Beyoncé is a rare pop singer who could perform the national anthem at a presidential inauguration, do the half-time show at the Super Bowl, and still have media oxygen left for an Oprah Winfrey interview and self-directed HBO special. She didn’t get there by being careless.
Taking advice from Winfrey, Beyoncé made sure never to reveal who she was dating, the alarmingly NRA-targeted star says in a preview clip from her upcoming Winfrey interview (via the Hollywood Reporter). Winfrey brings up the advice, and Bey responds, “I took it as far as I could take it!” Considering Beyoncé’s virtually unmatched stature in the music business right now, it’s a tip younger performers might be well-advised to follow. (Taylor Swift, though a fair amount of the criticism toward her extra-musical activities may be rooted in sexism, should still especially take note.)
At a time when one of Beyoncé’s up-and-coming collaborators has been melting down on Twitter, it’s also rewarding to see just how enviably sensible the 4 singer shows herself to be. Discussing the balance between her fierce independence and her unabashed love for Jay-Z, she described the “foundation” their marriage gives her. “That foundation is so important in a relationship and just to have someone that you just like, you know,” she explains, “is so important, and someone that is honest.” This is true, people.
In another short clip, which you can watch over at Gossip Cop, Beyoncé says she gained 57 pounds during her pregnancy with daughter Blue Ivy Carter. “I did a show three months after I gave birth, which was really crazy,” she recalls (likely referring to the Atlantic City gig we reviewed here). “I had clearly never given birth.”
The full interview airs on Winfrey’s OWN network at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday night. The documentary Beyonce: Life Is But a Dream premieres at 9 p.m. the same night on HBO. In the meantime, check out the xx’s aching cover of 4 ballad “I Miss You,” which was co-written by Frank Ocean.
