Beyonce: New Album Is More 'Sensual' and 'Empowering'

By Rolling Stone | Rolling Stone – Tue, Feb 12, 2013 11:10 AM EST

Beyoncé's new album will be "a lot more sensual" and "empowering" than her previous releases, the singer told Vogue as part of an extensive profile that touched on motherhood and her career.

The singer, who performed at the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this month, said most of the recording happened last summer in the Hamptons with collaborators and producers including The-Dream, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. She described a relaxed atmosphere. "We had dinners with the producers every day, like a family," she said. "It was like a camp. Weekends off. You could go and jump in the pool and ride bikes . . . the ocean and grass and sunshine. . . . It was really a safe place."

Super Bowl XLVII: The Night Belonged to Beyonce

Describing the new album as a combination of sounds from her last LP, 4, and 2008's I Am . . . Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé talked candidly about how becoming a mother influenced her music: "Right now, after giving birth, I really understand the power of my body," she said. "I just feel my body means something completely different. I feel a lot more confident about it. Even being heavier, thinner, whatever. I feel a lot more like a woman. More feminine, more sensual. And no shame." 

The birth last year of Blue Ivy, her daughter with Jay-Z, also has Beyoncé thinking about more children, adding, "When I was younger, there were moments where I said, 'I'm not going to have children. And then moments when I wanted four. And now I definitely want another, but I don't know when." 

Though there's no release date set for the follow-up to 4, this Saturday will see the premiere of Beyoncé's self-directed autobiographical documentary for HBO, Life Is But a Dream. Comprising concert and behind-the-scenes footage, as well as intimate, personal moments – including Blue Ivy's sonogram – Beyoncé says, "This movie has healed me in so many ways. It makes me want to cry . . . I'm very passionate about it, and it just feels good."

Along with the documentary and new album, Beyoncé is also set to embark on a world tour that kicks off April 15th in Belgrade, Serbia, with 22 Stateside dates to follow starting June 28th in Los Angeles and wrapping up August 3rd in Brooklyn.

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This article originally appeared on Rolling Stone: Beyonce: New Album Is More 'Sensual' and 'Empowering'

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