Queen B is notoriously difficult to pin down for an interview. The superstar remains something of an enigma, which is why the fact she granted Elle an interview at all is a pretty big deal.
She hadn't done a proper in-depth interview in three years, so there was bound to be some interesting revelations included.
She loves Topshop.
"I've been shopping at Topshop for probably 10 years now. It's one of the only places where I can actually shop by myself. It makes me feel like a teenager. Whenever I was in London, it was like a ritual for me—I'd put my hat down low and have a good time getting lost in clothes."
She wants women to take better care of themselves.
"It's not about perfection. It's about purpose. We have to care about our bodies and what we put in them. Women have to take the time to focus on our mental health—take time for self, for the spiritual, without feeling guilty or selfish."
She doesn't want to be boxed in by labels.
"I don't want calling myself a feminist to make it feel like that's my one priority, over racism or sexism or anything else. I'm just exhausted by labels and tired of being boxed in. If you believe in equal rights, the same way society allows a man to express his darkness, to express his pain, to express his sexuality, to express his opinion—I feel that women have the same rights."
This is what she had to say about her controversial Formation video.
"But let's be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me."