The xx Would Love to Write a Song for Beyonce

Jamie Smith of the xx has been busy in the studio with Alicia Keys, and if bassist Oliver Sim gets his wish, the band will continue working with R&B acts -- in fact, he has one particular artist in mind.

Of course, there's a long list of songwriters that would love to have Beyonce recording their music. But for Sim, it isn't just a pipe dream; in fact, as he recounted during a recent interview, the band had the pleasure of spending the weekend with her -- and her husband, Jay-Z -- during the Hackney Weekend festival in June.

"We all went for dinner," explained Sim. "There may have been a husband of hers there. I always had a lot of things I wanted to say to her and I completely choked. Beyoncé is very special. I think the super-pop thing that supposedly died with Michael Jackson is still there, with her. I saw her at Glastonbury and I may have shed a tear."

Added Sim, "Writing a song for her, that's the dream. The full Sasha Fierce. But I've no other ambition. I'm in my favourite band right now."

A lofty goal, to be sure -- but in the immediate future, Sim looks likely to be preoccupied with the xx's new album, 'Coexist,' scheduled for release on Sept. 5.