Who runs the pop world? Beyoncé. After a year away to spread her wings, Queen Bey is back to reclaim her throne.

Conventional wisdom holds that people should be afraid of turning 30. It’s the dreaded age when the biological clock starts tickin’ with the menace of a time bomb. Thirty is the point at which someone can call a woman “old”—and she will actually believe it. Conventional wisdom says that turning 16, 18, and 21 kicks ass. Turning 30 kicks rocks.

Of course conventional wisdom isn’t all that wise. Thirty ain’t all that bad. (In truth, women tend to be the most well-rounded and sexiest during their 30s. #justsayin) Still, it has a way of focusing people. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles turns 30 in September. She’s acutely aware of time slipping into the future. Her ticking clock, however, has nothing to do with insecure thoughts of feeling old or washed up. Not by a long shot.

No, Beyoncé is in a race against time because of a simple, bluntly put question: Where the f*&k does she go from here? What does thirtysomething feel like if you’ve accomplished everything most people could ever dream of—wealth, fame, artistic accolades, love—in your teens and twenties?

It turns out that, for Beyoncé, the answer to that question is equally simple (and bluntly put). Where does she go? Wherever the f*&k she wants to. Bey has spent the last 15 years paying dues. Now a worldwide icon, she has set her heart and mind to establishing a legacy that she’s determined will be dictated by artistic freedom. She’s not afraid of turning 30. If anything, the world should be afraid of her turning 30.

In March 2010, Beyoncé came off the world tour for her album, I Am…Sasha Fierce, and did something she hadn’t really done as an adult: She lived a normal life. After years maintaining a grueling work schedule that included exhaustive touring, she took a much-needed vacay. For the next year, she did all sorts of—for her—novel things. She slept in her own bed for days at a time. She went to concerts and movies and museums with friends. She spent time picking through the iTunes of her younger sister, Solange (who has a side gig as a DJ and whom Bey credits as her unofficial A&R), playing with her nephew, and watching documentary footage of Jean-Michel Basquiat painting from scratch.

Of course the whole “vacay” concept is a little different for Beyoncé. (For one, she traveled, too. And suffice it to say that you and I aren’t invited to a lot of the places she visited.) What did you do on your vacation? Well, the hardest working woman in entertainment started a production company and learned how to edit movies. And, in studios across the world, she recorded more than 60 songs, 12 of which appear on her latest album, 4, which was officially released in June. You see, whereas a yearlong hiatus for one of us might involve an inordinate number of hours spent in our pajamas, for Beyoncé, even downtime is work time. “I traveled; I read; I watched films,” she says. “Inspiration is all around us every second of the day.”

The inspiration for 4 came from a variety of sources, with the end result being something that doesn’t sound exactly like any of them. Dissatisfied with the state of contemporary radio, she set about brewing a concoction entirely of her own design, based on influences you’d expect her to cite, as well as ones that might surprise. “Figuring out a way to get R&B back on the radio is challenging,” she explains. “Everything sounds the same on the radio. With 4 I tried to mix R&B from the ’70s and the ’90s with rock ‘n’ roll and a lot of horns to create something new and exciting. I wanted musical changes, bridges, vibrata, live instrumentation, and classic songwriting.”

She started the process by jamming with the band from Fela!, the Broadway musical based on the life of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and recorded tracks everywhere from New York to Australia to Peter Gabriel’s studio in the English countryside city of Bath. And—hewing again to the “no rules” mantra of the process—she worked with collaborators both old (The-Dream, Babyface) and new (Switch, Sleigh Bells). She even chopped it up with Odd Future. “Jay had a CD playing in the car one Sunday when we were driving to Brooklyn,” she recalls of hearing Frank Ocean for the first time. “I noticed his tone, his arrangements, and his storytelling. I immediately reached out to him—literally the next morning. I asked him to fly to New York and work on my record.”

Andre 3000 is also on board. He makes an appearance on the Kanye West-produced track “Party.” Although it wasn’t her first time working with ’Ye, Beyoncé was particularly keen to reconvene in the studio with the man who made the moody “Runaway,” a song that drove her to the edge of tears the first time she heard it in a van heading to one of Jay’s shows. ’Ye played it for Bey on his birthday.

“The fact that he’s belting out his pain, his confusion, and his anger, with no pre-written lyrics, was so moving,” she says. “He’s singing his heart out for five minutes. He is so vulnerable. I love when an artist can be so honest.”

Released in April, the lead single, “Run the World (Girls),” swagger-jacked the beat from Major Lazer’s “Pon de Floor,” but it’s Bey’s full-throated vocal styling and her trademark feminist stamp that made the insane and souped-up riddim her own.

“I’ve found that with hit records the melody and lyrics come together [naturally],” she explains. “I usually know from the hook if the song is something that transcends language, race, and genre, and if it’s something that affects pop culture. It’s something I can visualize people singing in stadiums all over the world. But my favorite songs on my albums are usually not my singles.”

The world premiere of the “Run” video was, as expected, an event, presenting a post-Rapture world of sandy destruction and kinetic dancing. Bey channeled a bit of Tina Turner in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome mixed with a dash of Grace Jones in Conan the Destroyer, symbolically demonstrating that her drive to take over the world is still in effect.

Before she takes over the world, though, Beyoncé is taking control of her career. In March, she announced that she would no longer be managed by her father, Mathew Knowles. Both sides took pains to describe the split as amicable, but it was nonetheless a giant step for an artist whose family has played such a vital role in her career. Still, it’s a natural progression, and it’s not as if she doesn’t have other family members to bounce ideas off these days.

“Jay’s music is more than music. His lyrics have fathered generations,” she says of her husband of three years. “All that he has overcome gives millions so much hope. There are moments when I see his lips moving and I can see lyrics floating above his head and I think, ‘Wow! How did I get so lucky to be able to witness this level of genius so closely?’”

Whenever I feel bad, I use that feeling to motivate me to work harder,” says a much wiser, more mature Beyoncé, who learned from some early ordeals, including a period of depression during the first breakup of her first group, Destiny’s Child. “I only allow myself one day to feel sorry for myself. People who complain really get on my nerves. When I’m not feeling my best I ask myself, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me.”

That same call for inner strength was loudly spelled out in Destiny’s Child’s string of smash hits. Songs like “Independent Woman Part 1,” “Survivor,” and the extra-jelly-is-A-OK anthem “Bootylicious” forever linked DC with the term “female empowerment.” As a solo artist, Beyoncé would continue belting out pro-female calls to arms like “Irreplaceable” and “Best Thing I Never Had,” the second single (co-written by Babyface) from 4. Lines like “You showed your ass and I, I saw the real you” and “Oh yeah, I bet it sucks to be you right now,” have become the sassy method by which Bey can connect with her female listeners (the fellas can't deny the tracks either).

Admittedly, there are times when the female unity is not so unified, like when Beyonce was photographed for the artwork of the “Best Thing” single. She wrote “King B” on a mirror with red lipstick, a nod to womanly control. The problem was that noted video director/tastemaker Vashtie Kola had previously appropriated the royal moniker for herself, and made a sly remark on Twitter about Bey’s use of it.

There have been other confrontational moments—or, at least, perceived conflict. A portion of the public has been convinced for a while now that there’s tension between Beyoncé and her ex-bandmate Kelly Rowland despite the two of them denying reports and appearing together in public as friends. The fact that both released singles on the same day back in ’08 was somehow interpreted to mean that Bey was trying to sabotage Kelly. (This year, the Internet went nuts when Rowland’s latest single, “Motivation,” toppled “Run the World” on iTunes, as if it was some sort of karma.) The gossip queens also insisted there would be a full-scale war between Beyoncé and Lady Gaga even though the two have collaborated twice in the past. The rumors, as it turned out, were just that—rumors.

Then, of course, there is Bey’s “rival” Rihanna. This “feud” at least makes sense to a degree, even if both women have insisted there is no rivalry. The Bajan superstar, who has had a shorter yet stellar career of her own, has repeatedly (and respectfully) stated in interviews that she has always looked up to Beyonce, rightfully so.

Bey, who continually makes Forbes lists and racks up Grammys (her six wins in one night at the 2010 ceremony is a record for a female artist), doesn’t fret too much over the drama—even if you can tell the question irks her, simply in the asking. “There is room on this earth for many queens,” she begins diplomatically, before drawing a few not-at-all subtle lines of distinction. “I have an authentic, God-given talent, drive, and longevity that will always separate me from everyone else. I’ve been fortunate to accomplish things that the younger generation of queens dream of accomplishing. I have no desire for anyone else’s throne. I am very comfortable in the throne I’ve been building for the past 15 years.”

The funny thing is, her effortless comfort in that throne is the thing that separates her from the competition—the Queen is a commoner at heart. She’s chummy with Oprah and sang the first dance for the new generation President and his wife, but she’ll stop and boogie at a block party while visiting her mother-in-law in West Orange, New Jersey (as captured on a YouTube clip last year).

Beyoncé’s not claiming perfection; she’d just like to be afforded the freedom that goes with being what she rightfully is: one of the most accomplished recording artists of the 21st century. She’d like to explain to you what that’s like, but ultimately, she’s the only one who really knows how it feels. “It’s important to have no boundaries in my music,” she muses. “The beautiful thing about art is that you can create a fantasy in your mind about what you think a song is about. Only the writer truly knows what or whom the song is about.”

Talent and drive. Style and design. The former may come naturally, but the latter are products of work, work, and more work: “I just want my legacy to be great music. Someone who was a risk taker and someone who had songs that struck conversation and emotion.” You can be afraid of 30 if you want, but that’s not what’s keeping Beyonce up at night.

http://www.complex.com/music/2011/07/beyonce-2011-cover-story-gallery?page=3

always in a baithing suit. the look is so tired

it's like she's never heard of the term "reinvention" She always looks the same,does the same dance moves,has the same blonde weave,etc.She's become so tired and predictable.

^^^^ I wouldn't even mind so much if the music was great, and she had a personality and really connected with her fans.

I just don't understand why she is so adimate about that blonde weave. It just washes out her skin, she looks better with brown hair.

[Edited 7/19/11 18:19pm]

I honestly don't know how Beyonce fans can tell one era from the next it's the same ol' thing everytime.

Does she know any other poses?

SoulAlive said:

I honestly don't know how Beyonce fans can tell one era from the next it's the same ol' thing everytime.

She's still in 2003 lol

Layzie said:

Does she know any other poses?

Yeah it seems like she always does that pose sticking her padded hips out....Um, is it me or is she ripping off a Lady Gaga picture that I've seen somewhere before....seems very Gaga-esque....

Beyonce is one of those women that is so gorgeous, she actually looks hotter the less stuff they do to her and the less makeup they put on her. I'd love to see her scale all that stuff back, something along the lines of how she used to look when Destiny's Child first came on the scene. The look she's been wearing in the last few years actually takes away from her beauty.

I love the fact that this is another really talented black female out here doing all these big things, working her ass off and having all this success, so in that sense I'm definitely rooting for her. I just can't be a fan or get into her music, though. I wanted to, and I've tried, but I just can't relate to her at all or her lyrical content or subject matter, despite being a black female myself. I actually feel like I have more in common with Fiona Apple and relate more to her work.

[Edited 7/19/11 20:17pm]

Timmy84 said:

SoulAlive said:

I honestly don't know how Beyonce fans can tell one era from the next it's the same ol' thing everytime.

She's still in 2003 lol

TotalAlisa said:

^^^^ I wouldn't even mind so much if the music was great, and she had a personality and really connected with her fans.

I just don't understand why she is so adimate about that blonde weave. It just washes out her skin, she looks better with brown hair.

[Edited 7/19/11 18:19pm]

To be honest, I wouldnt mine either because image really isnt that important to me but got damn she is so boring ( Her image as well as her music) and is it me or does Beyonce sound really conceited in this interview?

This chick really believe she is the Queen of music and that she is better than everyone else

I dont get how people can find anything humble about her

I just dont understand why she feels she has to exploit her body like that to sell.

... shes sooo overrated.

[Edited 7/21/11 7:14am]

Try as she might, she's unconvincing as a sex kitten. All that she can deliver are the usual stiff, unchanging poses. The new album is equally unengaging.

Plastic.........

HAPPYPERSON said:

“Jay’s music is more than music. His lyrics have fathered generations,” she says of her husband of three years. “All that he has overcome gives millions so much hope. There are moments when I see his lips moving and I can see lyrics floating above his head and I think, ‘Wow! How did I get so lucky to be able to witness this level of genius so closely?’”

2nd quote

“There is room on this earth for many queens,” she begins diplomatically, before drawing a few not-at-all subtle lines of distinction. “I have an authentic, God-given talent, drive, and longevity that will always separate me from everyone else. I’ve been fortunate to accomplish things that the younger generation of queens dream of accomplishing. I have no desire for anyone else’s throne. I am very comfortable in the throne I’ve been building for the past 15 years.”

SOMETHING IS REALLY WRONG THIS GIRL. We are now getting a chance to see who she really is. Now that Matthew isn't around keeping her in check. I always knew beyonce was this egotistical narcissist. Everytime she would say she was "humbled" or "greatful" i knew she was lying through her damn teeth. Beyonce thinks she and her husband are Gods. She doesn't care about her fans, all she wants them to do is feed her ego, worship her, put millions in her bank account. She is a Fame monster.

Beyonce does not have no authentic talent given from God. She is just as good as anyone with the same amount of Training would have. Her "talent" is a result of working with some of the best tutors/trainers. Nothing came natural to this girl, that is why she is so extra because she feels the need to prove this "talent" she has. Notice how she dances too hard and sings to harsh/loud.

Her music is not longevity, and really it doesn't matter what she accomplished or in other words, what awards were freely handed out to her, or even opportunities people allowed her. She still hasn't made an impact.

The part that i highlighted in red, this is making me suspect some kind of witch craft going on. I believe she literally means, she literally saw words floating above his head.

mjscarousal said:

TotalAlisa said:

^^^^ I wouldn't even mind so much if the music was great, and she had a personality and really connected with her fans.

I just don't understand why she is so adimate about that blonde weave. It just washes out her skin, she looks better with brown hair.

[Edited 7/19/11 18:19pm]

To be honest, I wouldnt mine either because image really isnt that important to me but got damn she is so boring ( Her image as well as her music) and is it me or does Beyonce sound really conceited in this interview?

This chick really believe she is the Queen of music and that she is better than everyone else

I dont get how people can find anything humble about her

I just dont understand why she feels she has to exploit her body like that to sell.

... shes sooo overrated.

[Edited 7/21/11 7:14am]

she needs to go sit all the f**king WAY DOWN.

this woman is the Queen of Ghetto Garbage Music. She doesn't work any harder than anyone else.

When she works 40 plus hours a week doing a 9-5, and has a family to take care of then, I will agree she is a hard worker.

People wish they could have her "hard" work, that she seems to brag about. I don't care how hard she think she works, her career means shit. She will only be remembered as a popular artist of the 2000s and early 2010s.

Though still in promotion for her 4th #1 album ‘4′, Beyonce also made headlines with last month’s announcement of her starring role in the Clint Eastwood-directed ‘A Star is Born’. Although production is not set to start until the end of the year, the burgeoning pop icon speaks regularly on the film, calling it the ‘biggest opportunity’ of her life.

In a recent Reuters report the singer sheds more light on the upcoming project. See what else Mrs. Knowles Carter had to say about this and more after the jump:

Via Reuters:

On ‘A Star is Born’:

“It’s when I became a fan of Barbra Streisand’s. And I then saw Judy Garland’s version of ‘A Star Is Born’ and I realized every 20 to 30 years a new star is born and a new talent represents that generation and era — so I didn’t think that I would ever get the opportunity to be the star,” she said.

“I met with Clint and I was so nervous and I know that it is the biggest opportunity of my life. I will work as hard as I can,” she said. “Because I can’t wait. And I am so happy that he trusts me and I am in good hands and I am so fortunate.”

On ‘4′:

“This album was a labor of love. It was not about singles,” she said. “I felt like the emotion and live instruments and just soul (were) missing out of the music industry, especially the popular music that’s out. I wanted to bring it back to the music I grew up listening to. It’s like a mixture of the ’90s and the ’70s and rock-n-roll.”

On balancing acting with music:

“Having to balance the two is really hard and really making sure that I’m still doing my job, which is to be the performer and the entertainer and not have to do everyone else’s job so that mine doesn’t suffer, that’s been a challenge,” she said.

On taking charge of her career:

“It just feels like no one else can tell me how I am supposed to perform, and I think it’s what separates the Michaels and the Madonnas from the artists that are great but are just not quite the Michaels and the Madonnas,” Beyonce said.

On herself in 30 years:

“I am sure at 60 I will not doing the Oh-Oh-Oh dance, that will not be cute,” she laughed, referring to the ‘Single Ladies’ dance. “I think my priority will be my children and hopefully my grandchildren by then — and my record label or production company or whatever else.”

Eastwood’s ‘A Star is Born’ will mark the film’s 4th remake, coincidentally tying in with other ‘4′ themed occurrences in the singer’s life. Read more of the extensive report here.

She'd be up shit creek if it weren't for the fans blowing her hair/weave all the time! Imagine how boring her look would be with her hair just laying flat!

armpit said:

Beyonce is one of those women that is so gorgeous, she actually looks hotter the less stuff they do to her and the less makeup they put on her. I'd love to see her scale all that stuff back, something along the lines of how she used to look when Destiny's Child first came on the scene. The look she's been wearing in the last few years actually takes away from her beauty.

I love the fact that this is another really talented black female out here doing all these big things, working her ass off and having all this success, so in that sense I'm definitely rooting for her. I just can't be a fan or get into her music, though. I wanted to, and I've tried, but I just can't relate to her at all or her lyrical content or subject matter, despite being a black female myself. I actually feel like I have more in common with Fiona Apple and relate more to her work.

[Edited 7/19/11 20:17pm]

Thank you! I just love to see a blk woman doing good but I do wish she would try I new look and sound

I love all the hate she gets on this board, I can't stand this trick! Her album sales are mediocre. I can't stand her voice, she has no range, and she has the most ANNOYING vibrato known to man. Her 'acting' (if you can call it that) is beyond atrocious. All of her songs sound the same ('Get Me Bodied and 'Single Ladies' are damn near identical). This tired hoe need to sit down somewhere and have some kids with that camel-faced husband of hers.

Ok I'm done!

Layzie said:

Footage of the photo shoot.

Just, no.

aaliyahcashmere89 said:

armpit said:

Beyonce is one of those women that is so gorgeous, she actually looks hotter the less stuff they do to her and the less makeup they put on her. I'd love to see her scale all that stuff back, something along the lines of how she used to look when Destiny's Child first came on the scene. The look she's been wearing in the last few years actually takes away from her beauty.

I love the fact that this is another really talented black female out here doing all these big things, working her ass off and having all this success, so in that sense I'm definitely rooting for her. I just can't be a fan or get into her music, though. I wanted to, and I've tried, but I just can't relate to her at all or her lyrical content or subject matter, despite being a black female myself. I actually feel like I have more in common with Fiona Apple and relate more to her work.

[Edited 7/19/11 20:17pm]

Thank you! I just love to see a blk woman doing good but I do wish she would try I new look and sound

No, I wasn't necessarily saying that she should change her style - not at all. I know it fworks for her and a lot of people like it. I was just saying that I can't relate to it, not really recommending that she change because of that.

armpit said:

aaliyahcashmere89 said:

Thank you! I just love to see a blk woman doing good but I do wish she would try I new look and sound

No, I wasn't necessarily saying that she should change her style - not at all. I know it fworks for her and a lot of people like it. I was just saying that I can't relate to it, not really recommending that she change because of that.

Oh ok. Well, I wish she would try something new and maybe do a real up close and personal interview. Something about her seems kind of fake. I can see why most people can't relate to her

TotalAlisa said:

mjscarousal said:

To be honest, I wouldnt mine either because image really isnt that important to me but got damn she is so boring ( Her image as well as her music) and is it me or does Beyonce sound really conceited in this interview?

This chick really believe she is the Queen of music and that she is better than everyone else

I dont get how people can find anything humble about her

I just dont understand why she feels she has to exploit her body like that to sell.

... shes sooo overrated.

[Edited 7/21/11 7:14am]

she needs to go sit all the f**king WAY DOWN.

this woman is the Queen of Ghetto Garbage Music. She doesn't work any harder than anyone else.

When she works 40 plus hours a week doing a 9-5, and has a family to take care of then, I will agree she is a hard worker.

People wish they could have her "hard" work, that she seems to brag about. I don't care how hard she think she works, her career means shit. She will only be remembered as a popular artist of the 2000s and early 2010s.

I thought I was the only one who noticed that

She makes it hard for people to like her and when I say her I mean Beyonce the person NOT the artist. Beyonce the singer is an easily dupilcated talent who makes bad music which is why I cant believe she had the audacity to say that shit. I had to read that mess 5 times just to see if I was reading it correctly LOL

She think shes Michael Jackson foreal LOL

[Edited 7/21/11 21:05pm]

[Edited 7/21/11 21:05pm]

All this article hype and blah bla about her image is not relevant. She has a good album!

HohnerCatcher said:

All this article hype and blah bla about her image is not relevant. She has a good album!

Right. She's an Icon. People don't have to ''luv'' her but she is the best at what she does.

I was waiting for it... Ima just say this and leave it alone.

People quick to say somebody bashing her smh LOL. People were responding to HER OWN conceited comments that SHE SAID and if people seem to not mine her being that full of herself than... so be it I guess lol But that doesnt mean she is great neither or is aa saint to music as she thinks as herself to be. Her music is no better than any other pop artist playing on the radio today.

I'll take Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, who else Chrisette Michelle and plenty others OVER Beyonce any day.. yall cant believe that hype if you want

[Edited 7/21/11 21:51pm]

I wish she would just go away already. Overexposure means I'm repulsed by her mug and voice.

2003 called, they want you back.

Fine!!!