I'm No Longer Afraid Of Conflict, And

When I Hear A Great New Record, Especially When It's By Someone That I Respect And Admire, Then A Part Of Me Is Like, Why Didn't I Think Of That? Why Didn't I Write That Record? It Makes You Sick, But In A Way It Can Be A Great Thing. It Makes You Want To Go Back To The Lab And Start Writing Again. Maybe It Will Inspire You To Try A Little Harder.

I Don't Really Like To Call Myself A Brand, And I Don't Like To Think Of Myself As A Brand. I'm A Singer, A Songwriter, A Musician And A Performer. And An Actress, And All The Other Things That I Do. When You Add It All Together, Some Might Call It A Brand, But That's Not My Focus.

Playing Etta James In The Movie 'cadillac Records' Really Changed Me. It Was A Darker Character, And I Realized That If Anything Is Too Comfortable, I Want To Run From It. It's No Fun Being Safe.

I Wrote "bootylicious" Because, At The Time, I’d Gained Some Weight And The Pressure That People Put You Under, The Pressure To Be Thin, Is Unbelievable. I Was Just 18 And You Shouldn’t Be Thinking About That. You Should Be Thinking About Building Up Your Character And Having Fun And The Song Was Just Telling Everyone Just Forget What People Are Saying. You’re Bootylicious. That’s All. It’s A Celebration Of Curves And A Celebration Of Women’s Bodies.

I Remember Being In Japan When Destiny's Child Put Out 'independent Women,' And Women There Were Saying How Proud They Were To Have Their Own Jobs, Their Own Independent Thinking, Their Own Goals. It Made Me Feel So Good, And I Realized That One Of My Responsibilities Was To Inspire Women In A Deeper Way.