Beyonce values female friendships

Beyonce is "afraid of women who don't have friends".

The 'Run the World (Girls)' singer is an advocate of female empowerment and doesn't understand women who are not the same.

She told Style magazine: "When women don't have friends, I'm afraid of them. I grew up around women, I believe that we can teach each other so much. I'm always thinking about how unselfish we are and the things we need to hear and how much pressure there is being a woman.

"I try to write songs that will bring out the best in all of us and keep us close together. Put a ring on it? That's a nice little way to hint something without being the psycho that's like 'Marry Me'. Sometimes we gain, five, 10 pounds, sometimes more. Whatever. Sometimes you just have to embrace it and find the beauty in it. So 'Bootylicious'."

While Beyonce, 29, is hugely successful today she believes she had to work "probably harder than any artist" to get where she is now.

She explained: "I had to grind it out, probably more than any artist I know. On the road with Destiny's Child we went everywhere by coach. We were sharing rooms and fighting over phones, even with multiple number one singles. We worked so hard. Sixteen hour days. Everything that I've done, I've worked so hard for, until my toes are bleeding."