Beyonce graces the latest cover of Billboard Magazine, which was unveiled just days after it was announced that she would be receiving Billboards’ first ever Millennium Award. Inside, she reveals that her new album will be titled, “4″.
We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me. It’s the day I was born. My mother’s birthday and a lot of my friends’ birthdays are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date
She also discusses her decision to release “Who Run The World (Girls)”, her publicized split with her father Mathew Knowles and her thoughts on “Power”. Check out some highlights below:
[Run The World (Girls)] is definitely riskier than something a bit more…simple. I just heard the track and loved that it was so different: it felt a bit African, a bit electronic and futuristic. It reminded me of what I love, which is mixing different cultures and eras — things that typically don’t go together — to create a new sound. I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am.
On the decision to part ways with Mathew Knowles
It’s not that anything bad happened between us. My family has my support always, and they support me, but when you’ve been working with the same people for 15 years, it’s natural to eventually have your own ideas. I believe that parents prepare their kids for the moment that they’re on their own: at this point, I’m taking everything my dad and my mother have taught me, and I’m able to do things my way. We were at a point where we’d learned so much from each other, and now it’s exciting for me to do this on my own and hire my own team. I’ve started managing myself.
Her thoughts on Power
Power means happiness, power means hard work and sacrifice. To me, it’s about setting a good example, and not abusing your power! You still have to have humility: I’ve seen how you can lead by example, and not by fear. My visit to Egypt was a really big inspiration for me. Once the sun went down, I saw not one woman; it was shocking and fascinating to me, because it was so extreme. I saw thousands of men walking down the street, socializing in bars, praying in mosques – and no women. I felt really proud when I performed and saw the strength that the women were getting through the music. I remember being in Japan when Destiny’s Child put out “Independent Women,” and women there were saying how proud they were to have their own jobs, their own independent thinking, their own goals. It made me feel so good, and I realized that one of my responsibilities was to inspire women in a deeper way
On Her Break
I’m approaching 30, and finally took a break in my life, which I’ve never had. I took more than a year off: I traveled around, spent time with my husband, woke up in my own bed, ate whatever I wanted, went to museums and Broadway plays, watched documentaries, and just had life experiences. I never get to go to concerts because I’m usually performing, so I saw so many shows – great bands, like Muse and Rage Against the Machine, that also inspired the album. There were a lot of artists I’d never been exposed to: I’m like a sponge and soak everything up, and I learned so much from watching these great performers. Having time to grow as a human being was really inspiring, and gave me a lot to pull from. I’m excited about growing: I can just have fun, and the artistic freedom to do whatever I want. At this point, I really know who I am, and don’t feel like I have to put myself in a box. I’m not afraid of taking risks – no one can define me.
Via:NecoleBitchie.com
