“Beyoncé Knowles is aiming to light a much-needed fire under the beleaguered fragrance business this February with her first scent, Beyoncé Heat. Industry sources estimate it could do $100 million at retail globally in its first year on counter. At least half of that figure is expected to come from U.S. sales.

And the entertainer — who is up for 10 Grammys on Jan. 31 — is more than up for the challenge. She can’t wait to get her scent into the hands of her fans.

“I’m so happy with it,” she said during an exclusive interview with WWD. “I’ve been working on it for a while now. I was on tour for a year, and I have meet-and-greets with fans. I’ve never in my life gotten so many compliments. Coty has their own testing, but that was my testing! The fans loved it. They were like, ‘I love that, I’m getting that, why isn’t it out right now? I need it!” said Knowles with a laugh.

Her fans’ passion helped spark the development process. “What inspires me [both in music and product creation] is love, passion — something that makes me want to be better, to do more,” she said. “Knowing that I have people who look to me — because thank God I’ve had so many great opportunities — I don’t take it for granted. Young girls can see me, and think, ‘Wow. Maybe if I work hard and I’m focused, I can do the same thing.’ And they absolutely can. It’s not just about me being a singer. It’s about knowing that I have people who look at my life, and to know I can inspire them inspires me.” Read the rest on WWD.com.

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