SAYING NO AND MEANING IT!

BEYONCE KNOWLES INTERVIEW!

What do you do to relax?

'I try to take two vacations a year and I love the South of France. I love being on the yacht and having a chef cook because I love to eat! I was supposed to go on vacation before The Pink Panther, and I had a choice to go on vacation or do the movie - I chose Steve Martin and Kevin Kline.'

Who's given you good advice in your career?

'Oprah (Winfrey), and she didn't tell me personally! I just will never forget her talking about the power of 'No'. That helped me so much, especially when trying to balance everything and so I have to learn how to say no when I don't like something. That's a very hard thing to do because I don't like to disappoint people and I work hard, but that has also been very helpful to me when I don't feel passionate about something - saying no and meaning it.'

Do your mother or father still give you advice?

'Oh, definitely. My mother always said, 'Beauty fades but beauty from within is forever.' When I was 15, we had a single that came out called No, No, No, it went to number one and I thought I was all grown-up. I was in the record store and she was talking to me but I was singing because I was ignoring her - I was being defiant. She threatened me, which she's never done in her life. She slapped me in my face and said, 'You better listen to me when I talk to you. Don't think you can do that now that you got a number one single.' I was so embarrassed and shocked because I'd never even gotten a spanking before. But that was the best thing she ever did because from that moment on, I never went there - they put me in my place before it started.'

Do you still get excited about a number one record?

'Absolutely! That is still amazing for me. I can never tell when a song is going to be a big hit - even now. That's the way it happened with Bootylicious and Crazy In Love. It would be great to have a number one movie and a number one single at the same time.'

How are you liking having a solo singing career?

'I do like it because I'm able to commit six months to something (other than music) without feeling guilty because other peoples lives become affected by my life - even though it's very scary. It's harder to make decisions by myself and I have to really listen to my instincts a lot more, but it's cool.'

BEYONCE ON STAGE!

What is the biggest challenge of being a celebrity?

'The hardest thing is balance because I have a perfume line, my mother and I have a clothing line, I have my L'Oreal contract, I have so many things! I still have Destiny's Child, a solo career, acting, albums. Then on top of everything, I approve everything. I approve every button in my clothing line, I approve every photograph, I approve every interview... And then I have a life. I have a family, I have a personal life and it's hard to balance.'

You've accomplished so much so young, do you allow yourself to look back?

'I can't normally. When Destiny's Child won the achievement award at the World Music Awards, they played back everything that we'd accomplished. When you're sitting and you see everything in front of you on the screen, it's like you're watching someone else because you forget about all those moments. One day, when my time has gone by, I will watch and really appreciate it all, but I know I'll see it like it's not really me.'

QUEEN B ON STAGE!
Mrs Shawn Corey Carter Performing At BillBoard Music Awards 2011

WHO RUN THIS WORLD!

Beyonce - Who Run The World Girls Performance At BillBoard Music Awards 2011

What do you do to relax?

'I try to take two vacations a year and I love the South of France. I love being on the yacht and having a chef cook because I love to eat! I was supposed to go on vacation before The Pink Panther, and I had a choice to go on vacation or do the movie - I chose Steve Martin and Kevin Kline.'

Who's given you good advice in your career?

'Oprah (Winfrey), and she didn't tell me personally! I just will never forget her talking about the power of 'No'. That helped me so much, especially when trying to balance everything and so I have to learn how to say no when I don't like something. That's a very hard thing to do because I don't like to disappoint people and I work hard, but that has also been very helpful to me when I don't feel passionate about something - saying no and meaning it.'

Do your mother or father still give you advice?

'Oh, definitely. My mother always said, 'Beauty fades but beauty from within is forever.' When I was 15, we had a single that came out called No, No, No, it went to number one and I thought I was all grown-up. I was in the record store and she was talking to me but I was singing because I was ignoring her - I was being defiant. She threatened me, which she's never done in her life. She slapped me in my face and said, 'You better listen to me when I talk to you. Don't think you can do that now that you got a number one single.' I was so embarrassed and shocked because I'd never even gotten a spanking before. But that was the best thing she ever did because from that moment on, I never went there - they put me in my place before it started.'

Do you still get excited about a number one record?

'Absolutely! That is still amazing for me. I can never tell when a song is going to be a big hit - even now. That's the way it happened with Bootylicious and Crazy In Love. It would be great to have a number one movie and a number one single at the same time.'

QUEEN B!

How are you liking having a solo singing career?

'I do like it because I'm able to commit six months to something (other than music) without feeling guilty because other peoples lives become affected by my life - even though it's very scary. It's harder to make decisions by myself and I have to really listen to my instincts a lot more, but it's cool.'

What is the biggest challenge of being a celebrity?

'The hardest thing is balance because I have a perfume line, my mother and I have a clothing line, I have my L'Oreal contract, I have so many things! I still have Destiny's Child, a solo career, acting, albums. Then on top of everything, I approve everything. I approve every button in my clothing line, I approve every photograph, I approve every interview... And then I have a life. I have a family, I have a personal life and it's hard to balance.'

You've accomplished so much so young, do you allow yourself to look back?

'I can't normally. When Destiny's Child won the achievement award at the World Music Awards, they played back everything that we'd accomplished. When you're sitting and you see everything in front of you on the screen, it's like you're watching someone else because you forget about all those moments. One day, when my time has gone by, I will watch and really appreciate it all, but I know I'll see it like it's not really me.'