From the moment Beyonce dropped her "Formation" video in February as well as the Super Bowl performance that followed, she was the center of a heated debate over her supposed views on the police. And while she's kept relatively quite, she says her piece on the issue in a new interview with Elle.

She told the fashion mag, "I mean, I'm an artist and I think the most powerful art is usually misunderstood. But anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe. But let's be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice. Those are two separate things. If celebrating my roots and culture during Black History Month made anyone uncomfortable, those feelings were there long before a video and long before me. I'm proud of what we created and I'm proud to be a part of a conversation that is pushing things forward in a positive way."

You can read the rest of the interview here. Bey will grace the cover of Elle's May issue, which will drop nationwide on April 19.