Beyoncé doesn’t step out often, but when she does, it’s always a moment. Earlier in the year, she attended New York Fashion Week to watch her nephew on the runway, made an appearance at Cécred’s Los Angeles launch party and accepted the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Awards.
On Tuesday (Sept. 10), the pop icon graced the cover of GQ and talked about the pressure of living up to her past successes — even when it comes to red carpets and public appearances. “I create at my own pace, on things that I hope will touch other people. I hope my work encourages people to look within themselves and come to terms with their own creativity, strength and resilience,” she began.
“I focus on storytelling, growth and quality. I’m not focused on perfectionism. I focus on evolution, innovation and shifting perception,” Beyoncé added before briefly shifting the focus to her latest album: “Working on the music for COWBOY CARTER and launching this exciting new project [feels] nothing like prison, nor a burden. In fact, I only work on what liberates me.”
The “BREAK MY SOUL” hitmaker later emphasized, “It is fame that can, at times, feel like prison. So, when you don’t see me on red carpets, and when I disappear until I have art to share, that’s why.”
The discussion about her country-inspired album continued elsewhere in the interview when Beyoncé highlighted how many talented artists never get the mainstream attention they deserve. While she was evidently thrilled about the global success of “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” she shared greater enthusiasm about her impact on country music.
“Even more exciting was how [the album] helped reinvigorate the country genre across music, fashion, art and culture, and introduced the world to so much great talent like Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Willie Jones, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts,” the Grammy Award winner noted.
Beyoncé’s comments couldn’t have been more timely, especially since, on Monday (Sept. 9), her COWBOY CARTER recieved zero nominations for the 2024 CMA Awards. Despite being one of the year’s best-selling albums, the project was unfortunately left out entirely.