life of beyonce | Page 8

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."[142] 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."[143]

Known for being sexy, seductive and provocative when performing on stage, Knowles has stated that's her alter ego, Sasha Fierce.[29] 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 am."[29] 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."[144]

Public image





Knowles performing "Ave Maria" during her I Am... Tour in 2009

Knowles has stated, "I like to dress sexy and I carry myself like a lady," but she has said that the way she dresses on stage is "absolutely for the stage".[145] The media oftenly use the term "Bootylicious" (a combination of the words booty and delicious), to describe Knowles because of her curves.[146][147][148] The term was made widely known by the Destiny's Child hit song of the same name, and has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.[149] As someone who is fond of fashion, Knowles combines its artistic elements with her music videos and performances. According to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, she uses different styles and tries to harmonize it with the music while performing.[150] The B'Day Anthology Video Album showed many instances of fashion-oriented footage, depicting classic to contemporary wardrobe styles.[151] People magazine recognized Knowles as the best-dressed celebrity in 2007.[152] Knowles' mother wrote a 2002-published book, titled Destiny's Style: Bootylicious Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Secrets From Destiny's Child, an account of how fashion had an impact on Destiny's Child's success.[153]

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.[154] Toure of Rolling Stone stated that since the release of Dangerously in Love, "[Beyonc�] has become a crossover sex symbol a la Halle Berry ..."[155] In 2006, the animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), had criticized Knowles for wearing fur coats and using fur in her clothing line, House of Der�on.[156] 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.[156] In 2007, Knowles was featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, the first non-model and non-athlete woman to pose on the issue and the second African American model after Tyra Banks.[157] 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".[158] Knowles has several wax figures of herself at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in major cities around the world, including New York,[159] Washington, D.C.,[160] Amsterdam,[161] Bangkok[162] and Hollywood.[163]

During the release of pop singer Rihanna's second album, A Girl Like Me, many critics felt that her image was too heavily similar to Knowles'.[164] Some media even claimed that Jay-Z fashioned her to be a replica of Knowles.[165] Amina Taylor of The Guardian, noted Rihanna as the "Bajan Beyonc�".[164] 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".[166] 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.[167] However, Ciara stated that her outfits were "inspired by the Vegas shows" she attended.[168]

On April 24, 2009, Knowles appeared on Larry King Live, where she gave herself a more political image and talked about everything from singing at