Beyonce Admits To GQ: 'Yes, I Am Powerful'

'I've worked harder than probably anyone I know, at least in the music industry,' she says in the saucy cover story.

The wait for the much-buzzed-about Beyoncé GQ cover story is officially over!

After the saucy cover leaked online earlier than planned, the folks over at the magazine realized people needed the Queen B spread ASAP and have released some of the goods from the photo shoot and interview with the superstar on GQ.com.

The interview and sexy photos make it pretty clear that Beyoncé is feeling the best she's ever felt in life and is ready to fully conquer the world. She has kicked off the year in fine fashion, celebrating the first birthday of daughter Blue Ivy Carter and prepping for her performance at the Super Bowl halftime show and her fifth solo album.

"I worked so hard during my childhood to meet this goal: By the time I was 30 years old, I could do what I want," she told the magazine. "I've reached that. I feel very fortunate to be in that position. But I've sacrificed a lot of things, and I've worked harder than probably anyone I know, at least in the music industry. So I just have to remind myself that I deserve it."

Beyoncé said she's especially excited for her Super Bowl performance because she's always approached her job like an athlete does.

"You know how they sit down and watch whoever they're going to play and study themselves? That's how I treat this," she said. "I watch my performances, and I wish I could just enjoy them, but I see the light that was late. I see, 'Oh God, that hair did not work.' Or 'I should never do that again.' I try to perfect myself. I want to grow, and I'm always eager for new information."

How does Beyoncé's GQ cover compare to Rihanna's?

We all know she's a private person, but Beyoncé does admit that she was "lost" — in a good way — before becoming a mom.

"I love my job, but it's more than that: I need it," she said. "Because before I gave birth, it was the only time in my life, all throughout my life, that I was lost."

More than a decade into her music career, Beyoncé says she is fully (and finally!) aware of her influence, managing her larger-than-life public image and her brand.

"I now know that, yes, I am powerful," she said. "I'm more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand."

Look for more from Beyoncé's photo shoot and interview at GQ.com and in the February issue, when it hits newsstands January 22.