It’s easy to find the visiting pop star at a fancy hotel. Just look for the entourage. Outside Beyonc’s suite at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles sits a huge, unsmiling bodyguard, an eager publicist and two hard-working assistants. Inside is another assistant whose sole purpose during a newspaper interview seems to be providing a security blanket for the performer.

The eight-time Grammy-winning singer, who has a small but pivotal role as a beautiful pop star (quite a stretch) in the Steve Martin comedy The Pink Panther, holds an oversized pillow in her lap for yet another layer of security. Despite all the apparent signs of insecurity, the 24-year-old Beyonc speaks with the confidence of a woman who understands where she’s been and knows where’s she’s going.