Hot on the heels of the release of her latest album, 4, Beyoncé went on camera about the makings of her musical dynasty in the MTV special Beyoncé: Year of 4, which premiered on Thursday, June 30. In the special Beyoncé spoke candidly about her year-long hiatus from music, the creation of 4 and taking the reigns of her career after firing her father and manager, Matthew Knowles.
Speaking of her year-long break from the music scene, Beyoncé says that after finishing her “I Am Sasha Fierce Tour,” she felt exhausted, and on the advice of her mother, Tina Knowles, the “Run The World (Girls)” singer decided to walk away from the limelight.
“After I finished the last tour, I was a bit overwhelmed and overworked, and my mother was the person that preached to me … ‘You really need to live your life and open your eyes and you don’t want to wake up with no memories,’ ”
During her time away from the stage, Beyoncé claims that she spent time enjoying the simple life of being a wife to husband Jay-Z and an aunt to sister Solange’s young son, Daniel Julez Smith, Jr.
“I was able to spend time with my family and pick up my nephew up from school, and it gave me time to reflect,” said
It was during that time of reflection when Beyoncé says that she made the difficult business decision to fire her father, Matthew, as her manager.
“A real change meant separating from him,” she said. “It was scary, but it empowered me, and I wasn’t going to let fear stop me.”
As the special shifts focus to the creation of her current album, 4, Beyoncé shares the intensity of her work ethic remarking, “If I’m not sleeping, nobody’s sleeping.” The celebrated singer goes on to explain how this new chapter in both her life and music is a test of strength that she’s confident she’ll to pass.
“My focus is not bigger — it’s quality, and I want to make sure it’s something I’m proud of years from now,” she says. “It’s very difficult managing myself. Every night when I go to sleep, I ask hundreds of questions. I’m making mistakes, and I’m learning from them. I’ve never been afraid to fall — and I say all these things, but now I’m being tested.”
“I’m learning to drowned out the noise. I only have to follow my heart. I run my world,” she concludes.
– nicholas robinson
