Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

More bounce to the ounce

A new album out, an upcoming film and her wedding to a certain hip hop mogul; it’s been a busy year for Beyoncé Knowles, even by her kinetic standards. Jamie Morris tries to keep up

Since the release of Destiny’s Child’s debut album a decade ago, Beyoncé Knowles has single-handedly set about redefining the concept of multi-tasking. Lead singer of the biggest-selling girl group of all time, crown princess of R’n’B and one of the most famous pop stars in the world, the 27-year-old now has a burgeoning film career, a fashion line and a perfume to her name.

Since marrying her long-term boyfriend Jay-Z last April, she’s been named one half of Forbes’ Highest Earning Hollywood Couple. But despite her recent nuptials, she shows no sign of slowing down. Her new album I Am… Sasha Fierce is out now and the film Cadillac Records, in which she plays troubled soul star Etta James, will be in cinemas later this year.

The title of your new album is a reference to the feisty alter ego who takes over when you’re performing. How is she different from Beyoncé?
I think we’re complete opposites. When I get on stage, I don’t remember what happened because it’s like someone else takes over. My cousin was joking with me once and said: “Oh, look at Sasha”, and that’s how the name came about. She has all this attitude. I’m really shy and just a normal, down-to-earth woman. Sasha is just the opposite of that, but she gives a good show. When I performed on the Grammy Awards with Prince, I was wild! When I saw the tape, I couldn’t believe it. That was Sasha.

People are always interested in your private life, especially now that you and Jay-Z are married. Is that difficult?
I can’t live my life for other people. I want to live as normal a life as I can, which isn’t as normal as everybody else, of course, but I want to be able to go out and do things. And some of the things that people come up with – it’s hilarious. I remember there was a time when one magazine had me with either 50 Cent or Jay every week. I broke up with him… he broke up with me… It’s entertainment and it’s funny. I don’t take it too seriously.

How do you cope when people don’t know how to act when they meet you?
It’s so weird how people think that I’m not normal. They’d know it if they saw me waking up in the morning. I’m just like them and I like to sing.

Destiny’s Child had its share of struggles, including a change in line up. How did that affect you?
I wouldn’t change anything, in my life or my career. When you have that struggle, you know something good is about to happen because struggle always makes you stronger. The good thing about Destiny’s Child was that any negative we saw as a positive, because it made us stronger. Kelly, Michelle and I will always be friends. We go on vacation and spend holidays and birthdays together.

After wining so many awards, how do stay grounded?
My mother really helps. I remember, early in my career, we had our first number one record and I let my ego get out of control. I was acting like I was better than everybody else and my mother slapped me for the first time and told me to listen to her. She had never slapped me before – I’ll never forget that.

Your success as a recording artist has led to roles in films and endorsements. How do you handle everything?
It’s a challenge, but I approve everything I do, so if I’m asked to do something I don’t believe in, I’ll turn it down. I don’t let someone else run my schedule and my career. I have to say I don’t sleep very much, but I love what I do. I try to balance the music, the acting, the endorsements and having personal time.

As an actress, who inspires you?
Barbara Streisand and Diana Ross, because they began as singers and became successful actresses. The roles I’ve had in The Fighting Temptations and Dreamgirls involved singing. My goal is to become a successful actress in dramas that don’t involve singing. I’ve been comfortable in singing roles, but I don’t want to be comfortable. I want non-singing roles that will challenge me.

You’ve said that now you feel in a place where you’re ready to reveal a bit more about yourself. Why is that?
I guess it’s from doing the movies. I just did Cadillac Records and played Etta James, which was the most difficult character I’ve ever played. Everything about her is the opposite of me. After I did that movie, I felt like I didn’t want to put myself in the box, like she didn’t. I felt more courage after I played her.

How do you feel about being a role model yourself?
It’s very important. I was on the cover of Cosmopolitan, and very few black women have been on that cover. I want to open the door for black female entertainers, show them they can do anything.

Beyoncé milestones

Tracking the rise and rise of Beyoncé’s amazing career

* 1981 Beyoncé Giselle Knowles is born in Houston, Texas.

* 1997 Destiny’s Child are signed to Columbia Records.

* 1998 They release their eponymous debut album. The remix of lead single No, No, No sees Beyoncé coin her distinctive staccato vocal technique. It becomes the defining sound of millennial R’n’B.

* 1999 Their next album, The Writing’s on the Wall, sells 13m copies worldwide.

* 2001 After several changes of line-up, the group (right, with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Willams) release the album Survivor. The titular lead single wins a Grammy award, but departing band members LaTavia Roberson and LaToya Luckett sue because they feel the song is aimed at them.

* 2002 Has her big-screen breakthrough in Austin Powers: Goldmember and appears on Jay-Z’s single ’03 Bonnie & Clyde. Rumours that the pair are dating begin to circulate.

* 2003 Releases her first solo album, the 7m-selling Dangerously In Love. It wins five Grammy awards. Crazy In Love is the fourth best-selling single of the year.

* 2004 Launches clothing line House of Deréon. Destiny’s Child release their final album Destiny Fulfilled. To date, they are the biggest-selling girl group of all time, with more than 100m albums worldwide.

* 2006 Releases a second solo album, B’Day, on her 25th birthday.

* 2007 Is nominated for a Golden Globe award for her role as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls. Is the first non-model or non-athlete, and the second African American, to make the cover of Sports Illustrated.

* 2008 Marries long-term boyfriend Jay-Z, releases her third solo album I Am…Sasha Fierce (below), and stars in Cadillac Records as soul legend Etta James.  
Named second highest-paid musician of 2008, her earnings last year topped €63 million.

FR Du peps à revendre

L’année a été bien remplie pour Beyoncé Knowles. Jamie Morris a tenté de suivre le tempo

La chanteuse des Destiny’s Child et, sans conteste, la pop star la plus célèbre du monde, Knowles, à 27 ans s’est également lancée dans une nouvelle carrière cinématographique, et dans une ligne de mode et de parfum à son nom. Malgré ses noces récentes avec son boyfriend de longue date Jay-Z, elle ne montre aucun signe de ralentissement, avec la sortie d’un nouvel album solo I am…Sasha Fierce, et un rôle de star tourmentée de la soul, Etta James dans le drame musical Cadillac Records, prévu prochainement.

“Je pense que Sasha, mon alter ego, est ma totale opposée. Lorsqu’elle monte sur scène, elle a cette assurance et elle donne un bon spectacle. Je suis quant à moi très timide et tout simplement une femme normale, qui a les pieds sur terre.

Ma mère me garde bien ancrée dans la réalité. Au début de ma carrière, je me suis laissé emporter par mon ego. Elle m’a giflée pour la première fois et m’a obligée à l’écouter – jamais je ne l’oublierai.

Je ne voudrais rien changer dans ma vie ni dans ma carrière. Dans Destiny’s Child, s’il nous arrivait un revers, nous le considérions comme positif, car cela nous rendait toujours plus fortes.

Je dois me sentir en accord avec tout ce que je fais, donc si l’on me propose une activité à laquelle je ne crois pas, je refuserai de m’engager. J’essaie d’équilibrer musique, cinéma, publicité et vie privée.

Barbara Streisand et Diana Ross m’inspirent beaucoup car elles ont commencé comme chanteuses et sont devenues des actrices respectées. Mon objectif est de devenir une actrice reconnue dans d’autres rôles que les rôles musicaux. Je viens d‘incarner le personnage d’Etta James, qui selon moi est l’interprétation la plus difficile que j’aie jamais dû jouer : cette femme est en tous points différente de moi.

J’ai la conviction qu’il est très important d’être un modèle. J’ai fait la couverture de Cosmopolitan, un endroit où très peu de femmes noires ont eu l’occasion de figurer.”

NL Sexy duiveltje-doet-al

Beyoncé Knowles heeft een druk jaar achter de rug. Jamie Morris probeert haar bij te houden

Knowles, de 27-jarige leadzangeres van Destiny’s Child en volgens sommigen de bekendste popster ter wereld, heeft een ontluikende filmcarrière, een eigen modelijn en een parfum dat haar naam draagt. Ondanks haar recente huwelijk met Jay-Z, waarmee ze al jarenlang een koppel vormde, denkt geen haar op haar bevallige hoofd eraan het rustiger aan te doen. Ze heeft net een nieuw soloalbum uit (I am… Sasha Fierce) en heeft onlangs haar rol als getormenteerde soulzangeres Etta James in de film Cadillac Records ingeblikt.

“Mijn alter ego Sasha is compleet het tegenovergestelde van mezelf. Als Sasha optreedt, loopt ze over van attitude en zorgt ze voor een wervelende show. Ikzelf ben heel verlegen en gewoon een vrouw die met beide voeten stevig op de grond staat.

Mijn moeder zorgt er wel voor dat ik niet begin te zweven. In het prille begin van mijn carrière durfde mijn ego al wel es buiten proportie aanzwellen. Toen heeft ze me voor de eerste keer ooit een tik gegeven en duidelijk gezegd dat ik naar haar moest luisteren – dat vergeet ik nooit.

Ik zou niets willen veranderen aan mijn leven of mijn carrière. Als er in Destiny’s Child negatieve dingen gebeurden, bekeken we dat telkens van de positieve kant want we werden er alleen maar sterker door.

Ik sta achter alles wat ik al gedaan heb en doe. Als ze mij iets voorstellen waar ik zelf niet in geloof, dan weiger ik beleefd. Ik probeer een evenwicht te vinden tussen muziek, acteren, promotiewerk en mijn privéleven.

Barbara Streisand en Diana Ross zijn mijn grote voorbeelden. Ze begonnen allebei als zangeres en groeiden uit tot gerespecteerde actrices. Ik wil zelf een succesvolle actrice worden in andere rollen dan die van zangeres. De rol van Etta

James was de moeilijkste die ik al heb gespeeld. Het intrigeerde me omdat ze als persoon lijnrecht tegenover mezelf staat.

Ik besef hoe belangrijk mijn positie van rolmodel is. Ik heb op de cover van Cosmopolitan gestaan en dat hebben weinig andere zwarte vrouwen me voorgedaan.

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