"I am so excited to be playing my first concert in Beijing," Beyoncé exclaimed to the Global Times. "I have heard so much about the beauty of the city and I cannot wait to see all the fans."
As one stop on her I AM… world tour, the Beijing performance is part of the multi-award-winning artist's first full-length concert tour since 2007's sold-out The Beyoncé Experience, which included a show in Shanghai.
"The I AM… tour is di. Erent from the Experience tour in that it is more of a spectacle," she explained. Instead of the usual stage design, Beyoncé said that she would take full advantage of Wukesong's large scale stadium and use a multitude of performance platforms. "I have already seen the blueprints of the Wukesong Arena and I believe I will enjoy performing in the middle of it very much."
"It is going to be a memorable concert experience for the Beijing audience," added Jim Alison, head of concert organizer AEG. According to Alison, 7,000 of the 18,000 seats in the arena have been devoted to building the stage, which enables audience members with the cheapest tickets to have an up-close-and-personal experience of the performance and really enjoy the state-of-the-art visuals.
Beyoncé said that tomorrow evening's show will be two hours of nonstop entertainment. She will perform tracks from her latest international No.1 chart-topping album I AM… Sasha Fierce, as well as favorites from previous releases and even some Destiny's Child tracks.
"I will also do some special tributes to some of my favorite artists," Beyoncé added.
She said that although she loves collaborating with other performers, the Beijing concert will just be herself and her all-female band. "And I have some great dancers who will help make it a great show," she said.
Beyoncé also mysteriously revealed that she plans to incorporate some special surprises for Beijing that she has never done before in a show, but she refused to give away any details. "That is all I can tell you now. Just wait for the show to happen!" she laughed.
The overwhelming success of her 100 million-plus album and DVD sales has established Beyoncé as one of the most marketable and popular artists in the music industry Thursday. In 2009, she was listed fourth on Forbes' list of the "100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities" in the world. She credits her success and fame to her fellow artists who have always been an inspiring influence on her.
"Personally I am fortunate to be surrounded by some great people," she commented.
Since starring in the musical film Carmen: A Hip Hopera in 2001, Beyoncé has expanded her career to acting and product endorsement. She insisted that music will always be a major part of her life, but that she also loves making movies.
"In the next five to 10 years I'm sure I will still be making music, good music. I'd like to maybe do a Broadway production and make a few movies with dramatic roles that challenge me to grow as an actress," she said.
She added that after executive producing her last two films Cadillac Records and Obsessed, she has begun to like the business side of making movies as well and she hopes to do more of that too.
