Beyonce exclusive! ‘I’m a frustrated drag queen’
Honey, not that frustrated. We’ve seen the new videos!
With a new upgraded B-Day album (with videos and everything!), the DVD of Dreamgirls and a tour hitting London soon, Beyonce has - as they say on the streets - got it goin’ on! We talked to her about being a gay icon, learning from drag queens and why Barbra Streisand is gangsta!
Your hair must have been wrecked after doing all these new videos for the deluxe edition back to back!
Oh yes! And my nails! They were so tired and sprayed and parted and moussed and coloured and all of those things.
It’s a lot of stuff to have turned out!
Absolutely. It was eight new videos in two weeks. For ‘Beautiful Liar’ we didn’t have a lot of time to learn choreography, so they put me and Shakira in a room together for about two hours and we just came up with the choreography and played off the fact that we look similar. It was really cool because I don’t even know who is who sometimes. I had that track when I did the original B-Day but I didn’t put it on because I didn’t have Shakira and I was like, ‘I’m not taking over on this. We have to do it together.’
And you’ve got the DVD of Dreamgirls. Did you speak to Diana Ross about the movie?
She said that she was so happy I was playing this part and she’s a big fan. She actually gave me her number but I was way too horrified to call her because I’m such a big fan. But the movie is not her. She’s the inspiration but obviously a lot of the things in the movie never happened to her.
Did you see Lady Sings the Blues [Diana’s first movie]?
Of course! I’ve seen it a hundred times. She’s an amazing actor.
But then Mahogany… [her second movie, the one RuPaul takes the piss out of in the ‘Supermodel’ video]
I liked Mahogany! [Laughing] Don’t you talk about Diana like that!
Do you like the other gay icons?
I love Madonna! I watched a lot of her tours when I’m thinking of inspiration for tours.
You’re on tour in the UK soon…
I love this new show. There’s jazz, there’s classical, there’s a little bit of rock, a little bit of reggae, a little bit of hip hop. I thimk it’s the most eclectic thing I’ve done.
What about old-school gay icons like Bette Midler? Do you like them?
Oh, my mother loved Bette Midler, so I heard it over and over and over again.
Barbra Streisand?
I love Barbra Streisand! She has so much class and is so iconic and is just in a class of her own.
Everyone used to diss her for being too hard…
I don’t think so. She’s beautiful. She’s hot! She’s gangsta! I love it.
Do you see yourself as a gay icon?
I definitely hope so! I get a lot of my influences, a lot of my lingo, a lot of my mannerisms from watching the drag balls.
What is it about drag queens?
It’s so over-the-top. And I’m a frustrated drag queen! Absolutely! The more hair and the more lashes the better!
B-Day Deluxe is out now. Dreamgirls is out on DVD from Monday. She hits Wembley Arena on 3rd and 4th June (that’s Sunday week!)
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This woman really is fierce. Love her!
Oh, Beyonce. Admittedly you are quite good, but do you always have to be on interview autopilot, remembering never to say anything bad about anyone, ever … WHY NOT OFFER A REAL OPINION!
Im glad that she adores her Madonna. She is sincere about her comments on Madonna. Her video for GREEN LIGHT is partly inspired by the Queen of Pop’s avante garde music video for Human Nature. MADONNA has released a digital single for free. It’s called HEY YOU and is co-produced with Pharell who has worked with B on the Green Light song. Hope you can go to liveearth.msn.com to get your free legal download. This is for the benefit of anti-global warming efforts.
Thanks Ronald, very commendable of you. Big gold star. Though don’t you think it’s a bit lame? The song I mean.
they aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall look to Madonna for ideas to copy…….all of them Christina (heading into m’s last concert with a notebook and pen………LITERALLY) britney…….mya, janet, pink some admit it MOST don’t so i’ll give props to Beyonce for at least admitting it…..but Beyonce pleeeeeeeease do not try the leotard look if u don’t have the body like MADONNA.
It’s good she admits she seeks influence in Madonna’s work. At least she’ been honest and why not…Madonna rocks!!!
madonna sets the bar. so its always nice to hear other artists give her props.
madonna rules!
it’s nice to hear this princess, beyonce, giving madonna the respect she deserves!
The one and only Madonna. Can you imagine the world without her?! We wouldn’t be that far without her contribuitions. Madonna is the ultimate artist who enjoy the fact that most stars nowadays are fans. So many hits, the one who says that was nevr influenced by her is such a lyer. Wake up America, she’s an american glory, she’s probably the most appreciated american artist all over the planet, But most of all and most importantly. Madonna keep pushing! there are too many envelopes. Celebrate freedom of speech and remember without freedom you are nothing!!!! Love is all we need!
[…] Beyonce kick-started her new deluxe version of the fabberlous B’Day with an exclusive little chat to me-me-me about how she’s really just a frustrated drag queen. Not that frustrated, we told her. […]