the New York stop of his Sweet Fortune Tour. Alongside his personal photographs, an exclusive Q&A offers a closer look at life on the road and the experience of bringing Sweet Fortune to the stage.

Liam Watters: Sweet Fortune has been out for a few months now. What emotions went through your head when you first shared the album with your listeners?

Ryan Beatty: Sweet Fortune was a leap from where I left off with Calico. I was excited for people to hear this chapter of my life, in all its lushness and vulnerability. It was nice to deliver something with a lighter heart and a smile on my face.

LW: You put so much of yourself into your writing. Does it ever feel strange, then, to be asked to explain it out loud?

RB: Yes. It feels almost impossible sometimes, actually. Attempting to explain certain creative choices can feel counterintuitive to the process of experiencing it. I believe it’s important to keep certain things sacred, kept behind the curtain so that the listener can project their own heart onto it.

LW: A lot of this album was written here in New York. What’s it like bringing those songs back to the city for the show?

RB: It does feel special to bring the music back to its birthplace and sort of honor that. I do wonder about the crowd’s reaction to my song ‘Dust,’ where I sing, in the same breath, “I love New York, I hate New York,” and how they’re gonna take it. It’s making me laugh thinking about it now.

LW: Now that you’ve been playing these songs live for a while, has any song taken on a new life on stage?

RB: I’m extremely lucky to play these songs live with musicians who are the best at what they do. We’ve gotten to trust each other on that stage every night, where the whole show feels alive and breathing. It’s the only way I like doing it, always locked in but still open to the musical choices that appear in the moment. Each song has something special to it, but I always love the way we play ‘Fleur de Lis,’ which ends the show beautifully.

LW: What did writing from love ask of you that heartbreak never did?

RB: It takes a different kind of honesty when you’re singing about the person you love and breaking off a piece of what you share together to give to the world. I just wanted to protect it while celebrating it. And at the end of the day, all I can do is be honest in the music. There’s no other way. With heartbreak, you can get away with a lot because when something is out of your life, it lets us create stories in our heads of what we thought it was, what it could’ve been, etc.

LW: Sweet Fortune is such a great title. What’s a small sweet fortune in your life right now?

RB: These shows have inspired me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It’s healed certain feelings I’ve had in the past about performing live. I’m genuinely moved when I get to look out in the crowd every night and see people singing every word, connecting to the music deeply. It’s a real-life dream.

LW: What does after the show look like for you? How do you wind down once you’re offstage?

RB: It’s always different, but it can take a while to come down after a show. I usually just crack a beer and kill time before bus call. Sometimes I need alone time, and sometimes I have to socialize to get my energy out. Either way, it’s usually a good feeling.