INTRODUCTION

She is one of the most impressive artists of the new millennium, but an individual in her own right. She's praised for her exciting and innovative performance in music and film, and respected for her down-to-earth persona. With her grace, beauty, charm, and gift for entertaining, Knowles has become a star and an American icon. Beyonce is an American actress and singer who became famous as a member of the female band that had the biggest sales in history"Destiny's Child". The Beautiful Beyonce is a complex artist, extremely talented and expressive who always wants to reinvent herself, often changing her hairstyle. I have chosen to talk about Beyonce because, in my opinion, she is not only the most talented artist in the world but she is also very beautiful and quite skillful in the way she sings and dances. What I really like about her is that although she is an international celebrity she behaves and talks to her fans as if she talked to her friends, being very sociable and close to everyone.

CHAPTER 1. Life
Beyonc Giselle Knowle (born September 4, 1981), often known by the monoym Beyonc, is an American recording artist, actress and fashion designer. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child one of the world's best selling girl groups of all time. During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Knowles released her debut solo album Dangerously in love in 2003, which spawned the number one hits "Crazy in love" and "Baby boy" and became one of the most successful albums of that year, earning her a then record-tying five Grammy Awards. Following the group's disbandment in 2005, Knowles released her second solo album, B'Day in 2006. It debuted at number one on the Bilboard 200 and included the hits "Irreplaceble" and "Beautiful liar .Her third solo album I am... Sacha Fierce was released in 2008, and included the anthemic "Single ladies (Put a ring on it). The album earned Knowles six Grammys at the 52nd Grammy Awards breaking the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night.
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Apart from her work in music, Knowles has also launched a career in acting. In 2001, she made her debut in the musical film Carmen: A hip opera prior to appearing in major films, including Dreamgirl (2006), which earned her two Golden Globe nominations, and Cadillac Records (2008). In 2004, Knowles and her mother introduced their family's fashion line, House of Dereon and has also endorsed brands such as Pepsi, Tommy Hilfinger, Armani and L'Oreal. In June 2010, Knowles was ranked second on Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world, and first on its list of the Most Powerful and Influential musicians in the world. Knowles has earned numerous awards and accolades. She is one of the most honored artists by the Grammys, and third among female artists, with a total of 16 Grammy Awards 13 as a solo artist and 3 as a member of Destiny's Child. Knowles was ranked the 4th Artist of the 2000s decade Billboard and was listed the most successful female artist of the decade, as well as the top radio artist of the decade. The Recording Industry of America (RIAA), also listed Knowles as the top certified artist of the decade. In the United States alone, Knowles has sold over 11.2 million albums and nearly 25 million singles as of May 2010. As of September 2009, she has sold 75 million records worldwide as a solo artist, making her one of the best selling women artist of all time. CHAPTER 2: Early life and career beginnings Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Mathew Knowles a professional record manager, and Tina Knowles (Beyonc), a costume designer and hair stylist. Knowles' father is African American and her mother is of Creole (African, Native American, and French) descent. Knowles was baptized after her mother's maiden name, as a tribute to her mother. She is the elder sister of Solange a singer-songwriter and actress. 2.1 Her School Knowles was schooled at St. Mary's Elementary School in Texas, where she enrolled in dance classes, including ballet and jazz. Her talent in singing was discovered when her dance instructor began humming a song and she finished it, hitting the high-pitched notes. Knowles' interest in music and performing began after participating in a school talent show. She sang John Lennon's "Imagine" and won the competition. At age seven, Knowles started gaining attention from the

press, having been mentioned in the Houstle Chronical as a nominee for the local performing arts award The Sammy. In the fall of 1990, Knowles enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she would perform on-stage with the school's choir. She also attended the High School For A visual Contact in Houston and later went to Alief Elsik High School, located in the Houston suburban munincipality, Alief. Knowles was a soloist in the choir of her church, in St. John's United Methodist Church. She only lasted in the choir for two years. 2.2 Beyonce's friends At the age of eight, Knowles met LaTavia Roberson while in an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. They, along with Knowles' friend Kelly Rowland, were placed into a group that performed rapping and dancing. Originally named Girl's Time, they were eventually cut down to six members. West coast R&B producer Arne Frager flew into Houston to see them. He eventually brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studios, in Northem California, with Knowles' vocals being featured. As part of efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major label record deal, Frager's strategy was to dbut them in Star Search, the biggest talent show on national TV at the time. Girl's Tyme participated in the competition but lost it because the song they performed was not good, Knowles herself admitted Knowles had her first "professional setback" after that defeat but regained confidence after learning that pop stars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake had also the same experience. To manage the group, Knowles' father (who was at that time a medical-equipment salesman) resigned in 1995 from his job. He dedicated his time and established a "boot camp" for their training. The move reduced Knowles' family's income by half and her parents were forced to move into separated apartments. They auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records. They moved to Atlanta to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the record company in 1995. They returned home to start over again. This eventually put a strain on the family, and Beyonc's parents separated briefly when she was 14. In 1996, the family reunited, and shortly after, the girls got a contract with Columbia Records.

Chapter 3: Destiny's Child era and depression 3.1 Destiny's Child

Knowles' music is generally contemporary R&B, but she also incorporates pop, funk, hip hop, and soul into her songs. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Knowles recorded several Spanish records for the re-release of B'Day. Prior to recording the Spanish titles on the album's re-release, Knowles was coached phonetically by American record producer, Rudy Perez. She also recorded a Spanish song during her time in Destiny's Child, and received favorable responses from their Latin fans. Knowles learned Spanish in school when she was young, but can now only speak a few words of the language. In November 2009, Gary Trust writing for Bilboard Magazine commented that Knowles' third studio album, I am... Sacha Fierce "clearly represent[ed] four very different sides" of the singer artistry, judging from the fact that "If I were a boy" was "an intimate, acoustic turn", "Single lady's (Put a ring on it) oppositely aimed for more R&B/hip-hop audiences and ultimately become a pop-culture crossover smash, "Halo" fared best at mainstream top 40 radio and "Sweet dreams" is "perhaps the most pure dance song Beyonce has ever released." He concluded by writing that the variety of sounds in the album's singles follows the tradition of albums that "not only produced a bounty of radio hits, but also an artistic mini-reinvention on each track."

Since Destiny's Child, Knowles has artistically been involved in her career. She received co-writing credits for most of the songs recorded by the group, as well as her solo efforts. Known for writing personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions, Knowles has stated that having Jay-Z in her life has changed a few of her thoughts about how men and women relate to one another, which helped her transition from writing songs such as "Independent women" and "Survivor" to man-tending anthems such as, "Cater 2U" in which she sings about bringing him slippers and drawing his bath. Some of her songs are autobiographical, which she has admitted are taken from personal experiences, as well as her friends'. Knowles has also received co-producing credits for most of the records in which she has been involved, especially during her solo efforts. However, she does not formulate beats herself, but typically comes up with melodies and ideas during production, sharing them with producers. Knowles was recognized as a songwriter during the run of Destiny's Child in the 1990s and early to mid-2000s. She won the Pop Songwriter of the Year award at the 2001 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publisher Pop Music Awards, becoming the first African-American female and second female songwriter of all time to accomplish the feat Knowles received songwriting credits in a single year for co-writing "Irreplaceable", "Grillz" and "Check on it", all of which reached number one on the Hot 100, the only woman to have written three songs which went to numberone in the same year since Carole King did it in 1971 and Mariah Careyin 1991. In terms of credits, she is tied with Diane Warren at third with nine number-one singles. 3.2 Beyonce's voice

Knowles possesses a mezzo soprano vocal range that spans more than three octaves. She has often been identified as the centerpiece of Destiny's Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that she has the voice that defines the group, writing that her voice is "velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting". Other critics praise her range and power. Chris Richards of The Washington Post wrote, "Even when she's coasting, she soars above her imitators. It's all in her voicea superhuman instrument capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars. Smitten, scorned, amorous, antagonisticBeyonc sings from all of these vantage points with undeniable virtuosity." Cove magazine ranked Knowles seventh on their list of "The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists", giving her 48 out of 50 points based on several criteria ranging from her vocal ability to range to harmony. Knowles has often been criticized for oversinging. A prominent employer of melisma, she earns frequent comparison to such artists as Mariah Carey, whose vocal embellishments have been known to detract from the melody of their songs. Editors from Eye Weekly wrote, "Theres no question that Beyonc is one of the best singers in pop, maybe one of the best alive... [However] as judicious as her singing can be, the effect in sum is still like being hit in the head with a fist in a velvet glove." Chapter 4: Stage and alter ego In 2006, Knowles introduced her all-female tour band Suga Mama, which includes bassists, drummers, guitarists, horn players, keyboardists and percussionists. They made their dbut appearance at the 2006 BET Awards and re-appeared in the music videos for "Irreplaceable" and "Green Light". The band has supported Knowles in live performances, including her 2007 concert tour, The Beyonce Experience. 4.1 Her live performance Knowles often receives praise for her stage presence and live performances. In March 2011, Jarett Wieselman of The New York Post placed Knowles at number one on her list of The Five Best Singer/Dancers, writing, "the megastar consistently devote[s] every ounce of her to the routine." In reviewing her live show for her 2009 I am...Tour, Renee Michelle Harris of the South Florida Times wrote, Knowles "owns the stage with her trademark swagger and

intensity... showcasing her powerful vocals without missing a note, often while engaged in vigorous, perfectly executed dance moves...no one, not Britney, not Ciara and not Rihana can offer what she doesa complete package of voice, moves and presence." Babara Ellen of The Guardian wrote, "whether charismatic and soulful, or teasing and flirty, Beyonc is, above all, in charge. Probably the most "in charge" of any female artist I've seen onstage". In reviewing her I Am... Tour, Alice Jones of The Independent wrote, "Watching Beyonc sing and strut her stuff can feel at best overawing, at worst, alienating. She takes her role as entertainer so seriously she's almost too good." Tamara Hardingham-Gill of the Daily Mail wrote, "many industry experts have been tipping Beyonc as the next Michael Jackson. While its far too early for such comparisons, she certainly proved that she is one of the most exciting and talented performers around and may well go down in history as such". Reviewers have praised Knowles live vocal performances. In reviewing one of her performances, Jim Farber of The Daily News wrote "Beyonc showed off pipes of steely power. As the song's signature horn riff pumped away, she soared over the melody with athletic ease. The way Beyonc used her body intensified the sense of triumph. With her hair teased into Medusa-like tresses, a pelvis in perpetual churn and legs long enough to make Tina Turner proud, Beyonc's presence punctuated her singing like an exclamation point." Stephanie Classen of the Star Phoenix declares "Beyonc is no ordinary performer... from note one, the 27-year-old powerhouse rose above all the gimmicks, mastering the show like a sexy alien overlord princess. Nothing but extraterrestrial origins could explain that voice.... [Beyonc] could perform circles around any other pop star today." Editors from Newsday wrote, "She proves that hot choreography and strong vocals don't have to be mutually exclusive... No worries of lip-synching here." 4.2 Her behavior on the stage Known for being sexy, seductive and provocative when performing on stage, Knowles has stated that's her alter ego, Sasha Fierce. She described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating "I'm not like her in real life at all ... I'm not flirtatious and super-confident and fearless like her. What I feel onstage I don't feel anywhere else. It's an out-of-body experience. I created my stage persona to protect myself so that when I go home I don't have to think about what it is I do. Sasha isn't me. The people around me know who I really
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am." Although Sasha was born during the making of her 2003 hit single, "Crazy in Love" Knowles introduced her alter ego with the release of her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce in 2008. In February 2010, Knowles announced in an interview with Allure magazine that "Sasha Fierce is done. I killed her". She then went on saying that she is comfortable enough with herself to be all of those things without an alias, stating "I don't need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I've grown and now I'm able to merge the two. As one of the most media-exposed black celebrities in the United States, Knowles has often received criticism that some believe is due to racism and sexism. In 2006, the animal rights organization, PETA, had criticized Knowles for wearing fur coats and using fur in her clothing line, House of Dereon. The organization said they had previously attempted to reach Knowles through faxes, letters and rallies outside her concerts. However with no reply, PETA confronted her at a dinner in New York. During the release of pop singer Rihana's second album, A Girl Like Me, many critics felt that her image was too heavily similar to Knowles'. In 2007, Knowles was featured on the cover of the Sports Ilustrated Issue, the first non-model and non-athlete woman to pose on the issue and the second African American model after Tyra Banks. In the same year, Knowles appeared on billboards and newspapers across the United States showing her holding an antiquated cigarette holder. Taken from the back cover of B'Day, the image provoked response from an anti-smoking group, stating that she did not need to add the cigarette holder "to make herself appear more sophisticated". Knowles has several wax figures of herself at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York, Washington DC Amsterdam, Bangok and Hollywood.

Chapter 5: Fahion In March 2009, comparisons were made between the fashions of Knowles and R&B singer Ciara, when the latter released the music video of her single, "Love Sex Magic". In the video, Ciara is seen wearing a black leotard and metallic glasses, similar to those worn by Knowles in both her "single Ladies (put a ring on it) and "Diva" videos. However, Ciara stated that her outfits were "inspired by the Vegas shows" she attended. In September 2010, Knowles made her runway modelling debut at Tom Fords Spring/Summer 2011 fashion show. In

February 2011, LA Times magazine placed Knowles at number twenty-five on its list of the 50 Most Beautiful Women in Film. In the same month, Knowles appeared on the cover of the March issue of the French fashion magazine, L'Officiel, in honour of the magazine's 90th anniversary, and in tribute to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. She appeared in blackface makeup and tribal makeup, that has drawn criticism from the media. A statement released from a spokesperson for the magazine, said that Knowles' look was "far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce" and explained that it was "a return to her African roots, as you can see on the picture, on which her face was voluntarily darkened." Chapter 6: Other ventures 6.1Clothing lines Knowles and her mother introduced House of Dereon, a ready-to-wear contemporary women's fashion line, in 2005. The concept is inspired by three generations of women in their family, with the name Deron paying tribute to Knowles' grandmother, Agnz Deron, who worked as a seamstress. According to Tina Knowles, the overall style of the line best reflects Knowles' taste and style. Launched in 2006, products of House of Deron received public exhibitions during the group's shows and tours during the Destiny Fulffiled era.The store, which is available across the United States and Canada, sells sportswear, denim along with fur, outerwear and accessories including handbags. Knowles also teamed up with House of Brands, a local shoe company, to produce a range of footwear for House of Deron. In 2004, Knowles and her mother founded their family's company Beyond Productions, which provides the licensing and brand management for House of Deron. In early 2008, they launched Beyonc Fashion Diva, a mobile game with an online social networking component, featuring House of Deron. In July 2009, Knowles and her mother launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deron, for back-to-school selling. The collection, which is inspired by Knowles' stage presence, consists of sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. The clothing line was picked up by department stores including Macy's and Dillard's and specialty stores, Jimmy Jazz and Agains all Odds In May 2010, Knowles teamed up with clothing store C&A to release her Dereon clothing line labeled, Deron by Beyonc for C&A. The collection was only made available in Brazilian C&A stores.
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6.2 Products and endorsements In 2002, Knowles signed a promotional deal with Pepsi, which included appearances on TV commercials, radio and Internet advertisements, as well as in-store promotional materials. A 2004 Pepsi TV commercial in the theme of "Gladiators" featured Knowles with singers Britney Spears, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias and the following year with Jennifer Lopez and David Beckham entitled "Samurai". Knowles' range of commercial deals and products also includes beauty care products and perfumes. Knowles has worked with L'Oreal since the age of 18. She launched Tommy Hilfinger's True Star fragrance, in 2004. Knowles sang a cover version of "Wishing On a Star" for the True Star commercials, for which she earned $250,000. She also launched Hilfiger's True Star Gold in 2005 and Emporio Armani's Diamonds in 2007. Forbes reported that Knowles earned $80 million between June 2007 and June 2008, combined with her album, tour, fashion business, and promotional deals. This made her the world's second best-paid music personality for this span of time. In 2009, Forbes listed Knowles fourth on its list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the world, third on its list of the top-grossing musicians, and number one on the list of top Best-Paid Celebs Under 30 with over $87 million dollars in earnings between 2008 and 2009. In June 2010, Forbes placed Knowles at number three on its 2010 Celebrity Power List with $87 million in grosses thanks to a 93-date world tour, deals with Nintendo and L'Oral and her House of Deron clothing line. Knowles was also listed at number two on the list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the world and subsequently turned out to be the best paid female artist. On October 7, 2010, Forbes recognized Knowles as the ninth most overall powerful woman in the world. In December 2010, Forbes reported that Knowles earned $87 million from January 2010 to December 2010 and eventually ranked her at the ninth place on its list of the "Hollywood's 20 highest-earning men and women of 2010". Knowles was the only artist to break the top ten. In February 2010, Knowles launched her debut fragrance, Heat. As part of the scent's advertising campaign, Knowles re-recorded her cover version of "Fever" for the fragrance's television commercial. In an interview with WWD Beauty, Knowles explained the concept behind the fragrance, stating "A lot of my performances have had fire involved, so we thought Heat. Also, red is one of my favorite colors, as is gold. Everything, from the bottle design to the name

and the ideas for the commercialsthats me". In November 2010, it was revealed that the fragrance's television commercial had been banned from UK daytime TV, after it received 14 viewer complaints. The commercial, which begins with an image of the Knowles appearing to lie naked in a room, has been deemed "too sexually provocative" to be seen by young children and has not be shown on British TV before 7.30pm. Chapter 7: Relationship with Jay-Z The 29-year-old Dreamgirls singer first dated Jay-Z around 2002 and kept their relationship under wraps until finally tying the knot in April of 2008 amongst such fanfare and media attention. The news that she had remained a virgin during her teens and adult life until finally getting married may be shocking to some but it was the truth according to the singer. As attractive as she is she had only one boyfriend before meeting the record mogul Jay-Z and they kept their integrity throughout their relationship until their relationship got serious. That is surprising for todays standards but emphasizes the type of quality relationship the two have had and is an inspiration for other young people out there that its okay to keep themselves chaste until the right one comes along.

Chapter 8: 7 things that you did not know about Beyonce 1. She is the winning solo artist of five Grammy Awards. 2. Her name is also Giselle. 3. When she started singing in Destiny's Child, the band was proud to have the best album sales. 4. At the age of seven, she won the top prize in a competition for children singing the song "Imagine" by John Lennon. 5. In 2002, Beyonc was the first black woman to win a prize "the composer of the American Association of Composers, Authors and Writers for the song "Survivor". 6. She would have liked to have Latin origins. 7. Beyonc posed in Alice in Wonderland in a commercial for Disney parks.

CONCLUSION
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Beyonce is a singer of a great value, she is very talented, respects her fans and has succeeded so far in amazing everyone with each project she has undertaken. She has won many awards both for composition and interpretation, managing to be the first black woman who has been named "Composer of the Year " (2001) by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Beyonce is unique, any imitation of her will remain just a simple imitation and often a poor one. I do not need more than Beyonce. I enjoy listening to beautiful songs interpreted by talented artists who love music and dedicate part of their souls to those who listen to their music. It is so simple to spot the artist that is cut out for a certain kind of entertainment, who has a call and a special relation with his or her audience. Real artists do not analyse their performance in terms of money but in terms of devotion and that makes the difference.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyonc%C3%A9_Knowles http://www.beyonceonline.com/us/home http://www.starmania.ro/star/beyonce_qi.html

http://www.acasatv.ro/stiri-despre/beyonce

Magazines: Tabu Cosmopolitan People

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