For some, the sight of Blue-Ivy Carter joining her superstar mother onstage remains one of the defining takeaways from Beyoncé’s sweeping Renaissance world tour.
The singer’s 12-year old daughter with Jay-Z became a regular fixture during her live sets as the tour moved from mainland Europe to the United States between March and September 2023.
But the R&B superstar admits she was reluctant to allow her eldest child onstage prior to her first appearance at Stade De France in Saint Denis on May 26, where she surprised fans by dancing with her mother during renditions of My Power and Black Parade, a song released in response to the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
So often keen to separate her life as a working mother from life as an international star, Beyoncé, 43, reflected on the rare decision to let one of her children take centre-stage in the most public of arenas
‘Blue is an artist. She has great taste in music and fashion,’ she told the October edition of GQ. ‘She is a fantastic editor, painter, and actress. She has been creating characters since she was three.
Beyoncé has lifted the veil on her life as a working mother in an unguarded interview with the October edition of GQ
The singer’s 12-year old daughter with Jay-Z became a regular fixture during her live sets as the tour moved from mainland Europe to the United States between March and September 2023
‘She’s a natural, but I did not want Blue onstage. Blue wanted it for herself. She took it seriously and she earned it.
‘And most importantly, she had fun! We all watched her grow more and more every night before our eyes.’
The R&B superstar, also a parent to six-year old twins Rumi and Sir, admits her daughter’s presence on tour was facilitated by a pre-arranged decision to perform 56 shows across a five month period that covered her children’s school holidays.
‘I try to only tour when my kids are out of school,’ she said. ‘I always dreamt of a life where I could see the world with my family and expose them to different languages, architecture, and lifestyles.
‘Raising three kids isn’t easy….I love it. It’s grounding and fulfilling. My kids come with me everywhere I go. They come to my office after school, and they are in the studio with me. They are in dance rehearsals.’
She added: ‘One thing I’ve worked extremely hard on is making sure my kids can have as much normalcy and privacy as possible, ensuring my personal life isn’t turned into a brand.
‘It’s very easy for celebrities to turn our lives into performance art. I have made an extreme effort to stay true to my boundaries and protect myself and my family. No amount of money is worth my peace.’
The singer is currently two albums into a sprawling conceptual odyssey that has so far documented black influence on disco in 2021 release Renaissance and country in 2023’s groundbreaking Cowboy Carter.
The R&B superstar admits her daughter’s presence on tour was facilitated by a pre-arranged decision to perform 56 shows across a five month period that covered her school holidays
The full interview is available to read in the October edition of GQ magazine, out now
How she ends the trilogy is on a need to know basis, at least for the time being, but she admits the countdown will begin when she retreats from the spotlight that continues to shine following Carter’s surprise omission from the recently announced Country Music Awards nominations.
The Texas-born singer failed to receive a single nomination, despite latest album Cowboy Carter proving to be a cultural phenomenon upon its release.
The album’s absence among this year’s slate of nominees was conspicuous: Texas Hold ‘Em, its first single, soared to the top of the charts, including the country list, and the album was widely considered a smash.
‘I only work on what liberates me,’ she said. ‘It is fame that can at times feel like prison. So, when you don’t see me on red carpets, and when I disappear until I have art to share, that’s why.’
She added: ‘I am a musician first. It has always been my priority. I didn’t get into anything that could take away from my artistry until I felt I was solidified as a master at my first love, music.
‘I don’t waste my time on something unless I’m deeply passionate about it. If I don’t wake up thinking about it and I’m not going to sleep dreaming about it, it’s not for me.’
The singer is currently two albums into a sprawling conceptual odyssey that has so far documented black influence on disco in 2021 release Renaissance and country in 2023’s groundbreaking Cowboy Carter
Beyoncé toured Renaissance across Europe and the United States before releasing Cowboy Carter in 2024
Those passions include a keen interest in whiskey, with the singer keen to branch into an already convoluted industry with her own brand.
‘I love everything about whiskey,’ she explained. ‘The color, the smell, the way it dances in the glass… and I love the stories that come with it.
‘Every bottle has a history. I also like introducing whiskey to people who don’t know they love it yet.’
For now, the singer is happy to indulge herself in personal passion projects that enable her to channel her creativity away from the recording studio.
She said: ‘My voice has always been my companion. It’s why I have always been able to be happy alone.
‘Music understands my heart even when I can’t find words. But always, it’s in those private sanctuaries – the studio, the car – where I find my peace.
‘I make honey, paint, decorate, swim, and design clothes and stages. I have written children’s books for my children and design animation.
‘Anything creative makes me happy.’
The full interview is available to read in the October edition of GQ magazine, out now.
