Global superstar Beyoncé channels Marilyn Monroe for the newest issue of Out magazine’s Power issue. Having just wrapped up her worldwide, the mult-talented wife and mother gets candid on sexuality, her music and more. Check out the excerpts below.
On her self-titled album:
“When I recorded XO, I was sick with a bad sinus infection. I recorded it in a few minutes just as a demo and decided to keep the vocals. I lived with most of my songs for a year and never recorded the vocal demos. I really loved the imperfections, so I kept the original demos. I spent the time I usually spend on backgrounds and vocal production on getting the music perfect. There were days I spent solely on getting the production perfect mix of sounds for the snare alone. Discipline, patience, control, truth, risk, and effortlessness were all things I thought about while putting this album together.”
On women and their sexuality:
“There is unbelievable power in ownership and women should own their sexuality. There is a double standard when it comes to sexuality that still persist. Men are free and women are not. That is crazy. The old lessons of submissiveness and fragility made us victims. Women are so much more than that.”
On her fans identifying with her music:
“While I’m definitely conscious of all the different types of people that listen to my music, I really set out to make the most personal, honest and best album I could. I needed to free myself from the pressures and expectations of what I thought I should say or be, and just speak from the heart. Being that I am a woman in a male-dominated society, the feminist mentality rang true to me and became a way to personalize that struggle…But what I’m really referring to is human rights and equality, not just that between a woman and man. So I’m very happy if my words inspire or empower someone who considers themselves and oppressed minority.”
On her worries as she neared the completion of the album and prepared for its release:
“I was recording, shooting videos, and performing on the tour every night, all at the same time. At some point I felt like, What am I doing? Is this too ambitious? Even the day the record was to be released I was scared to death. But I also knew if I was that scared, something big was about to happen.”
