Mrs. Carter will be next to cover Complex Magazine. The issue will hit newsstands everywhere on August 9th. Until then, below, Beyonce describes her mindset when she was creating the “4” album. “4” is in stores or online now.

“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