Beyoncé covers Complex

Despite a convincing two-week number one run on Billboard‘s album charts, the promotional campaign for Beyoncé’s new album 4 is far from being over. The iconic songstress covers the August/September issue of Complex. For the cover story, Complex recruited photographer Thierry Le Gouès and artist Ebon Heath, who created the unique typography sculptures that surround B. The issue arrives at newsstands on August 9, but the magazine has put out the digital version of the editorial online. Here is a short excerpt.

“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.”

You can read the story in its entirety here.