Beyoncé reflects on her career, confirms new music is on the way

As she approaches her 40th birthday, Beyoncé has reflected on her upbringing, career, and success in a new interview with Harper's BAZAAR.

The American singer and actress gave insight into each phase of her life in the new interview, outlining her priorities and pressures during each decade. Her first decade was "dedicated to dreaming," second was "about the grind," third about "building a strong foundation for [her] career and establishing [her] legacy," and fourth about "starting [her] family and [her] life becoming more than [her] career."

Beyoncé, who began participating in dancing and singing competitions at seven and had already recorded dozens of songs by ten, said she began to feel the pressure in her teen years when she put all of her energy into Destiny's Child.

"I felt as a young Black woman that I couldn't mess up," she said. "That meant I was the most careful, professional teenager and I grew up fast. I wanted to break all of the stereotypes of the Black superstar, whether falling victim to drugs or alcohol or the absurd misconception that Black women are angry. I knew I was given this amazing opportunity and felt like I had one shot. I refused to mess it up, but I had to give up a lot."

Beyoncé founded media conglomerate Parkwood Entertainment and fashion line IVY PARK. She has also directed films, like the I Am...World Tour concert film and visual albums for Beyoncé, Lemonade, Homecoming, and Black Is King. In 2013, she created her charity foundation BeyGOOD.

Throughout it all, she has set boundaries between her personal life and professional life. She hopes to one day be able to focus solely on her music, like fellow music icons Prince and Sade.

"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."

She ended the interview by sharing her wish for the next decade of her life, which is for it to be "fun and full of freedom."

"I've done so much in 40 years that I just want to enjoy my life," said Beyoncé. "It's hard going against the grain, but being a small part of some of the overdue shifts happening in the world feels very rewarding. I want to continue to work to dismantle systemic imbalances. I want to continue to turn these industries upside down...My wish for the future is to continue to do everything everyone thinks I can't do."

The Houston native also revealed that new music is indeed on the way. "With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again," she said. "I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible."

She revealed that she's been in the studio for the past year and a half before saying, "Yes, the music is coming!"

Read the full interview here or in the September 2021 issue of Harper's BAZAAR, which will be on newsstands August 31.