Beyoncé has spoken about struggling with insomnia during touring and spending “too much time on diets”.
The pop superstar, who turns 40 on September 4th, also revealed she is working on new music and has been in the studio for a year and a half.
In a rare interview with Harper’s Bazaar magazine, she said: “With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again.
“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. 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.
“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. Yes, the music is coming!”
Beyoncé also spoke about the strain she has felt from her stardom and how she has learned to take care of herself, saying: “I think like many women, I have felt the pressure of being the backbone of my family and my company and didn’t realise how much that takes a toll on my mental and physical well-being. I have not always made myself a priority.
“I’ve personally struggled with insomnia from touring for more than half of my life. Years of wear and tear on my muscles from dancing in heels.
“The stress on my hair and skin, from sprays and dyes to the heat of a curling iron and wearing heavy make-up while sweating on stage. I’ve picked up many secrets and techniques over the years to look my best for every show. But I know that to give the best of me, I have to take care of myself and listen to my body.”
The singer, who has been married to Jay-Z since 2008, made history this year as she became the most decorated female artist at the Grammy Awards.
She won four awards out of nine nominations, making it 28 over her career, which surpasses the 27 of bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss.
Diets
Beyoncé said: “In the past, I spent too much time on diets, with the misconception that self-care meant exercising and being overly conscious of my body.
“Mental health is self-care too. I’m learning to break the cycle of poor health and neglect, focusing my energy on my body and taking note of the subtle signs that it gives me.
“Your body tells you everything you need to know, but I’ve had to learn to listen. It’s a process to change habits and look past the bag of chips and the chaos everywhere!
“During quarantine, I went from overindulgences to creating positive rituals drawing from past generations and putting my own spin on things.
“I discovered CBD [cannabidiol, a naturally occurring compound found in the resinous flower of cannabis] on my last tour, and I’ve experienced its benefits for soreness and inflammation.
“It helped with my restless nights and the agitation that comes from not being able to fall asleep.”
Reflecting on where she is with her life as she enters her fourth decade, she said: “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.
“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.”
Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed daughter Blue Ivy in January 2012, and in June 2017 she gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir.
In 2020 she released visual album Black Is King, which was based on the music she made for the big screen remake of The Lion King and featured appearances from her husband and her oldest daughter.
