{"id":2054912,"date":"2026-07-21T08:00:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T05:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2054912"},"modified":"2026-07-21T08:00:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T05:00:24","slug":"syd-on-beard-the-return-of-the-internet-and-refusing-to-fit-into-a-box-ive-never-tried-to-make-a-hit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2054912","title":{"rendered":"Syd on \u2018Beard\u2019, the return of The Internet and refusing to fit into a box: \u201cI\u2019ve never tried to make a hit\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Syd-Beard-Artwork-3k-PC_-Nabil.jpeg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2947849\" class=\"post-2947849 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Features<\/span><span>Music Interviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Syd on \u2018Beard\u2019, the return of The Internet and refusing to fit into a box: \u201cI\u2019ve never tried to make a hit\u201d<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>As she returns with her third solo album, the LA artist maps out her maturation from shy singer to Grammy Award-winning songwriter and R&amp;B auteur<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Niall Smith<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-21T09:00:24+01:00\">21st July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Syd-Beard-Artwork-3k-PC_-Nabil-696x442.jpeg\" alt=\"Syd\" title=\"Syd Beard Artwork 3k - PC_ Nabil\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Syd credit: Nabil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap\">I<\/strong>t\u2019s a balmy Monday afternoon in London when <em>NME<\/em> meets Syd in the lobby of Shoreditch\u2019s Aethos Hotel. Dressed in a charcoal co-ord and cool grey Air Jordan IVs, she\u2019s in a chirpy mood, laughing about how her longtime barber back home recently recommended she buy her own clippers while she\u2019s on her London retreat. The conversation soon drifts to her 2025 run supporting Billie Eilish on the Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour \u2013 shows she jokingly \u201cdidn\u2019t tell my fans about\u201d because tickets sold out lightning fast.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0Steve Lacy \u2013 \u2018Oh Yeah?\u2019 review: a radical assessment of himself and the zeitgeist<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The exchange serves as a reminder of the many hats Syd, now 34, has worn across a career spanning almost two decades \u2013 quietly popping up in some of modern music\u2019s most influential corners. Born Sydney Bennett, the Los Angeles native first emerged as part of the cult 2010s rap collective Odd Future (alongside the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean and Tyler, The Creator) before forming The Internet with beat maestro Matt Martians. Joined by Patrick Paige II, Chris Smith, Jameel Bruner and Tay Walker \u2013 with Steve Lacy later rounding out the line-up \u2013 the band evolved from an Odd Future offshoot into one of alternative R&amp;B\u2019s defining acts, culminating in 2015\u2019s Grammy-nominated breakthrough, \u2018Ego Death\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Few new-gen R&amp;B acts have cast a cultural net as wide as The Internet has. Heralded by critics and fans alike, the group\u2019s four LPs have Syd\u2019s silken voice firmly at the bedrock of their sound. Still, despite a career that\u2019s taken her from cult hero to Grammy winner, she likens her third solo album, \u2018Beard\u2019, to a coming-of-age romantic comedy.<\/p>\n<p>Gems like the poppy, plucky and romantic \u2018Jasmin 17\u2019 and the soft rock-tinged James Fauntleroy collaboration \u2018Any Time\u2019 capture an artist comfortable in her own skin \u2013 embracing experimentation and calculated risks without losing sight of her soulful centre. \u201cFor the most part, it\u2019s just feeling grown up,\u201d Syd tells <em>NME<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s this newfound confidence and contentment with where I\u2019m at and the skin that I\u2019m in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; width=&#8221;696&#8243; height=&#8221;392&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iJ86c_zAXZc?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&#8243; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&#8221; referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowfullscreen=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>That sense of artistic openness extends to the album\u2019s enclave of collaborators, with Syd inviting a wellspring of creatives into the fold across the 11-track LP, including the R&amp;B legend Raphael Saadiq as well as Big Sean, Jordan Ward and Cube \u2013 with Syd producing the bulk of the record herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe title is probably deeper than most people would guess,\u201d she explains. \u201cGrowing up as a girl, there are standards we\u2019re supposed to meet, and I\u2019ve always fallen short of those standards. At some point, I just stopped trying. When I was making the album, I started letting my facial hair grow. My wife liked it. I shaved it, and she was like, \u2018Ew, put it back.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>When we last caught up with Syd in spring 2022, it was for a session at the \u2018Broken Hearts Club\u2019 \u2013 a soulful love letter underscored by balladry and besotted thoughts. It was the kind of album you keep stashed in a boombox ready to blast outside of your crush\u2019s window. Behind the scenes, Syd\u2019s real-life romance officially became bound by diamond rings and eternal vows \u2013 mirroring the album\u2019s smitten worldbuilding.<\/p>\n<p>Syd announced her longtime partner at a Boston gig in June 2022, but another lifelong milestone proved far more elusive. Buying a house, she says, took \u201can extra 10 years\u201d longer than she expected. \u201cMy mom bought her first house when she was 23. I expected to be able to do the same,\u201d she says. \u201cUntil I did it, I felt like I was failing at those dreams. Back in the day, a crazy album placement with a superstar could set you up for life, but it\u2019s not like that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cGrowing up as a girl, there are standards we\u2019re supposed to meet, and I\u2019ve always fallen short of those\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Naturally, the rollercoaster nature of Syd\u2019s life funnelled its way into \u2018Beard\u2019, giving the record a newfound sense of confidence and pathos. Away from her own catalogue, she has quietly become one of contemporary R&amp;B\u2019s most trusted collaborators, lending her pen, guest vocals and production chops to acts like Giveon, Disclosure, Kilo Kish and Zayn. Despite Syd\u2019s sonic side quests and natural ability to provide a voice for others, lead single \u2018Callin\u2019 saw her offload the narrative work to the Grammy-award-winning production duo Nova Wav, who\u2019ve previously worked with Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Jay-Z.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen their name came up, I was like, \u2018Hell yeah. I\u2019d love to work with them,\u2019\u201d Syd states. \u201cThey\u2019re awesome. We connected after both being part of [Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s] \u2018Renaissance\u2019 a few years back.\u201d The pair first crossed paths during a three-day writing camp organised by Syd\u2019s new label, where \u2018Callin\u2019 emerged as the very first song they made together \u2013 and, as it turned out, the only one from the camp to survive the album. \u201cInitially, I didn\u2019t even send it to the label,\u201d she admits. Blu June, one half of Nova Wav, handles the track\u2019s bubblegum R&amp;B hook because, to Syd, doing it herself initially \u201cfelt like a parody of myself\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>\u2018Callin\u2019 relishes in starry-eyed brunch dates and yearns for one\u2019s significant other. Elsewhere, \u2018Beard\u2019 standout \u2018My Love\u2019 might sound similar at first glance, but in reality, Syd says, it\u2019s \u201con some R&amp;B gangsta shit\u201d. She jokingly recounts the song\u2019s origins, which spawned from a real-life sour scenario.<\/p>\n<p>Recorded during a two-week stint at Raphael Saadiq\u2019s studio, the track came together almost entirely through improvisation after a colleague made an ill-advised pass at Syd\u2019s wife. The result was a tender love ballad with a slightly armoured edge \u2013 Syd\u2019s tender yet wry response to the situation \u2013 with mellow percussion and glossy synths to boot. \u201cThat whole beat was recorded in one take,\u201d she explains. \u201cI wrote the melody in one take as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958076\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958076\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958076\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Syd_GeneralPress_CreditNabil1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Syd\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2937\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958076\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Syd credit: Nabil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap\">H<\/strong>er musical co-pilots are cool, but Syd\u2019s diaristic detours make for some of the most compelling material on \u2018Beard\u2019. The soul-struck, slow-rolling closer \u20182 Many Days\u2019 (a track originally cooked up in the sessions for her last album) is equal parts meditative and rightfully big-mouthed. She briefly revisits her early \u201cSyd tha Kyd\u201d days, reminding listeners she\u2019s \u201c<em>been on it since MySpace<\/em>\u201d, before barrelling into suffocating contemplation. \u201cEarly in my Odd Future days, and sort of recently too, I think I looked like I knew what I was doing, but I really didn\u2019t,\u201d she reflects before pivoting her headspace to brighter pastures. \u201cThe anxiety was crippling, but it got better over time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When pressed on the exact moment her mindset began to shift, Syd points to one career-defining moment: co-writing \u2018Plastic Off the Sofa\u2019 for Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s Grammy-winning \u2018Renaissance\u2019. \u201cTo this day, it\u2019s probably one of my biggest accomplishments,\u201d she says. \u201cHonestly, I didn\u2019t feel super secure before that. I guess I didn\u2019t feel validated because it had to come from within, not through external factors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That shift in perspective ultimately informed the sharp confidence of her latest album. \u201cI\u2019ve never tried to make a hit,\u201d she says. \u201cCareer-wise, the difference between this album and even the past two [albums] is that I really had one foot in and one foot out of being an artist \u2013 maybe not musically, but definitely career-wise. I feel like \u2018Beard\u2019 is me in complete control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, as Syd looks forward to her post-album celebrations, hitting the stage remains the priority \u2013 especially with a reunion of sorts on the horizon as she joins longtime friend Tyler, The Creator at London\u2019s All Points East Festival. \u201cWhat are the odds that we\u2019d all be somewhere else, separate, but still together and as a family more so than a collective now?\u201d she expresses.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe Internet is bigger than all of us; it\u2019s super special to me\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As we near the end of our conversation, Syd reflects on her journey from Odd Future\u2019s quietly understated DJ and crooner to a Grammy-winning solo artist, songwriter and producer in her own right. \u201cIn less than two years from now, it\u2019ll be like 20 years since Odd Future, and I kind of blew up,\u201d she says, equally startled by the clock\u2019s unruly wrath and grateful for all of her soaring accomplishments. Still, Syd\u2019s creative coasting hasn\u2019t been all bump-free. During The Internet\u2019s 2018 \u2018Hive Mind\u2019 era, she was still battling the performance anxiety that had followed her since the group\u2019s earliest days, with pre-show push-ups becoming part of her ritual to settle her nerves.<\/p>\n<p>But as one chapter closes, another appears to be opening: Syd offers a glimpse into the future of The Internet, revealing the beloved collective has quietly been back in the studio and is nearing completion on a new project. \u201cMe and Steve [Lacy] releasing our albums on the same day is very much intentional,\u201d she says, before turning her attention to the fans still waiting for signs of a reunion on the group\u2019s dormant Instagram page, where comments on a 2024 studio post have continued to pile up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could probably find my mom in those comments talking about, \u2018They\u2019re not lying. It\u2019s happening,\u2019\u201d she laughs, explaining how the group have spent the past year carving out time to record whenever Matt Martians is back in Los Angeles. \u201cWe\u2019ll spend a week, a week and a half in the studio just vibing. It\u2019s been almost five years of recording, but we\u2019re almost done now. The Internet is bigger than all of us; it\u2019s super special to me. The great thing about it is we all have flexibility and our own solo thing, and that\u2019s dope. It allows things like \u2018Beard\u2019 to be all that they can be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the time since The Internet were last active, Syd has grown a lot, and she quantifies her independent development by the numbers on the boards. \u201cOn \u2018Fin\u2019 [Syd\u2019s debut], I think I only produced three songs,\u201d she reasons. \u201cFor \u2018Broken Hearts Club\u2019, I did five. For this new one, it\u2019s 10. I\u2019m doubling up; it\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Syd\u2019s \u2018Beard\u2019 is out now via Warner Records.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>R&amp;B<\/li>\n<li>Syd<\/li>\n<li>The Internet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_content td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row tdc-element-style\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-block td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-custom-spot tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" 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class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap\">I<\/strong>t\u2019s a balmy Monday afternoon in London when <em>NME<\/em> meets Syd in the lobby of Shoreditch\u2019s Aethos Hotel. Dressed in a charcoal co-ord and cool grey Air Jordan IVs, she\u2019s in a chirpy mood, laughing about how her longtime barber back home recently recommended she buy her own clippers while she\u2019s on her London retreat. The conversation soon drifts to her 2025 run supporting Billie Eilish on the Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour \u2013 shows she jokingly \u201cdidn\u2019t tell my fans about\u201d because tickets sold out lightning fast.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0Steve Lacy \u2013 \u2018Oh Yeah?\u2019 review: a radical assessment of himself and the zeitgeist<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The exchange serves as a reminder of the many hats Syd, now 34, has worn across a career spanning almost two decades \u2013 quietly popping up in some of modern music\u2019s most influential corners. Born Sydney Bennett, the Los Angeles native first emerged as part of the cult 2010s rap collective Odd Future (alongside the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean and Tyler, The Creator) before forming The Internet with beat maestro Matt Martians. Joined by Patrick Paige II, Chris Smith, Jameel Bruner and Tay Walker \u2013 with Steve Lacy later rounding out the line-up \u2013 the band evolved from an Odd Future offshoot into one of alternative R&amp;B\u2019s defining acts, culminating in 2015\u2019s Grammy-nominated breakthrough, \u2018Ego Death\u2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Few new-gen R&amp;B acts have cast a cultural net as wide as The Internet has. Heralded by critics and fans alike, the group\u2019s four LPs have Syd\u2019s silken voice firmly at the bedrock of their sound. Still, despite a career that\u2019s taken her from cult hero to Grammy winner, she likens her third solo album, \u2018Beard\u2019, to a coming-of-age romantic comedy.<\/p>\n<p>Gems like the poppy, plucky and romantic \u2018Jasmin 17\u2019 and the soft rock-tinged James Fauntleroy collaboration \u2018Any Time\u2019 capture an artist comfortable in her own skin \u2013 embracing experimentation and calculated risks without losing sight of her soulful centre. \u201cFor the most part, it\u2019s just feeling grown up,\u201d Syd tells <em>NME<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s this newfound confidence and contentment with where I\u2019m at and the skin that I\u2019m in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; width=&#8221;696&#8243; height=&#8221;392&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iJ86c_zAXZc?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&#8243; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8243; allow=&#8221;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&#8221; referrerpolicy=&#8221;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&#8221; allowfullscreen=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>That sense of artistic openness extends to the album\u2019s enclave of collaborators, with Syd inviting a wellspring of creatives into the fold across the 11-track LP, including the R&amp;B legend Raphael Saadiq as well as Big Sean, Jordan Ward and Cube \u2013 with Syd producing the bulk of the record herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe title is probably deeper than most people would guess,\u201d she explains. \u201cGrowing up as a girl, there are standards we\u2019re supposed to meet, and I\u2019ve always fallen short of those standards. At some point, I just stopped trying. When I was making the album, I started letting my facial hair grow. My wife liked it. I shaved it, and she was like, \u2018Ew, put it back.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>When we last caught up with Syd in spring 2022, it was for a session at the \u2018Broken Hearts Club\u2019 \u2013 a soulful love letter underscored by balladry and besotted thoughts. It was the kind of album you keep stashed in a boombox ready to blast outside of your crush\u2019s window. Behind the scenes, Syd\u2019s real-life romance officially became bound by diamond rings and eternal vows \u2013 mirroring the album\u2019s smitten worldbuilding.<\/p>\n<p>Syd announced her longtime partner at a Boston gig in June 2022, but another lifelong milestone proved far more elusive. Buying a house, she says, took \u201can extra 10 years\u201d longer than she expected. \u201cMy mom bought her first house when she was 23. I expected to be able to do the same,\u201d she says. \u201cUntil I did it, I felt like I was failing at those dreams. Back in the day, a crazy album placement with a superstar could set you up for life, but it\u2019s not like that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cGrowing up as a girl, there are standards we\u2019re supposed to meet, and I\u2019ve always fallen short of those\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Naturally, the rollercoaster nature of Syd\u2019s life funnelled its way into \u2018Beard\u2019, giving the record a newfound sense of confidence and pathos. Away from her own catalogue, she has quietly become one of contemporary R&amp;B\u2019s most trusted collaborators, lending her pen, guest vocals and production chops to acts like Giveon, Disclosure, Kilo Kish and Zayn. Despite Syd\u2019s sonic side quests and natural ability to provide a voice for others, lead single \u2018Callin\u2019 saw her offload the narrative work to the Grammy-award-winning production duo Nova Wav, who\u2019ve previously worked with Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Jay-Z.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen their name came up, I was like, \u2018Hell yeah. I\u2019d love to work with them,\u2019\u201d Syd states. \u201cThey\u2019re awesome. We connected after both being part of [Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s] \u2018Renaissance\u2019 a few years back.\u201d The pair first crossed paths during a three-day writing camp organised by Syd\u2019s new label, where \u2018Callin\u2019 emerged as the very first song they made together \u2013 and, as it turned out, the only one from the camp to survive the album. \u201cInitially, I didn\u2019t even send it to the label,\u201d she admits. Blu June, one half of Nova Wav, handles the track\u2019s bubblegum R&amp;B hook because, to Syd, doing it herself initially \u201cfelt like a parody of myself\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>\u2018Callin\u2019 relishes in starry-eyed brunch dates and yearns for one\u2019s significant other. Elsewhere, \u2018Beard\u2019 standout \u2018My Love\u2019 might sound similar at first glance, but in reality, Syd says, it\u2019s \u201con some R&amp;B gangsta shit\u201d. She jokingly recounts the song\u2019s origins, which spawned from a real-life sour scenario.<\/p>\n<p>Recorded during a two-week stint at Raphael Saadiq\u2019s studio, the track came together almost entirely through improvisation after a colleague made an ill-advised pass at Syd\u2019s wife. The result was a tender love ballad with a slightly armoured edge \u2013 Syd\u2019s tender yet wry response to the situation \u2013 with mellow percussion and glossy synths to boot. \u201cThat whole beat was recorded in one take,\u201d she explains. \u201cI wrote the melody in one take as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3958076\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3958076\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3958076\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Syd_GeneralPress_CreditNabil1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Syd\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2937\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3958076\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Syd credit: Nabil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap\">H<\/strong>er musical co-pilots are cool, but Syd\u2019s diaristic detours make for some of the most compelling material on \u2018Beard\u2019. The soul-struck, slow-rolling closer \u20182 Many Days\u2019 (a track originally cooked up in the sessions for her last album) is equal parts meditative and rightfully big-mouthed. She briefly revisits her early \u201cSyd tha Kyd\u201d days, reminding listeners she\u2019s \u201c<em>been on it since MySpace<\/em>\u201d, before barrelling into suffocating contemplation. \u201cEarly in my Odd Future days, and sort of recently too, I think I looked like I knew what I was doing, but I really didn\u2019t,\u201d she reflects before pivoting her headspace to brighter pastures. \u201cThe anxiety was crippling, but it got better over time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When pressed on the exact moment her mindset began to shift, Syd points to one career-defining moment: co-writing \u2018Plastic Off the Sofa\u2019 for Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s Grammy-winning \u2018Renaissance\u2019. \u201cTo this day, it\u2019s probably one of my biggest accomplishments,\u201d she says. \u201cHonestly, I didn\u2019t feel super secure before that. I guess I didn\u2019t feel validated because it had to come from within, not through external factors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That shift in perspective ultimately informed the sharp confidence of her latest album. \u201cI\u2019ve never tried to make a hit,\u201d she says. \u201cCareer-wise, the difference between this album and even the past two [albums] is that I really had one foot in and one foot out of being an artist \u2013 maybe not musically, but definitely career-wise. I feel like \u2018Beard\u2019 is me in complete control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, as Syd looks forward to her post-album celebrations, hitting the stage remains the priority \u2013 especially with a reunion of sorts on the horizon as she joins longtime friend Tyler, The Creator at London\u2019s All Points East Festival. \u201cWhat are the odds that we\u2019d all be somewhere else, separate, but still together and as a family more so than a collective now?\u201d she expresses.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe Internet is bigger than all of us; it\u2019s super special to me\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As we near the end of our conversation, Syd reflects on her journey from Odd Future\u2019s quietly understated DJ and crooner to a Grammy-winning solo artist, songwriter and producer in her own right. \u201cIn less than two years from now, it\u2019ll be like 20 years since Odd Future, and I kind of blew up,\u201d she says, equally startled by the clock\u2019s unruly wrath and grateful for all of her soaring accomplishments. Still, Syd\u2019s creative coasting hasn\u2019t been all bump-free. During The Internet\u2019s 2018 \u2018Hive Mind\u2019 era, she was still battling the performance anxiety that had followed her since the group\u2019s earliest days, with pre-show push-ups becoming part of her ritual to settle her nerves.<\/p>\n<p>But as one chapter closes, another appears to be opening: Syd offers a glimpse into the future of The Internet, revealing the beloved collective has quietly been back in the studio and is nearing completion on a new project. \u201cMe and Steve [Lacy] releasing our albums on the same day is very much intentional,\u201d she says, before turning her attention to the fans still waiting for signs of a reunion on the group\u2019s dormant Instagram page, where comments on a 2024 studio post have continued to pile up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could probably find my mom in those comments talking about, \u2018They\u2019re not lying. It\u2019s happening,\u2019\u201d she laughs, explaining how the group have spent the past year carving out time to record whenever Matt Martians is back in Los Angeles. \u201cWe\u2019ll spend a week, a week and a half in the studio just vibing. It\u2019s been almost five years of recording, but we\u2019re almost done now. The Internet is bigger than all of us; it\u2019s super special to me. The great thing about it is we all have flexibility and our own solo thing, and that\u2019s dope. It allows things like \u2018Beard\u2019 to be all that they can be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the time since The Internet were last active, Syd has grown a lot, and she quantifies her independent development by the numbers on the boards. \u201cOn \u2018Fin\u2019 [Syd\u2019s debut], I think I only produced three songs,\u201d she reasons. \u201cFor \u2018Broken Hearts Club\u2019, I did five. For this new one, it\u2019s 10. I\u2019m doubling up; it\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Syd\u2019s \u2018Beard\u2019 is out now via Warner Records.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/features\/music-interviews\/syd-beard-the-internet-beyonce-interview-3958073&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Syd-Beard-Artwork-3k-PC_-Nabil.jpeg&#8221;] FeaturesMusic Interviews Syd on \u2018Beard\u2019, the return of The Internet and refusing to fit into a box: \u201cI\u2019ve never tried to make a hit\u201d As she returns with her third solo album, the LA artist maps out her maturation from shy singer to Grammy Award-winning songwriter and R&amp;B auteur By Niall Smith [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2054912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2054912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054912\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2054912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2054912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2054912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}