Beyoncé has compared being famous to being incarcerated as she lifted the lid on her struggles in the spotlight.
The 43-year-old music superstar has been on the world's stage since she was a child as she performed in girl groups before securing fame as a founding member of Destiny's Child in the mid-1990s.
The Texas Hold 'Em singer explained that, while she loves creating music, she is uncomfortable with life in the limelight, and enjoys taking time away between her album releases and tours.
She told GQ, "I create at my own pace, on things that I hope will touch other people. I only work on what liberates me. It is fame that can at times feel like prison. So, when you don't see me on red carpets, and when I disappear until I have art to share, that's why."
She went on to hint she is concerned for her children living in the spotlight, as she shares 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir, seven, with music icon husband Jay-Z, 54.
Discussing the fact Blue Ivy joined her on stage during her Renaissance world tour, the singer said, "Blue is an artist. She has great taste in music and fashion. She is a fantastic editor, painter, and actress.
"She has been creating characters since she was three. She's a natural, but I did not want Blue onstage.
"Blue wanted it for herself. She took it seriously and she earned it. And most importantly, she had fun! We all watched her grow more and more every night before our eyes."
