Beyoncé is pregnant! But what happens next..?

The ‘1+1’ singer has revealed that she and husband Jay-Z are expecting their first baby, after months of rampant media speculation. But will this leave her singles, appearances and upcoming film commitments in the dust..?

Sunday night saw the MTV Video Music Awards filled to the brim with hilariously peculiar celebrity displays and by far the most talked about has been Beyoncé Knowles’ long awaited pregnancy confirmation. Hinting at the surprise to photographers on her arrival, at the Nokia Theater in L.A, it feels as though we had all been waiting to hear this news forever.

Twitter feeds went wild with rumours as the star teased the crowd before her performance by declaring, “Tonight, I want you to stand up on your feet. I want you to feel the love that’s growing inside me!” Performing ‘Love On Top’ at the star-studded awards ceremony, the Destiny’s Child lead singer made sure her finale was utterly unforgettable by opening up her loosely fitted sequin tuxedo jacket, to surprise viewers with her bulging baby bump. The audience roared with celebratory cheer as the 29 year old rubbed her swollen tummy and proud dad-to-be Jay Z was seen beaming with pride and being congratulated by his ‘Watch the Throne’ partner Kanye West.

41 year old Jay Z and mum-to-be Beyoncé are reported to have begun dating as early as 2002 and wed in a private New York ceremony in April 2008. They have proved a formidable force, with both enjoying hugely successful careers and business ventures, so it only makes sense that they begin their dynasty with a little Bey Z bundle of joy – all revealed a week before Beyoncé’s 30^thbirthday no less!

Speaking to The Independent about when she might have children, Beyoncé said: ‘I feel like 30 is the ideal age because you’re mature enough to know who you are and have your boundaries and your standards, and not be afraid or too polite, but young enough to be a young woman. I’m so looking forward to it.’

The revelation could interfere with plans made by the Grammy Award winners US record label, Columbia/Epic, which has scheduled a pretty hectic year ahead. According to label chairman Rob Stringer, who spoke to Billboard Magazine back in June; ‘The touring plan is extensive. The promo plan is extensive. We also know we are going to put out a lot of singles and … shoot a lot of videos from the record.’

The RnB megastar has won 16 Grammys and sold over 75 million records throughout a career she has dedicated her life to from a young age, but this joyous news has been met by fear from industry insiders and fans. Reportedly penciled in for the next 18 months, the stars scheduling commitments will undoubtedly have to be pushed back. With performances, singles and accompanying videos to release, not to mention the filming for her lead in the new Clint Eastwood movie ‘A Star Is Born’ (scheduled to begin in February 2012), it calls into question whether Queen B will be able to return to her spot at the top after the birth.

The ‘Dream Girls’ actress has a phenomenal fan base and her show stopping performance as a Glastonbury headliner in June (the first female to be honored with such a privilege in 20 years), not only captivated the crowd who couldn’t resist emulating the singers legendary dance moves but it is also when she found out she was pregnant.

According the The Sun, she found out she was pregnant just before her Glastonbury Festival performance, a source said: ‘Beyoncé’s backstage rider was changed at the very last possible moment. Originally it contained KFC, junk food, chocolate…Then all of a sudden she wanted only healthy options – fruit juices, vegetables, water, strictly no alcohol. There was a mad panic to get her what she wanted in time.’

Beyoncé’s diva demands, audacious glamour, saucy dances moves, powerful voice and developing acting talent has kept her following strong, with CBS News reporting that the delivery of her baby news brought about an unprecedented Twitter frenzy on Sunday night. Viewers spreading the pregnant performers news banged out 8,868 tweets per second at 10:35 pm on the 28^th August, a record for the most tweets per second ever
recorded for an event, according to Twitter’s official global PR feed.

Clearly Beyoncé Knowles’ popularity will only continue to soar and here at Flavour Magazine HQ we are sure that Mrs. Jay Z will return bigger (pardon the pun!) and even better (if that is possible!) once she has delivered the first addition to her superstar family. Check out our ‘10 Things We Love About Beyoncé’ and share in the Bey Bey love we are feeling – this mesmerising mum-to-be isn’t going anywhere!

Words by Catherine Ababio