Beyoncé Drops Huge Bombshells On Vogue Cover

Beyoncé made the cover of Vogue’s prestigious September issue on which the singer speaks candidly about race, body image, creativity and her children.

Beyoncé on the cover of Vogue September 2018 Issue. Photo: Tyler Mitchell for Vogue

Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, gave the singer an unprecedented amount of editorial control of the issue. And this control showed every step of the way in the cover.

The photos were shot by Tyler Mitchell, the first African-American photographer to shoot a Vogue cover. The powerful, celestial pictures were reminiscent of Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement in February 2017. Beyonce said:

“There are so many cultural and societal barriers to entry that I like to do what I can to level the playing field, to present a different point of view for people who may feel like their voices don’t matter,” the singer said. She described her Coachella performance in April, which featured much African American symbolism, as “a celebration of all the people who sacrificed more than we could ever imagine, who moved the world forward so that it could welcome a woman of colour to headline such a festival.”

Beyoncé on the cover of Vogue September 2018 Issue. Photo: Tyler Mitchell for Vogue

But that was not all that stood out in this issue. Beyoncé, like never before, opened up about a few things, with the cover feature written in her own words.

The Lemonade singer talked about the emergency caesarian section she needed for the birth of her and Jay-Z’s twins, unlike that of her first child Blue Ivy. She also revealed her subsequent Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay after the birth of her and Jay-Z’s twins, Sir and Rumi Carter. She resisted pressure to follow “the things society said about how my body should look” and “embraced being curvier”.

Beyoncé on the cover of Vogue September 2018 Issue. Photo: Tyler Mitchell for Vogue

She also stated how much of a “soldier” her supportive husband was in that difficult time. Beyoncé mentioned her family having a “lineage of broken male-female relationships, abuse of power, and mistrust. Only when I saw that clearly was I able to resolve those conflicts in my own relationship.” This refers to the marital discord between her and husband Jay-Z, who it is rumoured was unfaithful.

Queen Bey also spoke of her road to self-love, representation in the arts, and how the revelations in her ancestry influence her relationship with her children.

Beyoncé on the cover of Vogue September 2018 Issue. Photo: Tyler Mitchell for Vogue

Beyoncé said she is descended from a slave owner, stating:

“I researched my ancestry recently and learned that I come from a slaveowner who fell in love with and married a slave,” she said. “I had to process that revelation over time. I questioned what it meant and tried to put it into perspective. I now believe it’s why God blessed me with my twins. Male and female energy was able to coexist and grow in my blood for the first time. I pray that I am able to break the generational curses in my family and that my children will have less complicated lives.”

Beyoncé on the cover of Vogue September 2018 Issue. Photo: Tyler Mitchell for Vogue

She added that a favourite moment on her recent tour with her husband occurred in Berlin:

“One of the most memorable moments for me on the On the Run II tour was the Berlin show at Olympiastadion, the site of the 1936 Olympics. This is a site that was used to promote the rhetoric of hate, racism, and divisiveness, and it is the place where Jesse Owens won four gold medals, destroying the myth of white supremacy. Less than 90 years later, two black people performed there to a packed, sold-out stadium. When Jay and I sang our final song, we saw everyone smiling, holding hands, kissing, and full of love. To see such human growth and connection – I live for those moments.”

After five albums with girl group Destiny’s Child and six solo albums, Beyoncé recently released the album Everything Is Love, as the Carters, in collaboration with her husband.