NEW YORK (Top40 Charts) The former
Destiny's Child lead singer revealed that her fans inspired the title for the new album!
"We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me," she told Billboard. "It's the day I was born. My mother's birthday and a lot of my friends' birthdays are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date.
I had a whole other name and concept, but I keep seeing that the fans love the name '4' and I think it would be a really nice thing to let them name the record
It's definitely riskier than something a bit more ... simple. I just heard the track and loved that it was so different. It felt a bit African, a bit electronic and futuristic. It reminded me of what I love, which is mixing different cultures and eras - things that typically don't go together - to create a new sound. 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," she said.
"That's how I've gotten to where I am."
Beyonce's new album '4,' however, was inspired by everyone from Fela Kuti to Rage Against the Machine.
"I started off being inspired by [Afrobeat music pioneer] Fela Kuti. I actually worked with the band from 'Fela!' [the hit Broadway musical based on his life] for a couple of days, just to get the feel for the soul and heart of his music... I also found a lot of inspiration in '90s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie... I listened to a lot of Jackson 5 and New Edition, but also Adele, Florence + the Machine, and Prince," she said.
During her year off, she also was able to go to many live shows: "I never get to go to concerts because I'm usually performing, so I saw so many shows - great bands, like Muse and Rage Against the Machine, that also inspired the album."
As for her starring role in Clint Eastwood's forthcoming remake of the film "A Star Is Born,": "Clint Eastwood is clearly the absolute best, and I'm so honored and humbled. I was in no rush to do another movie unless it was the right film, and I didn't even want to touch 'A Star Is Born' unless it was with him."
"4," due out in June and Beyonce will release the video for 'Run the World (Girls)' on Friday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
