Beyonce Covers Harper’s Bazaar November 2011

Beyonce was probably punched in the throat by Terry Richardson just before he took photos of the singer sitting sidesaddle on the toilet… ‘Gurl, don’t let yo panties touch the seat!!!’ I’m kidding, she woke up with a stiff neck and then the wind changed and it got stuck that way. So, here’s Beyonce’s weird pose on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar November 2011. Her album promotion’s done and she’s due in February, so I’m guessing someone more-relevant was bumped so she could brag about the tedious MTV VMA reveal and BOOP about her maternal dress. Her interview’s so long it’s stretched over two posts at Harper’s Bazaar; one is more of an updated profile, one talks about her pregnancy. Excerpts of Beyonce talking about her pregnancy below along with behind-the-scenes video.

On her tedious, contrived baby announcement: ‘I put a lot of thought into how I wanted to unveil it. It was important to me that I was able to do it myself,’ Beyoncé explains. ‘I was extremely nervous. It was the toughest red carpet I ever did. I didn’t want a crazy picture or gossip story to break the news, so I decided to say nothing and proudly show my baby bump. I felt it was more powerful to see the love and enthusiasm as opposed to saying anything.’
On wanting to shill maternity clothes: ‘All I see now are clothes that are flattering on a pregnant woman,’ she says. ‘It’s been so exciting for me! I love figuring out designs that still make me feel edgy and sexy while pregnant. Flowy fabrics are always flattering, but I still rock my stilettos.’
On how she was pregnant and no one knew: ‘I’ve had so much fun with fashion over the months,’ she adds. ‘I have been pregnant through every event I’ve done, from the Billboard Awards to Glastonbury.’
On her relationship with Jay-Z: ‘We have been together since I was 20 years old,’ she says. ‘We took our time and developed an unbreakable friendship before we got married. I admire his ability to inspire others. To me, Jay represents the American dream. Jay’s music has helped define our generation. All that he has overcome and worked to achieve gives millions hope that they can become whatever they want to be. I respect him so much; he is a great man and a great artist… We focused three years on our marriage and found that it brought us an even stronger bond and connection. But like anything great and successful in your life, marriage takes hard work and sacrifice. It has to be something both you and your husband deeply want. The best thing about marriage is the amount of growth you have because you can no longer hide from your fears and insecurities. There’s someone right there calling you out on your flaws and building you up when you need the support. If you are with the right person, it brings out the best version of you.’
On giving no f**ks: ‘I am finally at the stage in my life where I am not so concerned with other people’s opinions about my life decisions,’ she says. ‘It is so liberating to really know what I want, what truly makes me happy, what I will not tolerate. I have learned that it is no one else’s job to take care of me but me.’
On her latest BOOP edict: ‘It was important to me that I gave myself time to focus on becoming the woman I want to be, building my empire, my relationship, and my self-worth, before I became a mother,’ she says. ‘Now God has blessed us with the ultimate.’