Motherhood Makes Beyoncé Feel 'More Beautiful Than Ever'

She's an entertainment force of nature, 16-time Grammy winner, and beauty and style icon. But Beyoncé is proudest of one title that also happens to be her most recent: mommy to little Blue Ivy Carter.

"I feel more beautiful than I've ever felt because I've given birth," says PEOPLE's 2012 World's Most Beautiful Woman. "I have never felt so connected, never felt like I had such a purpose on this earth."

The "Crazy in Love" singer, 30, and her husband of four years, Jay-Z, 42, have gone gaga for Blue, born Jan. 7 in New York City. "She's just the cutest thing," gushes Beyoncé, who croons one-of-a-kind tunes to her daughter and professes to "love" changing diapers.

PHOTOS: Sneak Peek: See Beyoncé Like Never Before

So who does her daughter most resemble? "She looks like Blue," says Beyoncé, who is back to her pre-pregnancy weight and gearing up for her first post-baby concerts, Memorial Day weekend at the Revel Atlantic City. "She's her own person."

"The best thing about having a daughter is having a true legacy," she adds. "The word 'love' means something completely different now."

For more of Beyoncé's exclusive interview – in which she shares her beauty secrets, reveals how she lost the baby weight and sets the record straight on all the rumors – pick up this week's special issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

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Beyoncé Shares Personal Photos on New Tumblr

Beyoncé and Jay-Z

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Beyoncé, who just celebrated her fourth wedding anniversary (on 4/4 no less!) with Jay-Z, is letting fans have a "view into her world."

The ultra-private music mogul launched a special Tumblr page Thursday featuring personal photos. (Beyoncé's big launch is Beyonce.com, and the Tumblr is part of the site.) In a message to fans, she writes, "it's been a long time coming – but I finally have my own place on the web."

Besides an artful gallery of stylish photos, the multi-media site includes sections on "The Latest" (with a pre-sale announcement for Revel), "Music," "Vault" (which she calls "the heart of my site"), "Beyhive" (for the official fan collective), "Performance" (listing her Atlantic City concerts on May 25-27) and "I Am" (offering a private message that clicks onto more photos).


Designer Matthew Siskin earlier announced on Twitter that he was working on the page, declaring, "I'm not sleeping till we're done."

Jay-Z and Beyoncé

beyonce.tumblr.com

The couple's first foray into Tumblr came shortly after the birth of their daughter Blue Ivy Carter.

When she turned 4-weeks-old, Jay-Z and Beyoncé shared the first photos of her, and have kept her under wraps since when stepping out.