This year marks the 20th anniversary of the classic Beyoncé anthem, “Bootylicious,” that empowered full-figured and voluptuous women to be proud of their physical attributes.
In a cover story interview with Harper’s Baazar, Queen Bey, 39, recalls clapping back at being body-shamed because of her curvaceous figure, but she did so in the classiest way: she wrote a hit song about it.
“I remember when I started hearing people criticize me after I had put on some weight. I was 19. None of the sample clothes fit me. I was feeling a bit insecure from hearing some of the comments, and I woke up one day and refused to feel sorry for myself, so I wrote ‘Bootylicious.’ ” she said.
The wife of Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and mother of three composed the record while she was still with Destiny’s Child, still one of the bestselling girl groups of all time. The 28-time Grammy Award winner said creating the song was cathartic for her and became the launching pad for her eventual solo superstardom.
“It was the beginning of me using whatever life handed me and turning it into something empowering to other women and men who were struggling with the same thing,” she said.
Beyoncé also paid homage to her parents who encouraged her to get involved in all aspects of the creative process, most particularly as it pertained to composing her own songs.
“My mother has always been my Queen and still is. She has always been so strong and is filled with humanity,” Beyoncé said. “She worked 18 hours a day with calloused hands and swollen feet. No matter how tired she was, she was always professional, loving, and nurturing. I try to handle my work and run my company in the same way.”
