Beyoncé Explains Why She’s So Private: ‘The Quality of My Life Depended on It’
Many celebrities today live on social media, giving other users a front-row seat to all that goes on with them — but not Beyoncé. Notoriously private, the singer typically keeps her pages limited to exclusive, curated content like promotional posts for her music and athleisure line. For her, it’s necessary to keep her work and home life separate to ensure the focus stays on what’s most important: her art.
Beyoncé is one of the most private celebrities
Growing up, Beyoncé was always a little reserved. “Because I was an introvert, I didn’t speak very much as a child. I spent a lot of time in my head building my imagination,” she told Harper’s Bazaar for its September issue.
As she got older, she grew out of her shyness. But as a celebrity and artist, she had to make sure not to provide too much access into her life.
“One day I decided I wanted to be like Sade and Prince,” she explained. “I wanted the focus to be on my music, because if my art isn’t strong enough or meaningful enough to keep people interested and inspired, then I’m in the wrong business. My music, my films, my art, my message—that should be enough.”
Beyonce knows it ‘can be easy to lose yourself’ in the music industry
“Throughout my career, I’ve been intentional about setting boundaries between my stage persona and my personal life,” Beyoncé continued. “My family and friends often forget the side of me that is the beast in stilettos until they are watching me perform. It can be easy to lose yourself very quickly in this industry. It takes your spirit and light, then spits you out.”
“I’ve seen it countless times, not only with celebrities but also producers, directors, executives, etc. It’s not for everyone,” she went on. “Before I started, I decided that I’d only pursue this career if my self-worth was dependent on more than celebrity success. I’ve surrounded myself with honest people who I admire, who have their own lives and dreams and are not dependent on me. People I can grow and learn from and vice versa.”
“In this business, so much of your life does not belong to you unless you fight for it. I’ve fought to protect my sanity and my privacy because the quality of my life depended on it,” Beyoncé added. “A lot of who I am is reserved for the people I love and trust.”
“Those who don’t know me and have never met me might interpret that as being closed off. Trust, the reason those folks don’t see certain things about me is because my Virgo a– does not want them to see it….It’s not because it doesn’t exist!” she concluded.
The interview comes ahead of a new chapter for Beyoncé
The conversation with Harper’s Bazaar comes just ahead of Beyoncé’s 40th birthday in September. During this next decade, the singer simply wants to live a life that’s “fun and full of freedom.”
“I want to show that you can have fun and have purpose, be respectful and speak your mind,” she said in part. “You can be both elegant and a provocateur. You can be curvy and still be a fashion icon. I wish this freedom for every person. I have paid my dues and followed every rule for decades, so now I can break the rules that need to be broken. My wish for the future is to continue to do everything everyone thinks I can’t do.”
