Beyoncé Reveals New Music ‘Is Coming’ 

The singer looked back at her career and revealed she’s been in the studio for the past year and a half.

  • Author: Luana Harumi
  • Cover photo by Larry Busacca/Via Getty.

The wait is (almost) over: Beyoncé has confirmed that she’s been working on new music. “With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again,” the singer recently told Harper’s Bazaar. “I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible. I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half.”

The Beyhive has been anxiously waiting for the icon to drop the follow-up to her latest solo album, 2016’s Lemonade. She explained that one of the reasons the upcoming record has been taking so long to wrap up is the meticulous craft process behind it. 

“Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies,” she said. “Still, there’s nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old.”

And, just in case she wasn’t clear enough, she added: “Yes, the music is coming!”

In the interview, Beyoncé looked back at her career and the path she took to become who she is today, as she prepares to celebrate her 40th birthday next month. “I’ve spent so many years trying to better myself and improve whatever I’ve done that I’m at a point where I no longer need to compete with myself,” she said. “I have no interest in searching backwards. The past is the past. I feel many aspects of that younger, less evolved Beyoncé could never f*** with the woman I am today. Haaa!”

She revealed she was very introverted as a child (can you imagine?), which she said has helped her build more empathy and imagination. “I’m no longer shy, but I’m not sure I would dream as big as I dream today if it were not for those awkward years in my head,” she said.

As a child, Beyoncé would go to the Houston rodeo every year, which was a huge inspiration for the new rodeo-themed IVY PARK collection with Adidas. “It was this amazing diverse and multicultural experience where there was something for every member of the family, including great performances, Houston-style fried Snickers, and fried turkey legs,” she said.

The collection was influenced by the history of the American Black cowboy, many of whom were originally called “cowhands” and were often forced to work with the most temperamental horses, she explained. These cowboys eventually formed the Soul Circuit, minority rodeos in the 1940s. 

“Through time, these Black rodeos showcased incredible performers and helped us reclaim our place in western history and culture,” she said. “We were inspired by the culture and swag of the Houston rodeo.”

The artist and entrepreneur also shared a story about when she was in a meeting to discuss analytics and was told that the research showed her fans “did not like when my photography was black and white,” which led her to create the visuals for her 2008 albumI Am…Sasha Fierce. 

“I was so exhausted and annoyed with these formulaic corporate companies that I based my whole next project off of black and white photography,” she said, “including the videos for ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘If I Were a Boy’ and all of the artwork by Peter Lindbergh for I Am…Sasha Fierce, which ended up being my biggest commercial success to date.”

Directing the concert film I Am…World Tour made her fall even more in love with filmmaking. She said she learned how to edit the cut herself in Final Cut Pro and that the passion later inspired her visual works Beyoncé, Lemonade, Homecoming, and Black Is King. 

And if the world seems to be more and more connected, Beyoncé prefers to keep most of her life offline and focus on her art instead. “One day I decided I wanted to be like Sade and Prince. 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,” she said. “My music, my films, my art, my message—that should be enough.”

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