Congrats to Beyoncé on her win for Choice Music R&B/Hip-Hop Track: Run the World (Girls at the Teen Choice Awards!

Beyoncé will take the stage at New York‘s famed Roseland Ballroom for four nights of special performances this month. The set on each night of the 4 Intimate Nights With Beyoncé concerts will be the entire collection of her critically acclaimed album,4

For these four special nights, August 14, 16, 18 and 19, Beyoncé will perform her new songs to a standing room only audience.

Described by music critics as her most accomplished work yet, genre busting, bold and vibrant, 4 is a platform for the star to stretch her musical tastes and showcase her pitch-perfect voice. “What matters to Beyoncé is actually the music,” states NPR. And The New York Times calls her “relentlessly perfect.”

General ticket sales begin at 1PM EST on August 10 at Ticketmaster. Tickets for the the first concert date, August 14, will be available at starting at 1PM EST. Tickets for the August 16 concert date will be available for purchase starting at 2PM EST; August 18 concert tickets will be available at 3PM EST. Tickets for the final concert on August 19 will be available at 4PM EST.

Citi®, the official credit card of 4 Intimate Nights With Beyoncé, will offer its members presale tickets beginning at Noon EST on Wednesday, August 10 through the Citi Private Pass® Program.

Jimmy Fallon‘s adding a heavy dose of girl power to his Late Night show this Thursday: Beyoncé.

On July 28 Queen B, who’s out promoting her latest album 4, will hit the stage to sing “Best Thing I Never Had,” and she’ll be backed by Jimmy house band The Roots.

It’s a great booking for both Jimmy and Beyoncé. Fallon shows he can roll with the Lenos and Lettermans when it comes to booking top-tier talent, And Bey shows that Oprah farewells and major award shows aren’t the only things she’ll get out of bed for.

I’m looking forward to seeing what she brings to Fallon; will she crank things up like she did at the 2011 Billboard Awards? Or take it down a few notches and do something a bit more intimate? Will Questlove get a slow dance? We’ll see.

Excited for Thursday night’s show? Let us know.

Via Pridesource.com: If there’s any girl who runs the world, it’s Beyoncé. The reigning diva – she’s called Queen Bey for a reason, people – is one of the biggest and best voices behind a long run of hits dating back to the late ’90s, when she was part of supreme girl-group Destiny’s Child.

Years later, Beyoncé still demonstrates just how irreplaceable she is as a solo artist, having released four albums – and dedicating her latest one, “4,” to that accomplishment – with some of the most memorable and gay-celebrated singles in pop music history. Not every artist can say they’ve had a gay boy lead a football team to glory by performing “Single Ladies,” as seen on “Glee.” And not every artist can say they have 16 Grammy Awards, making her one of the most honored artists in Grammy history. But that’s Queen Bey, who’s also assembled a gaggle of gay fans who are – you guessed it – crazy in love with her.

In this exclusive chat with Beyoncé, her first gay press interview since 2006, the singer/actress/glamour-girl spoke about how the fierceness of her gay fans inspires her, the intimidation she’s feeling following in the footsteps of Judy and Barbra for her upcoming role in “A Star Is Born,” and what she really meant by the “girls” who run the world.

I know, according to you, the girls run the world – but what do you think about the girls and the gays teaming up and running the world together?

Well, that’s what I meant when I said girls. (Laughs)

Sure – we could all be one.

Yes, exactly! We are all one.

Do you know enough gay people so that we could successfully pull this off and take over the world?

Absolutely. I think it’s happening already. I remember my friends were telling me when the song “Run the World (Girls)” first came out in the clubs the kids were going crazy, and I thought it was so wonderful and I was so excited to know that the reception was so positive.

You don’t do a lot of gay press, but you have to know that you have a huge a gay following.

Yes, I do.

When did you feel a real connection with your gay fans?

I’ve always had a connection. Most of my audience is actually women and my gay fans, and I’ve seen a lot of the younger boys kind of grow up to my music. It’s great when I’m able to do the meet and greets, because I’m able to really connect and have conversations. People look at some of the artists that I admire – like Diana Ross and Cher – and they identity that glamour with Sasha Fierce, and I’ve been really inspired by the language. I have my (gay) stylists and my makeup artist, and all of their stories and the slang words I always put it in my music. We inspire each other. Like I said, we’re one.

What do gay people tell you when you meet them?

I have so many stories; I don’t even know where to begin. I know that I just recently had a contest where I had everyone reenact my artwork on Twitter. Just seeing some of the guys who dressed up – like my hairstylist dressed up as Sasha Fierce from “Single Ladies” for Halloween, and I saw so many people dressed up in that glove and bodysuit – really makes me feel like I’m doing my job and some of the fashion is making its mark. To know that people can be free and confident and do what they want themselves, and I can be the person they want to look like (laughs), it’s really such a blessing for me, and it’s very inspiring. I’m very happy and proud of that.

Yes, you’ve inspired lots of drag queens out there. What tips can you give them to be a better Beyoncé?

I have many different looks, so finding what works best for your silhouette and your face, because I’ve had every kind of hair style and I know for me there are certain things that I love to wear and there’s certain makeup and colors – bright colors on my eyes – that just don’t compliment my features. So I think just figuring out which Beyoncé works best for your figure and features.

For your upcoming role in the remake of “A Star Is Born,” you’ll be part of a lineage of gay icons including Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. How does it feel knowing that? Is it intimidating?

I’m slightly a bit intimated, I have to say. I feel a bit overwhelmed, and I’m still in shock. (Laughs) But the studio and Clint (Eastwood, the director) believe in me, and I feel like I’ve been really selective and I’ve waited and worked really hard and I’ve done different types of movies – from comedies to thrillers to drama when I played Etta James – and I really wanted to make sure I was ready. I do believe that at this point I am ready and I’ve been disciplined and I’ve surrounded myself with really good actors. I hope this is going to be as wonderful of an experience as I feel it’s going to be.

I just remember growing up seeing Barbra Streisand and knowing that she represented that generation’s star, and being an African-American woman and being the person that’s represented is such an honor. I respect it and I cherish it and I’m going to work so hard – harder than I’ve ever worked – to make sure that I live up to filling the shoes of those other women.

Last year, Lady Gaga made this remark in an interview with E!: “I was very excited to be working with Beyoncé again. It just sort of works out because we both like women.” What did she mean by that?

(Laughs) Well… I’m all about women working together and supporting each other and learning from each other, and I feel like sometimes women get a bad rap. It’s like we’re competitive and we can’t respect each other especially if we’re both out around the same time – they think we’re going to kill each other. And it’s all about women learning from each other, and I respect talent and I respect people that work hard – and good people.

I love Gaga. I mean, if she didn’t perform and she wasn’t a singer, just as a human being I love her to death. But on top of it, she is the most talented pop star right now, and I’m so happy for her. It’s just really inspiring to see someone who just creates their own destiny and comes up with their own looks and writes their own songs and choreographs and is in control and is not contrived. If you took away every bit of costume and she just sat in front of a piano, she would still tear it down. She’s just that talented, and she deserves it all. And I’m just happy to work with her. I love her.

“I Was Here,” a song on “4″ written by Diane Warren, is all about making a difference in people’s life. What do you hope is the affect you’ve had on your gay fans over the years?

I hope that I’ve given them confidence, and I hope that I’ve given them inspiration. I just want everyone to become a better person, and I hope that when they see me perform they can live out their fantasies and see my work ethic and apply it to their lives and be confident and proud. If they’re bootylicious, be proud; whoever they are, be proud. On this album, I really focused on making people feel good and feel love and know that there is love out there and goodness exists. I wanted to make a body of work that took risks – to be brave and be myself, and not focus on being cool.

That’s what I love about this album – you did what you wanted to do. Through that, you’ve taught gay fans how to stay true to themselves. What have you learned from them, though?

If anyone is brave and true to themselves, it’s my gay fans. The amount of confidence and fearlessness it takes to do what maybe is not what your parents expect you to do or what society may think is different – to be brave and be different and be to yourself – is just so beautiful. It’s the most beautiful thing you can be, and it’s what we all want to be at the end of the day. And not worrying about satisfying or becoming what other people think you’re supposed to be, that’s like the ultimate dream – to just be that brave.

Via Beyoncé.com: Reuters recently spoke with Beyoncé about her upcoming lead role in the Clint Eastwood remake of A Star Is Born, as well as the birth of her new Diane Warren-penned ballad, “I Was Here”. About the latter, Beyoncé revealed:

I got a call from Diane and she played the song on guitar over the phone, and I said, “Oh my god, I have to have this song.” It was inspired by September 11. It’s the tenth anniversary and I thought, “Wow, this really completes my album.”

Check out Beyoncé‘s AMAZING feature for Complex Magazine.

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Via Complex.com: Conventional wisdom holds that people should be afraid of turning 30. It’s the dreaded age when the biological clock starts tickin’ with the menace of a time bomb. Thirty is the point at which someone can call a woman “old”—and she will actually believe it. Conventional wisdom says that turning 16, 18, and 21 kicks ass. Turning 30 kicks rocks.

Of course conventional wisdom isn’t all that wise. Thirty ain’t all that bad. (In truth, women tend to be the most well-rounded and sexiest during their 30s. #justsayin) Still, it has a way of focusing people. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles turns 30 in September. She’s acutely aware of time slipping into the future. Her ticking clock, however, has nothing to do with insecure thoughts of feeling old or washed up. Not by a long shot.

No, Beyoncé is in a race against time because of a simple, bluntly put question: Where the f*&k does she go from here? What does thirtysomething feel like if you’ve accomplished everything most people could ever dream of—wealth, fame, artistic accolades, love—in your teens and twenties?

It turns out that, for Beyoncé, the answer to that question is equally simple (and bluntly put). Where does she go? Wherever the f*&k she wants to. Bey has spent the last 15 years paying dues. Now a worldwide icon, she has set her heart and mind to establishing a legacy that she’s determined will be dictated by artistic freedom. She’s not afraid of turning 30. If anything, the world should be afraid of her turning 30.

In March 2010, Beyoncé came off the world tour for her album, I Am…Sasha Fierce, and did something she hadn’t really done as an adult: She lived a normal life. After years maintaining a grueling work schedule that included exhaustive touring, she took a much-needed vacay. For the next year, she did all sorts of—for her—novel things. She slept in her own bed for days at a time. She went to concerts and movies and museums with friends. She spent time picking through the iTunes of her younger sister, Solange (who has a side gig as a DJ and whom Bey credits as her unofficial A&R), playing with her nephew, and watching documentary footage of Jean-Michel Basquiat painting from scratch.

Of course the whole “vacay” concept is a little different for Beyoncé. (For one, she traveled, too. And suffice it to say that you and I aren’t invited to a lot of the places she visited.) What did you do on your vacation? Well, the hardest working woman in entertainment started a production company and learned how to edit movies. And, in studios across the world, she recorded more than 60 songs, 12 of which appear on her latest album, 4, which was officially released in June. You see, whereas a yearlong hiatus for one of us might involve an inordinate number of hours spent in our pajamas, for Beyoncé, even downtime is work time. “I traveled; I read; I watched films,” she says. “Inspiration is all around us every second of the day.”

The inspiration for 4 came from a variety of sources, with the end result being something that doesn’t sound exactly like any of them. Dissatisfied with the state of contemporary radio, she set about brewing a concoction entirely of her own design, based on influences you’d expect her to cite, as well as ones that might surprise. “Figuring out a way to get R&B back on the radio is challenging,” she explains. “Everything sounds the same on the radio. With 4 I tried to mix R&B from the ’70s and the ’90s with rock ‘n’ roll and a lot of horns to create something new and exciting. I wanted musical changes, bridges, vibrata, live instrumentation, and classic songwriting.”

She started the process by jamming with the band from Fela!, the Broadway musical based on the life of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and recorded tracks everywhere from New York to Australia to Peter Gabriel’s studio in the English countryside city of Bath. And—hewing again to the “no rules” mantra of the process—she worked with collaborators both old (The-Dream, Babyface) and new (Switch, Sleigh Bells). She even chopped it up with Odd Future. “Jay had a CD playing in the car one Sunday when we were driving to Brooklyn,” she recalls of hearing Frank Ocean for the first time. “I noticed his tone, his arrangements, and his storytelling. I immediately reached out to him—literally the next morning. I asked him to fly to New York and work on my record.”

Andre 3000 is also on board. He makes an appearance on the Kanye West-produced track “Party.” Although it wasn’t her first time working with ’Ye, Beyoncé was particularly keen to reconvene in the studio with the man who made the moody “Runaway,” a song that drove her to the edge of tears the first time she heard it in a van heading to one of Jay’s shows. ’Ye played it for Bey on his birthday.

“The fact that he’s belting out his pain, his confusion, and his anger, with no pre-written lyrics, was so moving,” she says. “He’s singing his heart out for five minutes. He is so vulnerable. I love when an artist can be so honest.”

Released in April, the lead single, “Run the World (Girls),” swagger-jacked the beat from Major Lazer’s “Pon de Floor,” but it’s Bey’s full-throated vocal styling and her trademark feminist stamp that made the insane and souped-up riddim her own.

“I’ve found that with hit records the melody and lyrics come together [naturally],” she explains. “I usually know from the hook if the song is something that transcends language, race, and genre, and if it’s something that affects pop culture. It’s something I can visualize people singing in stadiums all over the world. But my favorite songs on my albums are usually not my singles.”

The world premiere of the “Run” video was, as expected, an event, presenting a post-Rapture world of sandy destruction and kinetic dancing. Bey channeled a bit of Tina Turner in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome mixed with a dash of Grace Jones in Conan the Destroyer, symbolically demonstrating that her drive to take over the world is still in effect.

Before she takes over the world, though, Beyoncé is taking control of her career. In March, she announced that she would no longer be managed by her father, Mathew Knowles. Both sides took pains to describe the split as amicable, but it was nonetheless a giant step for an artist whose family has played such a vital role in her career. Still, it’s a natural progression, and it’s not as if she doesn’t have other family members to bounce ideas off these days.

“Jay’s music is more than music. His lyrics have fathered generations,” she says of her husband of three years. “All that he has overcome gives millions so much hope. There are moments when I see his lips moving and I can see lyrics floating above his head and I think, ‘Wow! How did I get so lucky to be able to witness this level of genius so closely?’”

Whenever I feel bad, I use that feeling to motivate me to work harder,” says a much wiser, more mature Beyoncé, who learned from some early ordeals, including a period of depression during the first breakup of her first group, Destiny’s Child. “I only allow myself one day to feel sorry for myself. People who complain really get on my nerves. When I’m not feeling my best I ask myself, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me.”

That same call for inner strength was loudly spelled out in Destiny’s Child’s string of smash hits. Songs like “Independent Woman Part 1,” “Survivor,” and the extra-jelly-is-A-OK anthem “Bootylicious” forever linked DC with the term “female empowerment.” As a solo artist, Beyoncé would continue belting out pro-female calls to arms like “Irreplaceable” and “Best Thing I Never Had,” the second single (co-written by Babyface) from 4. Lines like “You showed your ass and I, I saw the real you” and “Oh yeah, I bet it sucks to be you right now,” have become the sassy method by which Bey can connect with her female listeners (the fellas can’t deny the tracks either).

Admittedly, there are times when the female unity is not so unified, like when Beyonce was photographed for the artwork of the “Best Thing” single. She wrote “King B” on a mirror with red lipstick, a nod to womanly control. The problem was that noted video director/tastemaker Vashtie Kola had previously appropriated the royal moniker for herself, and made a sly remark on Twitter about Bey’s use of it.

There have been other confrontational moments—or, at least, perceived conflict. A portion of the public has been convinced for a while now that there’s tension between Beyoncé and her ex-bandmate Kelly Rowland despite the two of them denying reports and appearing together in public as friends. The fact that both released singles on the same day back in ’08 was somehow interpreted to mean that Bey was trying to sabotage Kelly. (This year, the Internet went nuts when Rowland’s latest single, “Motivation,” toppled “Run the World” on iTunes, as if it was some sort of karma.) The gossip queens also insisted there would be a full-scale war between Beyoncé and Lady Gaga even though the two have collaborated twice in the past. The rumors, as it turned out, were just that—rumors.

Then, of course, there is Bey’s “rival” Rihanna. This “feud” at least makes sense to a degree, even if both women have insisted there is no rivalry. The Bajan superstar, who has had a shorter yet stellar career of her own, has repeatedly (and respectfully) stated in interviews that she has always looked up to Beyonce, rightfully so.

Bey, who continually makes Forbes lists and racks up Grammys (her six wins in one night at the 2010 ceremony is a record for a female artist), doesn’t fret too much over the drama—even if you can tell the question irks her, simply in the asking. “There is room on this earth for many queens,” she begins diplomatically, before drawing a few not-at-all subtle lines of distinction. “I have an authentic, God-given talent, drive, and longevity that will always separate me from everyone else. I’ve been fortunate to accomplish things that the younger generation of queens dream of accomplishing. I have no desire for anyone else’s throne. I am very comfortable in the throne I’ve been building for the past 15 years.”

The funny thing is, her effortless comfort in that throne is the thing that separates her from the competition—the Queen is a commoner at heart. She’s chummy with Oprah and sang the first dance for the new generation President and his wife, but she’ll stop and boogie at a block party while visiting her mother-in-law in West Orange, New Jersey (as captured on a YouTube clip last year).

Beyoncé’s not claiming perfection; she’d just like to be afforded the freedom that goes with being what she rightfully is: one of the most accomplished recording artists of the 21st century. She’d like to explain to you what that’s like, but ultimately, she’s the only one who really knows how it feels. “It’s important to have no boundaries in my music,” she muses. “The beautiful thing about art is that you can create a fantasy in your mind about what you think a song is about. Only the writer truly knows what or whom the song is about.”

Talent and drive. Style and design. The former may come naturally, but the latter are products of work, work, and more work: “I just want my legacy to be great music. Someone who was a risk taker and someone who had songs that struck conversation and emotion.” You can be afraid of 30 if you want, but that’s not what’s keeping Beyonce up at night.

NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis flight crew were given a surprise call from Beyonce with her single ‘Run The World (Girls)’.

The astronauts of STS-135 were woken up with the pre-recorded message from the singer on Flight Day 9. Beyonce addressed the crew with her single playing in the background.

“Good morning Atlantis. This is Beyoncé,” said the 29-year-old. “Sandy, Chris, Doug, and Rex, you inspire all of us to dare to live our dreams—to know that we’re smart enough and strong enough to achieve this. This song is especially for my girl Sandy and all the women who’ve taken us to space with them, and the girls who are our future explorers.”

Sandy thanked the R&B singer for getting in touch with the crew, she said: “Good morning, Houston. A big thanks to Beyoncé for taking the time out of her schedule to record us a greeting and we’re ready for another day here on Atlantis.”

Beyonce has claimed that she can pick a hit song upon the first listen because she pictures people singing it in stadiums but she confessed that her favourite tracks aren’t typically her singles.

The ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ singer admitted that she can tell from “the hook” of a song if it will be popular.

In a recent interview with Complex magazine, the 29-year-old said: “I’ve found that with hit records the melody and lyrics come together [naturally]. I usually know from the hook if the song is something that transcends language, race, and genre, and if it’s something that affects pop culture.

She also added: “It’s something I can visualise people singing in stadiums all over the world. But my favourite songs on my albums are usually not my singles.”

After declaring that she’s loves Jay-Z on the Billboard Music Awards earlier this year, the singer also discussed her husband’s talents.

“Jay’s music is more than music. His lyrics have fathered generations. All that he has overcome gives millions so much hope,” she said.

Beyonce is appearing on Jay-Z’s new collaborative album with Kanye West, which will be released in August.

Beyonce is big friends with Kanye West, and is even appearing on his collaborative album with her husband Jay-Z, but BeyBey confessed that she cried after hearing his song ‘Runaway’.

The track from his critically-acclaimed album ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ moved the singer to tears after her first listen.

In an interview with Complex magazine, the 29-year-old said: “The fact that he’s belting out his pain, his confusion, and his anger, with no pre-written lyrics, was so moving.

“He’s singing his heart out for five minutes. He is so vulnerable. I love when an artist can be so honest.”

Did you think Kanye West’s track was “moving”, are you surprised Beyonce cried?