Beyoncé Opens Up About How This Notable Change in Her Appearance Signified a Major Act of Rebellion
“It was the first step to many more audacious decisions I made in my life and my career that have led to who I am now.”
![Beyonce debuting a major change in her appearance](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CeKxfCLJrQumQndAmBoDYg-415-80.jpg)
Beyoncé (unfortunately) rarely gives interviews, so when she does, we’re hanging on every word. This was certainly the case when she recently opened up to Essence about her new haircare line, Cécred, where she spoke about the role that hair salons played in shaping her life—and how a change in her hair represented an act of rebellion.
Beyoncé debuted her much shorter hair in August 2013
She said as a performer she carried such a strong emotional connection to her flowing hair
Cutting it off felt liberating, she told "Essence"
Back in 2013, Bey debuted a very short haircut, which she reflected on to Essence: “I love how we associate a certain hairstyle with moments in our lives, like that short hair moment,” she said. “I remember the day I decided to just cut all my hair off. I didn’t have a particular style in mind. It wasn’t an aesthetic choice, but it was a very big emotional transformation and metamorphosis that I was going through.”
Many women have an emotional connection to their hair—especially performers. “So much of my identity as a performer has been connected to flowing hair,” Beyoncé said. “Cutting my hair off was me rebelling against being this woman that society thinks I’m supposed to be. I was a new mother [Blue Ivy Carter was born the year prior, in 2012], and something about the liberation of becoming a mother made me want to just shed all of that. It was a physical representation of me shedding the expectations put upon me. I just wanted it off.”
The mogul's hairstylist was nervous about cutting it, so Beyoncé took the scissors in her hand and chopped her hair off herself
Bey recalled how her hairstylist and friend Neal Farinah “was freaking out because it was really long, really thick, and really healthy,” she said of her hair at the time. “I just got the scissors and chopped it off. It was very intentional. And it was what I needed to do. And after that, I became super brave. It was the first step to many more audacious decisions I made in my life and my career that have led to who I am now.”
Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, owned a salon when Beyoncé was growing up. Bey worked there as a child, and said the space inspired her in countless ways, including as an artist. (Take a look at Destiny’s Child’s 1999 video for “Bills, Bills, Bills” for a sample of this.)
Bey now has a haircare line of her own and grew up in her mother Tina Knowles' hair salon
“My mom had a roster of amazing clients at her salon, and while the environment was therapeutic for them, it was also for me,” Beyoncé said. “She found a therapist for me during a period when I was extremely introverted and hardly spoke. It was in her salon that I realized my dreams of being a performer—inspired by one of her clients who happened to be an opera singer. I was captivated by her stories of a recent trip to Germany. In awe, I distinctly remember telling my mom that I wanted to be just like her client.”
She continued “So much of the fabric of who I am came from her salon. It is something that just connects to all of my senses, and it’s a beautiful place to grow up. That’s my foundation—and I think as an artist, so much of my bold experimentation with hair comes from being inspired by art and sculptures, getting creative with braids, figuring out new techniques, and exploring ways to maintain hair growth with protective styles and wigs while still feeling fabulous. It all stems from my experiences growing up in my mother’s salon.”
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Most Republicans Aren't Talking About Gender and Race. Here's Why Kamala Harris Should
The GOP knows that if this becomes a campaign about identity, they’re going to lose.
By Reshma Saujani Published
-
'Too Hot to Handle' Rule Breakers Katherine LaPrell and Charlie Jeer Are Sexy Pair to Watch This Season
The two models have had a rocky road toward coupling up, but could they be in it to win it?
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Ice Spice Hits Back at Claims Taylor Swift Became Friends With Her for "Clout"
She's insulted by people's assumptions.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Tina Knowles Shares That Her Daughter Solange Was Conceived on the Nile River in Egypt
Had she been a boy, her name would have paid direct homage to the place of her conception.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Beyoncé's Name Is Being Added to French Dictionary
Next-level stardom right there.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Beyoncé Was "A Mom First" Working With Daughter Blue Ivy Carter on 'Mufasa'
This will be the pre-teen's movie debut.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
After a Toddler Named Tyler Says “Beyoncé Is My Friend” In a Viral TikTok, She Reaches Out with Flowers, Gifts, and a Confirmation of Their Friendship
“I see your halo, Tyler.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Courtney Love Says Taylor Swift Is "Not Important" and "Not Interesting as an Artist"
Wow, saying that is... a choice.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Dolly Parton—Er, “Dolly P”—Gives Her Stamp of Approval to Beyoncé’s Cover of ‘Jolene’
The country music legend has wanted Bey to cover her classic song for years.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Beyoncé Considers ‘Cowboy Carter’ “The Best Music I’ve Ever Made”
Interestingly, the 27-track album was supposed to come out before ‘Renaissance,’ but was delayed for a very specific reason.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Miley Cyrus Says Beyoncé Is "Everything" After 'Cowboy Carter' Collab
"My admiration runs so much deeper now."
By Meghan De Maria Published