Monday, May 16, 2011

Billboard Crowns Beyonce' Queen, Will Receive Millennium Award At Sundays, Billboard Music Awards

Beyonce' graces the cover of this week's Billboard Magazine. In the issue she talks her new album, life and more.  She'll be performing at this Sunday's Billboard Music Awards, where she'll be receiving the Millennium Award, which will honor her work both as a the front-woman for Destiny's Child and her solo career. Tune in this Sunday, May 22, on ABC at 8pm.  The awards will air live from Las Vegas.

Excerpts from the article:

How did the creative process begin with the new body of work?

I recorded more than 60 songs: everything I ever wanted to try, I just did it. I started off being inspired by [Afrobeat music pioneer] Fela Kuti. I actually worked with the band from "Fela!" [the hit Broadway musical based on his life] for a couple of days, just to get the feel for the soul and heart of his music; it's so sexy, and has a great groove you get lost in. I loved his drums, all the horns, how everything was on the one. What I learned most from Fela was artistic freedom: he just felt the spirit. I also found a lot of inspiration in '90s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie... I listened to a lot of Jackson 5 and New Edition, but also Adele, Florence + the Machine, and Prince. Add in my hip-hop influences, and you can hear how broad it is. I also gave myself more freedom to really belt out some songs, and bring soul singing back: I used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in my voice that people hear in my live performances, but not necessarily on my records.


This is your first record that you've made without your father managing you. What sort of options opened up that may be different than before?

It's not that anything bad happened between us. My family has my support always, and they support me, but when you've been working with the same people for 15 years, it's natural to eventually have your own ideas. I believe that parents prepare their kids for the moment that they're on their own: at this point, I'm taking everything my dad and my mother have taught me, and I'm able to do things my way. We were at a point where we'd learned so much from each other, and now it's exciting for me to do this on my own and hire my own team. I've started managing myself.

Your film career recently took an interesting turn. You've gone from "Dreamgirls" to "Cadillac Records" to "Obsessed," and now you're working with Clint Eastwood on the latest remake of "A Star is Born."

It's a dream come true; I'm still in shock that it's really going to happen. Clint Eastwood is clearly the absolute best, and I'm so honored and humbled. I was in no rush to do another movie unless it was the right film, and I didn't even want to touch "A Star is Born" unless it was with him. I actually learned that this project was in existence, and kind of claimed it. I want to get to work right now!



--Princess Carter
Credit: Billboard.com
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