Beyoncé, who has always been tight-lipped about her marriage to Jay-Z, is finally giving some insight into her thoughts about tying the knot.

"I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we first started dating. There was no rush," the singer tells Seventeen in its December/January issue, due out Nov. 18. "I really don't believe that you will love the same thing when you're 20 as you do at 30."

The singer, whose new album I Am … Shasha Fierce arrives Monday, says she wanted to have a strong sense of self before making a lifelong commitment to anyone.

"Before the age of 25, I would never get married," says the 27-year-old singer. "I feel like you have to get to know yourself, know what you want, spend some time by yourself, and be proud of who you are before you can share that with someone else."

Still, she has learned a lot from her music mogul husband – and not just about showbiz. Asked what lessons Jay-Z has taught her, she says, "I guess probably that we're all human."

"I don't care if you're picture-perfect on every magazine cover, and you're the most handsome, successful, coolest guy," says Beyoncé. "You still get sad, and you still get your feelings hurt, and you still get confused and vulnerable and nervous and scared. You have to find a person you can make it through the tough times with."

Beyoncé also shows her fiercely ambitious side in the interview, saying that she often studies her own past performances looking for ways to improve.

"I have my YouTube days, when I watch every performance," she says. "I listen to my music, and I watch my videos to figure out what I need to do, what I need to fix, and how to become a better singer."