BEYONCE HAS AVOIDED THE TYPICAL SUPERSTAR PITFALLS BECAUSE HER STARDOM CAME GRADUALLY, SHE SAYS IN A "60 MINUTES" PROFILE -- SUNDAY ON CBS

But the Wholesome Image Makes Way for Her Sexy Onstage Persona. After all, she Says, "I am a Woman who has had Life Experiences."

Singing sensation Beyonce has avoided many of the pitfalls other superstars have fallen victim to because her stardom came gradually rather than suddenly, she tells Steve Kroft in a profile to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, Jan. 31 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

For many superstars, dangerous diversions like drugs, bad relationships, eating disorders or breakdowns seem to come with the territory. Not for Beyonce, who has sold 118 million records and become a marketing powerhouse known throughout the world. She says she's disciplined and focused "and I think that I am very fortunate that I've had a gradual success. It's not something that happened in one day," says the 28-year-old diva, a pro since the age of 12. "It's something that I've worked at and worked at," she tells Kroft.

The hard work that has helped keep her image clean and wholesome offstage also hones a decidedly sexual persona onstage that's a central part of her appeal. When Kroft calls her a seductress, she responds, "Okay, thanks. I'll take that...I'm just free and I can express my sensuality...my pain, vulnerability, my strength, all of those things." Watch an excerpt.

Then Kroft asks Beyonce, who comes from a close-knit family and prays before each live appearance, where she learned to act so sexy. "Well, just because I had a sheltered upbringing doesn't mean I haven't been a woman," she says with a laugh. "I'm a woman who had had life experiences," she tells Kroft.