Beyonce: 'Jay-Z marriage brings out the best in me'

Pregnant Beyonce credits her husband Jay-Z with bringing out the "best version" of her because the rapper forces her to face up to her "fears and insecurities" on a daily basis.

The Crazy In Love hitmaker wed Jay-Z in 2008 after seven years of dating and Beyonce insists their strong relationship has helped her to overcome her personal troubles.

She tells Harper's Bazaar magazine, "We have been together since I was 20 years old. We took our time and developed an unbreakable friendship before we got married. But, like anything great and successful in your life, marriage takes hard work and sacrifice. It has to be something both you and your husband deeply want.

"The best thing about marriage is the amount of growth you have because you can no longer hide from your fears and insecurities. There's someone right there calling you out on your flaws and building you up when you need the support. If you are with the right person, it brings out the best version of you."

The hip-hop supercouple is expecting its first child in February (12).