Ryan Beatty, Virtuoso | Beaming with Pride

In the 57^th edition of Beaming with Pride (2026), we highlight “Virtuoso” performed by pop singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty. 

Are you ready to beam with P-R-I-D-E? Beaming with Pride highlights songs by LGBTQ musicians and allies, offering background, analysis, and discussion of the decadent bops served up. All genres are welcome, and both classics and new songs are recognized. So, without further ado, in the 57^th  edition of Beaming with Pride (2026), we highlight “Virtuoso” performed by Ryan Beatty.

Just for some context, a virtuoso is defined as one who excels in the technique of an art, especially a highly skilled musical performer, or a person who has exceptional skill, expertise, or talent at some endeavor.  There are other meanings, but that’s it in a nutshell.  The context? Pop singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty recorded a song titled “Virtuoso”. It is the third track from his fourth studio album, Sweet Fortune. “Virtuoso” was written by Beatty, Amy Allen, and Ethan Gruska. Beatty and Gruska produced it. There is plenty to sink one’s teeth into.

Where “Virtuoso” excels most is in its songwriting. There are intriguing, thought-provoking lyrics, which always seem to be the case with Ryan Beatty’s songs. Ryan, who possesses a lovely voice, puts it to good work here, over folksy, western-flavored production; various strummed guitars, banjo, and strings reign supreme. In the first verse, beyond his potential to end up out west, he sings, “And though I cannot hold you close, like a rose upon my chest / Hell, if I don’t see you anymore, doesn’t mean I love you less.” Word. In the second, there is clear innuendo, whether it’s “But I’ll pump a little gasoline if you get me there tonight,” or “‘Cause I always wear your borrowed things ‘til I end up wearing less.” Maybe the pumping gasoline is taken out of context, but don’t tell me Ryan didn’t know what he was doing there… Something interesting is that he only explicitly says the titular lyric once, excerpted earlier, in the third verse.  More notable, however, is the final line of the third verse, which is similar to the final line of the first: “Just because I’d die to leave you here doesn’t mean I love you less.”  The chorus is also a ‘kind of a big deal,’ as expected.

“Hey, tryna hold me down is like holdin’ on to rain

I’m not an empty gun, I’m the bullet flyin’ away

You gotta learn to leave to remember why you stay

Letting go of what you hold holds you just the same.”

Poetic and, again, quite thought-provoking. There is also a post-chorus, where “Time turns, it’s turning me on / I want you right back the moment I’m gone.” Ultimately, “Virtuoso” is pretty sweet.  Its countrified, alt-pop vibes fit Ryan perfectly. Also, melodically speaking, it’s tuneful which is always a win.  Strong vocals, songwriting, and production make this one unskippable!

---

Ryan Beatty » Sweet Fortune » Ryan Beatty / Warner Music UK Limited » 2026

Ryan Beatty, Virtuoso: Beaming with Pride No. 57 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner/ The Musical Hype; Ryan Beatty / Warner Music UK Limited; Cristyan Bohn, Ketut Subiyanto, Luis Morales Torres, SHVETS production, Uriel Mont from Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson, Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay]

---