This is Business Beyoncé, hypercomposed Beyoncé—fashionable, elegant, in charge. She’s wearing the handiwork of no fewer than seven designers, among them Givenchy (the golden pin at her neck), Day Birger et Mikkelsen (her dainty gray-pink petal-collar blouse), Christian Louboutin (her pink five-inch studded heels), and Isabel Marant (her floral pants).
In the interview, we are reminded of how huge of an artist Beyonce really is with mentions of an upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance, an HBO documentary that she financed, directed, and produced, a $50 million dollar endorsement deal with Pepsi and an upcoming world tour to promote her album which is anticipated to hit shelves as early as April.
We also learn a few other interesting things about Beyonce
She has to remind herself that she deserves all that she’s accomplished
“I worked so hard during my childhood to meet this goal: By the time I was 30 years old, I could do what I want. I’ve reached that. I feel very fortunate to be in that position. But I’ve sacrificed a lot of things, and I’ve worked harder than probably anyone I know, at least in the music industry. So I just have to remind myself that I deserve it.”
She’s somewhat of a feminist
“You know, equality is a myth, and for some reason, everyone accepts the fact that women don’t make as much money as men do. I don’t understand that. Why do we have to take a backseat? I truly believe that women should be financially independent from their men. And let’s face it, money gives men the power to run the show. It gives men the power to define value. They define what’s sexy. And men define what’s feminine. It’s ridiculous.”
She approaches her live shows like an athlete
“One of the reasons I connect to the Super Bowl is that I approach my shows like an athlete. You know how they sit down and watch whoever they’re going to play and study themselves? That’s how I treat this. I watch my performances, and I wish I could just enjoy them, but I see the light that was late. I see, ‘Oh God, that hair did not work.’ Or ‘I should never do that again.’ I try to perfect myself. I want to grow, and I’m always eager for new information.”
She loves being on stage
“I love my job, but it’s more than that: I need it, because before I gave birth, it was the only time in my life, all throughout my life, that I was lost.”[ She means this in a good way: When her brain turns off, it is, frankly, a relief.] It’s like a blackout. When I’m onstage, I don’t know what the crap happens. I am gone.”
She’s protective over her sister
[Solange says] “I can’t tell you how many times in junior high school, how many boys and girls can say Beyoncé came and threatened to put some hands on them if they bothered me.”
She will never have to worry about being misquoted because she records and archives every interview
[Writer Amy Wallace writes]….Because the room in which you are sitting is rigged with a camera and microphone that is capturing not just her every utterance but yours as well. These are the ground rules: Before you get to see Beyoncé, you must first agree to live forever in her archive, too.
A Few Things She Says To Herself
Stop pretending that I have it all together. If I’m scared, be scared, allow it, release it, move on.
I think I need to go listen to ‘Make Love to Me’ and make love to my husband.
I now know that, yes, I am powerful. I’m more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand.
