Beyonce Responds to Critics

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Beyonce made a controversial return to the music scene last month.

Following the release of "Bow Down," Blue Ivy's mother faced criticism from various sources, as Keyshia Cole blasted Beyonce for the message her lyrics sent and then Rush Limbaugh somehow got into the act.

How does the superstar respond to such harsh words?

"I am a modern-day feminist," she tells the May issue of British Vogue. "I do believe in equality. Why do you have to choose what type of woman you are? Why do you have to label yourself anything? I'm just a woman, and I love being a woman."

Beyonce has dubbed her upcoming tour The Mrs. Carter Show, leading some to come down on her for merely labeling herself as Jay-Z's wife.

But "I feel like Mrs. Carter is who I am, but more bold and more fearless than I've ever been," she says. "It comes from knowing my purpose and really meeting myself once I saw my child. I was like, 'OK, this is what you were born to do'. The purpose of my body became completely different."

Beyonce kicks off these concerts April 15 in Belgrade, Serbia.

She will eventually make her way through 42 cities in North America and Europe before concluding August i Brooklyn.