Appearing on the cover of the July 2011 issue of W Magazine, Beyonce is giving a behind-the-scenes glimpse at seven of her most iconic looks, revealing candid background information on the James Dean-influenced number she donned in the 'Crazy in Love' video, her visual transformation into the more aggressive 'Sasha Fierce' persona, the racy 'Telephone' video with Lady Gaga and several others.

The look of her 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)' video was inspired by choreographer-director Bob Fosse, the 29-year-old singer explained. "My mom made the one-shouldered bodysuits the night before the video," Beyonce told W. "I'm obsessed with Bob Fosse, and I always saw the look of this video as very simple, very Fosse-inspired. It was one of the hottest days on record in New York, and we didn't know it at the time, but we were shooting in an old porn studio. I began to get suspicious because every dressing room had a theme. I was in the jungle room, and I realized they had made a porno in there. There was no air-conditioning in the studio and that added to the drama -- we were shiny and sweaty."

For her sexually charged cameo in Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' video, the Destiny's Child frontwoman explained that she gave Gaga free reign, completely surrendering to the meat dress-wearing singer's vision. "She asked me to do her video, and I said, 'I trust you, Gaga. I'll do whatever you want me to do,'" Beyonce revealed. "I played a bad, bad girl. When I put on the Bettie Page wig, I got into the character. I started researching Bettie Page and tried to channel her pinups and poses. The video ended up being very much like Quentin Tarantino's movies. He gave us his blessing, even loaned us the car with pussy wagon written on the side from 'Kill Bill.' My mom said, 'Do you have to use that car?'"

Beyonce, whose aptly-titled fourth album '4' is in stores on Tuesday (June 28), also explained that she shot her 2010 'Why Don't You Love Me' video herself, keeping it a secret from her label and management. Inspired by Bettie Page once again, she also added a dash of Dorothy Dandridge, attempting to "channel the past for the present."

"I was still thinking about Bettie Page, and wanted to do something that was inspired by her," the singer revealed. "This video was a secret: I paid for and co-directed it and didn't tell my label or my management. The clothes and jewelry are from my closet, the wigs are mine, and I did my own makeup. We did eight looks in one day in this great house that belonged to a producer who worked with Dorothy Dandridge. He had pictures of her on the wall, so her spirit is in the video, too. I love Super 8 film and wanted to get those saturated colors. It's a different drama -- the tears and martinis and cigarettes. I wanted to channel the past for the present."

Check out all seven of Beyonce's favorite looks here.



Watch Beyonce's 'Run the World (Girls)'
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