Beyoncé Knowles has wowed the world with her musical gifts and business prowess for decades, breaking numerous music industry records along the way. Passionate and hardworking, Queen B is a chart-topping performer, entrepreneur, and mother of three whose powerful vocals, singular talent, and trademark confidence continue to set her apart.
Beyoncé began singing in local talent shows in Houston, Texas, eventually breaking through as the lead vocalist of the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She launched her solo career with the album “Dangerously in Love” in 2003, and went on to become the only musical artist whose first six studio albums topped the Billboard charts. She has performed at a presidential inauguration, multiple Super Bowls, and was the first Black woman to headline the Coachella festival. In 2021, she broke the Grammy record for the most career wins by a female artist, with 28 awards. The pop superstar believes in keeping busy — she’s also an actress and filmmaker, and has launched fashion and fragrance lines.
You don't become Queen Bey without a healthy dose of faith and tenacity, and Beyoncé often speaks about her belief in herself, and her passion for challenging her own limits. In these 17 quotes, she reflects on the self-determination, self-care, and perseverance that fuel her illustrious career.
I don't like to gamble, but if there's one thing I'm willing to bet on, it's myself.
We're all going through our problems but we all have the same insecurities, and we all have the same abilities, and we all need each other.
To me, power is making things happen without asking for permission.
I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That's how I've gotten to where I am.
Women have to take the time to focus on our mental health — take time for self, for the spiritual, without feeling guilty or selfish. The world will see you the way you see you, and treat you the way you treat yourself.
I’m not happy if I’m not improving, evolving, moving forward, inspiring, teaching, and learning.
If everything was perfect, you would never learn, and you would never grow.
The more I mature, the more I understand my value.
Your self-worth is determined by you. You don't have to depend on someone telling you who you are.
I’m more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand.
I felt like it was time to set up my future, so I set a goal. My goal was independence.
Not enough Black women had a seat at the table so I had to go and chop down that wood and build my own table.
Don’t let the world make you feel that you have to look a certain way to be brilliant.
Do what you were born to do. You just have to trust yourself.
I embrace mistakes. They make you who you are.
It is so liberating to really know what I want, what truly makes me happy, what I will not tolerate. I have learned that it is no one else’s job to take care of me but me.
I run my world.
Photo credit: BET Awards 2020 / Contributor/ via Getty Images
