Beyonce On Why She Waited To Walk Down The Aisle With Jay-Z

Beyonce on the cover of Seventeen s Dec 08/ Jan 09 issueSeventeenAccess Hollywood

NEW YORK, NY -- Over the years, Beyonce has largely kept her romance with rap mogul Jay-Z to herself.

The singer and actress went so far as to refrain from confirming her April 2008 marriage to the hip-hop superstar until last month. But now, in a new interview with Seventeen magazine, who named her Style Star of the Year, Beyonce opened up a little more about their relationship, explaining why it took her so long - eight years -- to walk down the aisle with her man.

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"I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we first started dating," Beyonce told Seventeen's December/January double issue. "There was no rush -- no one expected me to run off and get married. I really don't believe that you will love the same thing when you're 20 as you do at 30. So that was my rule: before the age of 25, I would never get married. I feel like you have to get to know yourself, know what you want, spend some time by yourself, and be proud of who you are before you can share that with someone else."

Though both Beyonce and her husband have been chart fixtures over the years, she hinted that neither of the superstars are as confident as they come across. When asked what's the best lesson they've learned together, Beyonce said, "that we're all human."

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"I don't care if you're picture-perfect on every magazine cover, and you're the most handsome, successful, coolest guy - you still get sad, and you still get your feelings hurt, and you still get confused and vulnerable and nervous and scared," the "If I Were A Boy" singer said. "You have to find a person you can make it through the tough times with. So you have to make sure it's real, and you have to make sure you are honest, that you can be yourself, and find somebody who loves you - not the fantasy of you, but who you really are."

And the real Beyonce, is made up of quite a few different aspects -- there's her on-stage alter ego, "Sasha Fierce," who she named her new album after ("I Am Sasha Fierce!") and there is the woman who has an eclectic, ever-changing sense of style.

"I've been a grunge girl, I've been a preppy girl, I've been a high-fashion couture girl, I've had my hair every way that you can imagine," she said. "I'm always trying new things. But right now I've decided to be who I really am. I've been wearing my hair straight without any extensions, I've been wearing less makeup, no lashes - just really pure and honest. I guess the more confident and comfortable you are with yourself, the more you're not afraid to reveal yourself."

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And one of the things she revealed to Seventeen about her plans for the future is a passion to head to New York City's famed theater district.

"I want to win an Oscar. I want to star on Broadway," she shared. "I'll always want to be performing and dancing. I can't imagine life without doing what I do."

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