BEYONCÉ is named PEOPLE’s World’s Most Beautiful Woman 2012 in the magazine’s special double issue, now celebrating its 23rd year. This marks the ninth time the pop superstar singer and actress has made the coveted list. She is joined by fellow “Most Beautiful Woman” Hall of Famers Julia Roberts (13 times), Nicole Kidman (10 times), and Mad Men’s breakout star, Jessica Paré, a newcomer to the list. The 178 fabulous faces featured in the issue also include such gorgeous guys as David Beckham, Blake Shelton, and Ashton Kutcher, plus PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, Bradley Cooper. BEYONCÉ is an entertainment force of nature, a 16-time Grammy winner, a beauty and style icon – and is now proudest of the title that happens to be her most recent – mommy to little Blue Ivy Carter. "I feel more beautiful than I’ve ever felt because I’ve given birth," she tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. "I have never felt so connected, never felt like I had such a purpose on this earth." The "Crazy in Love" singer, 30, and her husband of four years, Jay-Z, 42, have gone gaga for Blue, born Jan. 7 in New York City. "She's just the cutest thing," gushes BEYONCÉ, who croons one-of-a-kind tunes to her daughter and professes to "love" changing diapers. So who does her daughter most resemble? "She looks like Blue," says BEYONCÉ, who is back to her pre-baby weight and gearing up for her first post-baby concerts, Memorial Day weekend at the Revel Atlantic City. "She's her own person." "The best thing about having a daughter is having a true legacy," she adds. "The word 'love' means something completely different now." More of BEYONCÉs exclusive interview with PEOPLE, in which she shares her beauty secrets, reveals how she lost the baby weight and sets the record straight on all the rumors, is on newsstands Friday, April 27.