formation tour review

Beyonce’s ‘Formation’ Tour Is The Most Important Event Of The Year

Beyonce’s “Formation” tour is the most important tour in the world right now. Since the HBO debut of her visual album Lemonade in April, it’s been impossible to shake the impact this record has had on 2016. Whether or not you personally care for the music or the magnificent machination of Beyonce matters little — though history will and has consistently proven her detractors wrong — but to put it simply, the “Formation” tour is not for men. They may attend and enjoy it, they will probably be just as enthralled by the visual spectacle as their female companions, but every moment of the show caters to women.

In my observation at the Santa Clara date this past Saturday, not a single man appears on stage as part of Beyonce’s performance; all her backup dancers were women — women of color actually, save one — and she makes a special point of thanking her backup singers — all women of color — and “all-female band” toward the end of the show. The ease with which she pulled off this staffing decision lays to rest any excuses about lack of options within the industry, while the sheer excellence of the show proves much more than that. Multiple people within the industry and without have told me this is the best show of their lives. I’m inclined to agree.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKe7mTvh9Jh/?taken-by=uproxxmusic

The most telling moment of Beyonce’s “Formation” tour does not come during a performance of a song off her new visual album Lemonade . It doesn’t come during one of the spectacularly choreographed dance numbers from 2013’s industry-shifting Beyonce , or from a reworked reclamation of a throwback hit from her Destiny’s Child days. Instead, it comes approximately one third of the way through the show, when she dismisses her entourage, tones down the enormous monolith screen behind her and tells us she’s going to sing a track off her debut solo album Dangerously in Love .

Before launching into “Me, Myself and I,” she gently commands her fans to embrace the power of self-love. For all the ferocity of “Formation,” all the delicious defiance of “Sorry,” and the deafening girl power of feminist anthem “Run the World,” this moment encapsulated the emotional core of her latest tour, and drew a through-line from her earliest work as Beyonce all the way up to her latest project. Lemonade is rather infamously an album told from the perspective of a woman who has discovered her beloved has cheated on her. Despite the album’s technical and artistic brilliance, the conversation was quick to swirl toward gossip and the veracity of the story: Was this album about Jay Z? Was Beyonce finally addressing those persistent cheating rumors that have dogged her marriage with the rapper-turned-mogul in the most public way possible? Of course, we were asking the wrong questions.

The core of Beyonce’s music has consistently addressed negative scripts that are applied to women — particularly within her own identity as a woman of color — and flipped those stereotypes into a source of affirmation so sweeping they impacted the world at large. From her Destiny’s Child days, “Bills, Bills, Bills” attacks the idea of the money-grubbing girlfriend and reframes the need for shared economic responsibility as a valid foundation for a romantic partnership. Later, in the even more influential “Bootylicious,” the group directly challenged the standard of beauty-as-waif-thin and elevated curvier bodies into the most desirable position.

In her solo career, specifically, she begins to address the pain of infidelity early on (“Ring the Alarm,” “Resentment,” “If I Were a Boy”) and continually confronted the hard, difficult work of monogamous relationships (“1+1,” “No Angel,” “Jealous,” “Mine”) all the way up through her self-titled and most personal album. Throughout, she also praises the power of monogamy in terms that veer toward spiritual and hyperbolic in their adoration (“Halo,” “Dance for You,” “Love on Top,” “Rocket”). But Lemonade directly addresses the “worst” thing that society tells us can happen to a woman in love — the cheating husband.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKgnxbKByjs/?taken-by=uproxxmusic

The “Formation” tour preaches that surviving this is not only possible, but argues that the experience of it is yet another source of power to tap into. It doesn’t matter if any of this really happened to Beyonce or not, because it has probably happened to almost every single woman in the crowd at every stadium on her tour. Whether it’s cheating, betrayal of another kind, or simply romantic rejection, there are still few touchstones in our culture at large that acknowledge and tend to the painful emotional wounds women endure at the hands of men. Speculation about whether Lemonade is about Jay Z or Beyonce’s own father is similarly inconsequential; the ambiguity makes it even more accessible for women to work through their own betrayals, regardless of the circumstances. Lemonade makes something sweet out of all of these wounds; it is not just a successful pop album, it is an assertion that this pain matters, that it deserves to be addressed, and that it can be risen above.

Even in 2016, society teaches women that their primary source of worth is through validation from relationships with men. What a husband or boyfriend’s infidelity really boils down to is being told you’re not enough in a world that already identifies you as a second-class citizen. The narrative of Beyonce’s entire tour asserts that she is more than enough, and by experiencing that, the audience leaves with the affirmation that they are too. Lemonade and her tour are based around the idea that even if her relationship was broken and full of betrayal, it doesn’t make her less in any way. That’s why the moment when she tells us she understood that on “Me, Myself, and I” remains the crux of the entire performance; the music exhibits an independence in radical self-love that supersedes male romantic rejection.

The tour’s setlist is structured in such a way to mimic the emotional chapters of Lemonade , incorporating the anger from the beginning and running through toward the end into the deeper, lasting love. Instead of seeing this betrayal as an endpoint in the relationship, it becomes a beginning, a source of self-exploration and an examination of redemption that ultimately embraces one of the most powerful forces on Earth — that of unconditional love and forgiveness.

Pop music is often designated as a genre for fluff or shallow topics, and a big part of that is because the genre’s biggest fanbase is young women. It is written off as a industry-churned hits designed to stimulate the lowest common denominator, and maligned for the armies of experts who craft these songs, as though a community of creators is somehow less worthy of praise than a lone songwriter making music with traditional rock sounds and literary lyrics. Yet, the last two Beyonce albums have specifically sought to elevate literary works by two women of color writers, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Warsan Shire respectively, to the same level as an international pop star. The “Formation” tour is the most important tour in the world right now, because it presents a different world — one in which women are the dominant force — completely catered to, wounds and all. That is certainly something worth falling in line for, whoever you are.

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

The Formation Tour Is Beyoncé at Her Most Humanly Infallible

Beyoncé is not God. She tells you as much about a third of the way through her Formation World Tour — which lit up Citi Field in Queens for the second of two nights on Wednesday — with two stadium-length illuminated screens bearing the words “God is God. I am not” in all caps. As it does during the snarling “Don’t Hurt Yourself” in her visual masterpiece Lemonade , the message flashes fast. Blink and you’ll miss it. The position is reinforced by moments that are, if only briefly, unmistakably human — such as when, on the first night of her NYC dates, Beyoncé sneezed. Twice, politely and discreetly, into her arm, like any non-godly person, one not performing for a sold-out crowd at a stadium that last year co-hosted the World Series, might do.

But for many, witnessing Beyoncé let out a sneeze only adds to the mystique of feeling “close” to someone so seemingly godlike, prompting her otherwise quiet achoo to dominate the news cycle for an entire day. On her second night at Citi Field, Beyoncé’s bedazzled nude bodysuit ripped near the crotch during her finale — “Halo,” appropriately — moments after she and her apostolic all-female dancers create the illusion of walking barefoot on water. Beyoncé may not be God, but she still conveys an air of being more than human.

The Beyoncé that rises from the bitterness of Lemonade — and all the events that may or may not have inspired it — is a woman knocked off her axis. She’s been tortured, flung off a roof, gone rogue with a baseball bat, baptized in the holy water of redemption, and eventually resurrected. Every emotional flaw she exposes finds itself under her own microscope. Yet that vulnerability is absent from the Beyoncé brigade that marches out from behind the fog at Citi Field to open the show with the song from which the tour gets its name.

That group of dancers, dressed in all black and led by their queen, with Bey’s eyes glaring out from under a wide-brimmed hat that’s even larger than the one she wears in her “Formation” video, revels in infallibility. No matter the inevitability of the ambitious production erring (her costume tearing, or one of the huge video screens temporarily malfunctioning), Beyoncé remains a pillar of perfection holding it all together. At work, just as in the moments of personal crisis shared on Lemonade , any weakness, too, shall pass.

Attending a Beyoncé concert puts you front row to a series of spectacles. She makes dancers into trapeze artists. A massive rendering of her head shoots sparklers out of its eyes near the grand finale. She sings her favorite song, “1+1,” partially a cappella. During intermission — required so Beyoncé and her dancers can change into red latex bodysuits for a homage to the Parisian Crazy Horse cabaret show, which includes a performance of the smoldering  50 Shades of Grey version of “Crazy in Love,” as well as the original — the giant, glowing cube serving as the centerpiece of her stage goes purple for Prince. “Purple Rain” erupts from the speakers, lit phones are raised, and the crowd sings a eulogy.

At 34, Beyoncé has reached what probably isn’t the apex of her artistry just yet, but what certainly looks like she’s on the cusp of something unprecedented. Translating a visual album — or even just an album album — as rich, complex, and cinematic as Lemonade requires an understanding of the moments your audience will want to relive. She doesn’t deliver them all (there’s no reenacting the “Hold Up” video, sadly), but instead integrates what she knows we’ll love regardless of the demand. “Formation” into “Sorry” is a no-brainer opening to the show, but only the truly clairvoyant would’ve had a “Daddy Lessons” sing-along following the D’Angelo semi-cover “Rocket” on their wish list. It’s a highlight of the night.

In a rare breath during a show that never truly exhales, Beyoncé pauses to reflect on the 19 years that have passed since she made her debut with Destiny’s Child, thanking us for allowing her to grow. Seeing her perform songs from the latter half of her career — the set list is almost exclusively curated from her last three albums, save for surprise throwbacks like “Me, Myself, and I” and B’Day ’s “Kitty Kat” — makes the earlier cuts she performs feel like they’re from a different artist altogether. Still, she saves one of her former group’s biggest hits, “Survivor,” for nearly last, having already preached empowerment to the girls in the crowd: “There is no such thing as a weak woman. We are born strong.”

Beyoncé’s own strength isn’t in her ability to mastermind then maestro a two-hour concert event at stadiums worldwide. It’s that she can turn a phrase as modern, black, and gay as “I slay” into universal gospel — a mantra so transformative, it at once inspires mass worship at her altar and gives you the self-belief to build your own.

• formation world tour
• concert review

Most Viewed Stories

• Cinematrix No. 43: April 24, 2024
• The Man Who Gossiped Too Much  
• Shōgun Finale Recap: Scholar of the Wind
• Bonus Cinematrix: The Criterion Channel Edition
• The Performative Poets Department
• Vanderpump Rules Recap: Attack of the 50-Foot Man-Baby

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour: The Complete Breakdown of Her First Show

By Liz Tracy

Beyoncé ’s performances can sometimes feel a bit serious, with her structured, synchronized dancers and no-one-wakes-up-like-that style. But at the kick-off of her Formation World Tour last night at Marlins Park in Miami, it seems like she finally found what it is that makes her smile. She appeared to have embraced the entirety of her intense nature, found the joy it it, then brought it to the stage. She was exact without seeming meticulous (which she obviously is), not to mention vulnerable and a little giddy. Instead of bowing before her, the Beyhive shook, swayed, and squealed alongside their queen.

The release of her new album, Lemonade , and its visual accompaniment just days before this arena show left no one in the dark about why Solange attacked Jay Z in that elevator. It seemed Bey wrote and sang her way through her grief to forgiveness in her marriage. And, as trite as it sounds, maybe that trial overcome was why the gleam in her eye was brighter than ever.

There was really no better way to open up in the Magic City than with living meme DJ Khaled presenting a receiving line of surprise guest rappers, each for a few minutes in the spotlight of an almost empty stadium: Rick Ross , 2 Chainz , Yo Gotti , Lil Wayne , Trick Daddy, Kent Jones, and finally, Future . Beyoncé, on the other hand, does only Beyoncé. She isn't the type to mess with surprises in the live setting very often (album releases are another story). This is her show, and she's who you came to see. Here’s a complete breakdown of what went down last night.

The Setlist

She sang a seamless 37-song mix starting with “ Formation ,” moving through a well-paced serving of Lemonade songs and forgotten early gems, ending with a string of popular, danceable bangers and a touching final few moments.

"Formation" "Sorry" "Bow Down / Tom Ford" "Run the World (Girls)" "Mine" "Baby Boy" "Hold Up" "Countdown" "Me, Myself and I" "Runnin'" (Naughty Boy song Bey appears on) "All Night" "Don’t Hurt Yourself" "Ring the Alarm" "Diva" "Flawless (Remix)" "Feeling Myself" "Yoncé" "7/11" "Drunk in Love" "Rocket" "Daddy Lessons" "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" "Purple Rain" (Prince cover, obviously) "Crazy in Love/Bootylicious" "Naughty Girl" "Party" "Blow / Nasty Girl" "Sweet Dreams" (Eurythmics cover) "Sweet Dreams" (Bey's song) " Freedom " "Survivor" "End of Time/Grown Woman" "Halo"

The Performance

The lights shut off suddenly just minutes after the 8:30 p.m. start time and were replaced by a rotating rectangular cube screen that stood as high as the stadium. To the distinctive opening notes of “Formation,” the display showed a massive moving image of the singer with an orchid in her mouth that soon changed to artsy—but not screensaver-ish—nature scenes.

At first, it seemed like you could see her thighs gliding through the smoke as a tidy bevy of black-clad women in wide-brimmed hats sauntered out. Another mirror image gang suddenly appeared on the other side of the stage. It was there that the queen in all her glory was concealed amidst her subjects. “If you came to have a good time, say, ‘I slay!’” she instructed. The cheering crowd was a dark sea dotted with iPhone lights.

Next, a recording of Brenda Lee cooing “I’m Sorry” played as an explosion of blue and red light flooded the stage. “You all know this song. Try and help me sing,” Mrs. Carter announced before standing solo for her less apologetic “Sorry.” Her dancers came out, middle fingers blazing. Starting out boldly, this is the song that features the “better call Becky with the good hair” line currently ringing in everyone’s ears and rolling off their tongues. The intensity escalated and found expression in a concentrated group dance to “Flawless.” The feeling was heightened by bursts of fire reaching high into the clear night above the stage, as the Major Lazer sample at the heart of “Run the World (Girls)” pumped through the speakers. The mood swayed between personal and jovial, like when Sean Paul’s distinctive growl came through on “Baby Boy.” Things stayed cool and tropical with a clip of the Sister Nancy’s dancehall opus “Bam Bam” that transitioned into “Hold Up” while Beyoncé and her girls bounced their bottoms to the delight of the masses.

By Pitchfork

By Eric Torres

The show continued smoothly with “7/11” and “Feeling Myself,” plus clips from O.T. Genasis’ “Cut It” and D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” “Drunk in Love” secured the rapture and participation of the crowd, with the lyrics after “surfboardt” being recited especially loudly. Bey had her Madonna BDSM “Human Nature” moment when she appeared in a wooden box wearing a red pleather bodysuit and sang her Fifty Shades of Gray version of “Crazy in Love” before a “Bootylicious”/“Naughty Girl” mashup that indicated the night was winding down. She even had an Annie Lennox moment, impressively covering the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).”

The whole time, Beyoncé smiled through her sweat. She glowed as she said a long goodbye, complete with salutes, laughter, and a childlike jump in the air. Something happened to Beyoncé between the release of “Formation” and Lemonade that softened her hardest edges, sweetened her mood. She seemed to have struck the balance between being “perfect” and being perfectly herself.

A massive, moving video cube was the backdrop for the stage, and it helped greatly in transforming a baseball stadium into an arena of magic. Much of the video shown came from Lemonade, so the show stuck close to Bey’s powerful visual themes and various symbolism surrounding black womanhood, accompanied during interludes by Warsan Shire’s spoken-word poetry that was adapted for Lemonade . One video showed the singer with a muzzle of diamonds and a razor emerging from her mouth, which she used to slice a bloodless cross on her giant tongue. The crowd cringed as Bey removed her priceless silencing device to ask, “Why can’t you see you’re the love of my life?” Damn.

There were a few more lighthearted moments within the visuals as well, including fan videos asking Bey “to just put out a new CD!”, home movies with Jay and Blue Ivy at play, and clips from Bey’s childhood performances.

Photo by Frank Micelotta/Parkwood Entertainment via Getty Images

The Costumes

Not one leg on that stage was covered, which was kind of amazing considering the style in which her dancers—nearly all black women—were dressed: They resembled gothic ice skaters in puffy, long-sleeved, and sequined bodysuits. Bey’s outfit changes—of which there were roughly six throughout the two-hour show—were varied but not all that more ostentatious than the looks her dancers sported: think bodysuits emblazoned with red and gold sequins in geometric shapes, a few more elegant looks.

The Stage Set-Up & Choreography

The brilliant set design had every single person in the stadium feeling like they were in the front row, by blowing up Beyoncé’s live image to the size of a building. Dancers were suspended and twirling from the ends of wires, with one writhing in a metal cube midair. Queen Bey had a Game of Thrones -style throne that rose from the guts of the stage. Plus, obviously, there were fireworks, pyrotechnics, and a buttload of confetti. The mostly synchronized choreography, however, was a little simpler. Elements of African dance and flapper moves were incorporated throughout.

The greatest design aspect was the catwalk, which snaked its way in an L-shape into the crowd on the field. Towards the end of the show, it turned out to have a conveyer belt on it, which moved the dancers smoothly into the audience before lowering into a pool of water, where the ladies danced to “Freedom.” The choreo’s tone was serious and powerful given the song’s strong Civil Rights message , but the way the dancers splashed as they marched and stomped was also playful—and just incredible to watch, visually.

Later, Beyoncé sat barefoot in this pool of water and dedicated the final song, “Halo,” to her family and her “beautiful husband.” She also thanked Prince for his “beautiful music,” and God for speaking through all of “his artists.”

The Fan Interaction

Beyoncé spent a bit of time alone on stage, making her way down the catwalk by herself as she reveled in the attention. She told a few stories. Earlier that day, Blue Ivy saw the stadium and asked her if she was going to work. This reminded Beyoncé of being a little girl and fantasizing about having a sold-out stadium tour. “I’m witnessing a dream come true tonight,” she said, truly touched. “I want to thank my Beyhive.” She basked in some low-key songs that showed off her chops, like “Me, Myself, and I,” saying, “Nobody is responsible for your happiness but you. And you always have yourself, so you are never alone.” As Bey is one to do live, she asked for a lot of “help” singing her songs, with some call-and-response on “All Night.”

For “Single Ladies,” Beyoncé brought up two crowd members. Of course these young women—one wearing an “unavailable” tee and the other sporting a white bodysuit and curly mohawk—knew all the choreography and performed with panache.

The Beyhive was dressed to impress but in an understated way suited for Miami’s spring weather. There were moms sporting Talbots, slender young boys in heels and mascara, tons of girls rocking bodysuits, and even more wearing shirts purchased at the relatively unimpressive merch table. It would have been better if the girl wearing her homemade “I was served lemons but made lemonade” jean jacket had been serving up her creation for sale. There were two exceptions to these surprisingly underwhelming merch offerings, however: a stylish tank with a line drawing of Bey flipping the bird (for a steep $45), and “Boycott Beyoncé” shirts, which referenced the proposed police boycott of the concert by the Miami Fraternal Order of Police. Despite the so-called anti-police message in Beyoncé’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, the boys in blue showed up for work and managed the packed stadium. The show was, in fact, not politically charged in the way her Super Bowl performance was.

There was a Prince tribute that involved the huge screen turning purple and “Purple Rain” playing over the speakers. It was more of an interlude than a proper tribute. During one of the two guitar solos, Beyoncé also shouted-out one of Prince’s earliest proteges, the woman-powered R&B trio Vanity 6, and rolled out a little of their biggest hit “Nasty Girl,” which she’s covered before .

Also, Bey’s former Destiny’s Child cohort Michelle Williams was in the house, though not on stage. This was Beyoncé’s solo victory lap, through and through.

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Pitchfork. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

By Nina Corcoran

By Jazz Monroe

By Matthew Strauss

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• What Is Cinema?
• Newsletters

Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour: A Perfectionist Icon in Her Prime

By Josh Duboff

Beyoncé is less pop star or musician or even icon, at this point, than she is a belief system. Watching the herds of attendees—outfitted in bee costumes and queenly regalia—making their way into Citi Field Wednesday night, felt, decidedly, like watching a pilgrimage. Beyoncé manages to embody both an imposing flawlessness and, especially after her most recent album, a layer of vulnerability, at the same time. She comes off as welcoming and warm, but she also keeps herself at a distance—a bit of a cipher, still—giving few interviews and letting her work speak for itself. She is at once more powerful than any of us could ever dream of being, but remains a perfectionist. There is no complacency on her part. She could be spending her days sipping rosé on luxury yachts off Majorca with Gwyneth (and, of course, on occasion she does—carefully chosen vacation pictures posted to Instagram weeks later), but, for the most part, she seems wholly and completely devoted to seeing through the vision she has for her art.

It is this professionalism that is the most staggering aspect of her current tour, The Formation World Tour. The only imperfection visible the entire evening was an intermittent glitch on the giant cubic video screen module. (If you told me Beyoncé travels across the country in the giant video cube, by the way, teleporting from city to city, I would say, “Yeah, O.K., sure, that makes sense.”) The costumes—made by designers including Balmain and dSquared2— looked like they could be worn to the Met Ball. Every dance step was assured; every note was clear—it was as if watching an Olympic athlete at the peak of her career.

The stage was set, so to speak, by an opening segment from DJ Khaled , who has seen an increased profile as of late given his very popular Snapchat account. His act functioned as a mini-concert of sorts, as he brought out guests including Swizz Beatz , French Montana , Jadakiss , and Tinashe . It occurred to me that only Beyoncé could have an hour-long radio-station summer jam-style show as an opener and have it seem perfectly normal. ( Oprah , or, like, an entire performance of Hamilton , could serve as Beyoncé’s opener, though, and it would seem logical and appropriate.)

Much of the attention devoted to Beyoncé’s most recent album, Lemonade , centered on the supposed infidelity, described over the course of the 12 tracks, on the part of her husband, Jay Z , with an unidentified “Becky with the good hair.” But while I spotted many audience members sipping lemonade out of Mets jars, and there was no shortage of people wearing t-shirts emblazoned with lyrics from the album, Beyoncé did not have any Becky effigies up on stage nor did she recreate her baseball bat-wielding strut in the “Hold Up” music video, or anything of the sort—that narrative was mostly left alone, save for a deliberate, dramatic reprise of the “Becky with the good hair” section of “Sorry.” (In fact, she made a point of referring to “All Night,” the Lemonade track which outlines her reconciliation with Jay Z , after the purported affair, as her “favorite on the album.”)

Beyoncé is a savvy businesswoman, of course (multiple advertisements for her new activewear line, Ivy Park, as well as spots for Tidal, her husband’s streaming service, ran in the minutes before the concert began), and she appears to have an excellent sense of what her fanbase wants. She knows that lyrics like “Ashes to ashes / dust to side chicks” and “Yoncé all on his mouth like liquor” are the ones to flash in bold bright letters on the video screen. She knows that if she’s going to sing the slowed-down version of “Crazy in Love” (as appeared on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack), she should also do the “normal” one immediately thereafter. She knows “Love on Top” should be the sing-along anthem, and that “Countdown” works just fine interpolated into a different song. She knows to give us “Independent Woman” and “Bootylicious,” but also knows it’s O.K. to just serve snippets of them. Every decision felt intentional and correct, but also managed to elicit surprise and ecstasy. Often times, marching across the stage, flanked by 15 or so female dancers, Beyoncé came off like a drill sergeant or intergalactic marching band leader. She makes it possible to believe that with order and precision, everything will ultimately, no matter how grim it may seem now, be O.K.

The disciples in the audience were, quite unshockingly, enraptured. There was belting and shimmying and Snapchatting, sure, but there was also a sense of reverence. In a strange way, attending a Beyoncé concert can feel like visiting a museum: what you are regarding is an artistic marvel, and the default reaction can be one of, simply, slack-jawed wonder. At one point, we watched as the contact lens of a jubilant teenage boy in the row in front of us dropped out and onto the ground. Without flinching, he reached down to pick it up, and immediately popped it back in his eye, to the slight concern of some of his friends. It hardly seemed surprising. To be at a Beyoncé concert and not be able to see properly would likely require some form of therapy to recover from.

During several breaks throughout the show, video footage of Beyoncé in various looks and ensembles flashed on the rotating screen. Blue Ivy appeared on screen at one point, eliciting loud cheers. During one segment, footage of a young, not-yet-famous Beyoncé appeared, and it was jarring only in that a world in which Beyoncé isn’t famous yet is impossible to conceive of and terrifying. During a few of these video-clip breaks, the ones that didn’t require costume changes, Beyoncé’s silhouette was visible on stage, as she wiped off her forehead with a towel, or conferred briefly with a set hand as she downed some water. It was possible, in those brief seconds, to imagine her heating up some leftovers in a microwave, or running on a treadmill at the gym, or marking an e-mail in her phone as unread. Then the music would come back, and the lights would flash, and she’d march into place, and Beyoncé was Beyoncé again.

By Bess Levin

By Cristian Farias

By Eric Lutz

The Looks You Have to See From the 2016 C.F.D.A. Awards

Josh Duboff

Cocktail hour.

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

By Laura Bradley

By Lauren Le Vine

Beyoncé sends a loud message in San Diego

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

When it comes to Beyoncé, what you see is what you get.

Or rather, what you get is what she gives you.

At her sold-out Qualcomm Stadium performance of the Formation World Tour Thursday night, what she gave was a flawless, perfectly choreographed show that delivered the exact message she created to share — nothing more, nothing less.

That’s Beyoncé.

At one point in her almost exactly two-hour show, she told the crowd she’d been doing this for nearly 20 years, but she didn’t have to make that point. From start to finish, every moment felt like a curated, multimedia presentation at the Museum of Contemporary Beyoncé.

There was glitter, fireworks and a pool of water that she and her dancers cavorted in during “Freedom,” the 28th of the 31 songs she performed here.

There was her famous break-neck, high-kicking choreography from legs as long as the road from here to Tijuana.

And there was definitely more sass than your single, spiked-tea drinking aunt from North Carolina could ever dream of producing in her lifetime.

But — as has been the way of Beyoncé for almost five years now — there was a more calculated message at work than just the signature moves fans know and love. Since this is a contemporary art exhibit, we have to talk “Lemonade.”

If you haven’t sold your soul and signed up for her husband Jay Z’s music subscription streaming service, Tidal, all you really need to know is that “Lemonade” is a “visual album.” It’s dark and full of imagery, and — in spectacularly produced videos for each song — it embeds such themes as infidelity, self-empowerment and the struggle black women face.

This is the part of “Lemonade” that made headline news and is still dominating social media. All signs point to Jay Z cheating on Beyoncé, at least in some of her new song lyrics, and people cannot stop talking about it.

Conspiracy theories abound, and will continue. But what few seem to be noting about Beyoncé’s Formation tour is that the song selection doesn’t follow “Lemonade’s” exact song list, yet reaffirms that same story.

Act one: Beyoncé has been cheated on. Act two: How could someone cheat on Beyoncé? Act three: Beyoncé is pissed. Act four: Beyoncé will suffer but survive. Act five: Beyoncé forgives and love saves the day.

Her catalog of music has been building up to this presentation for years, but few noticed.

From her new album, she performed “Sorry,” “Formation,” “Daddy Lessons,” “All Night,” “Holdup,” “Don’t Hurt Yourself” and “Freedom.” But most of the songs she did Thursday were older, and many are less known by the public. This was clear at Qualcomm, because so much of the time it felt like the audience was just watching a show, rather than being part of an experience.

For example, Beyoncé brought the melancholy “Mine” out, a song from her celebrated surprise 2013 album “Beyoncé.” Its lyrics perfectly complimented the narrative from “Lemonade,” and added postpartum depression to the equation, with such now even more relevant lyrics as: Been having conversations about breakups and separations / I’m not feeling like myself since the baby / Are we gonna even make it?

Perhaps the least well known selection of all Thursday was “Runnin,’” a little-hyped song she did in 2015 with U.K. producer Naughty Boy. In it, Beyoncé pleads: Memories turn to dust / please don’t bury us.

When she did stop the forceful narrative of her concert to play just a few well-known songs, it electrified the crowd, leaving the audience wanting more to sing and dance to. Hits like “Drunk in Love,” “*Flawless” and “Ring the Alarm” were grouped together and the stadium came alive.

San Diego was the eighth stop on Beyoncé’s Formation tour, which resumes Saturday with a sold-out show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The tour, which wreaked havoc on San Diego roads Thursday night when some fans began abandoning cars to get to the concert, includes an upcoming European leg and concludes Oct. 2 in Nashville.

If you saw Beyoncé’s 2013 Superbowl halftime show, you can picture exactly how her Formation tour stop here Thursday went. With a gigantic, 60-foot tall cubed screen playing clips of “Lemonade” and other staged shots of her swinging a chain or trapped in a glass box, the first half of the show at times felt like a music video more than a live show. Likewise, her vocals alternated between live and prerecorded.

One of the most organic, vulnerable moments of the night was Beyoncé’s cover of the recently deceased Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones.” Tellingly, she changed the lyrics to: Is it her or is it me? (instead of “him,” as Prince sang in his original version).

It seemed like an effective way to pivot back to her much-hyped possible marital problems with Jay Z. It was also on this Prince classic that Beyoncé broke loose vocally. She did so in a way that has been missed in recent years, especially since she’s changed her focus from a traditional pop and R&B approach to more hip-hop-styled songs and even rapping.

The audience reacted with palpable emotion when Beyoncé wasn’t even on stage. During one of several costume changes, the first notes of Prince’s recording of his epic “Purple Rain” began playing in the suddenly purple-hued stadium, whipping the audience into a nostalgic frenzy. Slowly, members of the audience began singing along as cell phones were raised to the sky, bathing the dark stadium in a sea of flickering lights.

For once, Beyoncé wasn’t controlling the moment. Or was she? With someone as fully in charge of each moment — and every message — it’s unlikely she left anything to chance.

[email protected]

Get U-T Arts & Culture on Thursdays

A San Diego insider’s look at what talented artists are bringing to the stage, screen, galleries and more.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune.

More from this Author

Entertainment

San Diego Book Crawl returning with new shuttle for tour of local independent bookstores

April 12, 2024

How to watch San Diego State’s Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament game against UConn

March 25, 2024

How to watch San Diego State’s second-round NCAA Tournament game against Yale

March 23, 2024

How to watch SDSU’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against UAB

March 19, 2024

San Diego Dining and Drinking

Find egg hunts and bunnies among these 13 Easter brunch or dinner options in San Diego

March 18, 2024

San Diego Guides

These are the available shelters for San Diego County residents impacted by flooding

Jan. 23, 2024

More in this section

San Diego concert picks: Adams Avenue Unplugged with ‘Recordially Yours, Lou Curtiss’ screening; Luciana Souza and Mark Guiliana

The free Saturday festival on Adams Avenue will feature 70 bands and solo artists, including singer-songwriters Jack Tempchin, Gregory Page and Sara Petite, plus a duo featuring Chris Torres and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ alum Ron Blair.

April 24, 2024

Review: Willie Nelson’s San Diego concert defined, not defied, the passing of time. He turns 91 on April 29.

The American music-master and his band warmed up a damp, cool evening at The Shell. David Sanger, the drummer in opening act Asleep At The Wheel, took the ferry back to his family’s home in Coronado after the show.

April 23, 2024

Pearl Jam, Neil Young with Crazy Horse top the 2024 Ohana Festival lineup

Pearl Jam’s frontman Eddie Vedder is the curator of the seaside event, which will marks its eighth appearance at Dana Point’s Doheny State Beach in September

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2024 inductees include Peter Frampton, Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige

This year’s other inductees include Foreigner, Kool & The Gang and A Tribe Called Quest. Honorees in the Musical Excellence and Musical Influence categories included Dionne Warwick, MC5, John Mayall and Jimmy Buffett.

April 21, 2024

Four San Diego concerts you certifiably won’t want to miss

Our picks include the talent-packed Women in Jazz performances at the Lafayette Hotel, Brittany Howard at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, and Nebraska troubadour Andrea Von Kampen at the Whistle Stop

April 18, 2024

Solana Beach settles lawsuit over the KAABOO music festival’s return to Del Mar this year

The city of Solana Beach settled a lawsuit that it filed against the Del Mar Fairgrounds due to concerns about the environmental effects of the KAABOO music festival, which is scheduled to return to the fairgrounds later this year.

April 17, 2024

Advertisement

Supported by

Critic's Notebook

Heels on the Ground: Beyoncé and the Army of Women at Her Command

• Share full article

By Brian Seibert

• June 8, 2016

“O.K. ladies, now let’s get in formation.” These were Beyoncé’s first words at Citi Field on Tuesday night, when her “Formation” world tour made it to New York. The ladies in question — her backup dancers — were already in place, their heads nodding, like hers, under wide-brimmed black sombreros. But it’s fitting that Beyoncé acknowledged them before doing anything else. For what she does in concert, she needs all her ladies.

I went to Citi Field to check out the dancing, and there was a lot of it to take in. (The “Formation” concert has already been reviewed , when the tour opened in Miami in April.) There are sections of the show when Beyoncé sings alone, but it’s never long before the dancers return, as few as a pair or as many as 20, and she dances with them.

[ Jon Caramanica’s review of Beyoncé’s “Formation” tour ]

They are both a source and a manifestation of her strength, and it matters a great deal that they are all women — not something you see at a Rihanna or a Madonna concert. All the musicians are also women. A Beyoncé concert is a display of a female power, even when she isn’t singing about girls running the world or telling the audience that “there’s no such thing as a weak woman.” The dancers back up that message, too.

And they have her back, especially in the context of her latest album, “Lemonade,” with its story line of male infidelity and betrayal and violent emotional reactions. When she follows her own instructions in “Sorry,” to wave a middle finger in the face of a cheating man, the ladies all wave their fingers with her.

Projected images from the hourlong video version of “Lemonade,” rightly praised as an advance in Beyoncé’s artistry, give the concert much of its visual style. But nothing happens onstage that has the power of the video images of Beyoncé smashing car windows and surveillance cameras with a baseball bat and a big smile. And there’s nothing as politically provocative as the Black Panther gear that she and her dancers wore for this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. The video, in its high ambition, largely avoids dance; the concert, using dance heavily, doesn’t aim as high.

Because Beyoncé mostly does the same moves as the dancers do, and vice versa, they are a kind of visual amplifier of her dancing. As much as the jumbo-screen projections on the monolithic cube that is the concert’s main set piece, the dancers broadcast Beyoncé’s actions all over the arena. Dressed as she is, they sometimes seem an extension of her outfit, flowing behind her like a cape as she struts out onto the catwalk that extends into midfield, or advancing in front of her like body armor.

The dancers’ comings and goings are essential to the concert’s theatrical rhythm. When they leave her by herself, their absence creates a sudden intimacy, like a spotlight: just Beyoncé and her thousands of fans.

The main power expressed by the dancing is sexual. “She loves to grind,” as she says in “6 inch,” and grind she does, very well. Beyoncé has always bragged about her body and flaunted it. The strength of the choreography flows from its wide and low squats, its whipping hair, its percussive isolation of body parts, sometimes accompanied (aptly) by the sound of a gun being cocked. A hip thrust forward is a potent weapon, even when fired often, but the highest-caliber ammunition, of course, is Beyoncé’s famous backside, nearly bare in some costumes.

There is not necessarily any contradiction between this exhibition of female bodies and the theme of female empowerment, between the booty shaking and the raised fists. When Beyoncé and her dancers act out the song “Feeling Myself,” there’s a clear sense of self-pleasure, of their doing what they are doing as much for themselves as for the benefit of any man watching. And along with bragging and flaunting comes the threat of withholding, of see-what-you’ll-be-missing, an exercise of control.

And yet it’s hard not to notice that the women are often in boxes. For one number, the containers look like sarcophagi; in another, they are mirrored doors. But as the dancers writhed and slinked against their framing boxes, or cages, the image they kept summoning, at least for me, was of prostitutes selling themselves in the windows of Amsterdam’s red-light district. The bit with Beyoncé mounting a chair is borrowed from the Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris.

Sex, obviously, is part of what Beyoncé sells. But the range of her music is notably wider than that of her movement. Her songs, especially on the current album, break out of genre boxes, and her versatile voice handles many accents and styles. The dancing is much more restricted. It has essentially three formations: vertical line, horizontal line or a “V” with Beyoncé at the tip. It is always attached to the song’s rhythm in the same way, the line of bouncing dancers looking like a graphic equalizer on an old stereo flashing the beat in mobile bar-chart form.

The tough-girl country song “Daddy Lessons” occasions a little shuffling and a hint of the Virginia reel. And for “Freedom,” the ladies slip out of their platform heels to splash in a wading pool of water, their swinging kicks and stomps sloshing up the party-time release toward which the whole concert rushes, the water emphasizing the footwork absent elsewhere.

But mostly, the dancing stays in one mode. A bit of aerial display with women in harnesses is perfunctory. Beyoncé sings her anger and pain and vulnerability. She doesn’t dance it.

No one can say that Beyoncé isn’t a hard worker. Where other pop stars throw their fans bits of clothing or drumsticks, she throws them towels drenched in her sweat. Is it asking too much to want more from her? Beyoncé raises expectations.

A Bit Of Pop Music

Concert Review: Beyoncé Formation World Tour at Amsterdam Arena

Beyoncé on top of her game in Amsterdam Arena Beyoncé delivered her without a doubt most controversial album so far,  Lemonade , earlier this year. The record is full of raw lyrics about a cheating husband and at the same time touches upon political issues. Both her personal life and the position of Afro Americans are discussed. She became the talk of the town at the Super Bowl with a powerful rendition of ‘Formation’ and has recently become more and more vocal for the BlackLivesMatter movement. The pops star also became an activist. On Saturday Night she treated her Dutch fans in the Amsterdam Arena to the Formation World Tour!

Miss Carter started the tour in April in the United States and moved to Europe in June for the second part. The setlist contains as many as 35 songs, although the tracks which are not on her last album, will be performed only partially. She leaves out some big hits and fan favourites like ‘If I Were A Boy’, ‘Listen’, ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘XO’, while she does perform ‘Me, Myself & I’, a moderate hit from her debut. The sometimes unexpected choices don’t seem to bother the crowd who cheer for her loudly from the moment she comes on stage.

That entry is quite a big one to be fair. Her dancers come up in black dresses with hats and Beyoncé follows suit from underneath the stage in a similar outfit with some added bling. The excitement in the room is bursting when Queen B’s face becomes visible when she nods her head to the beat of ‘ Formation ‘. Full of attitude she immediately gets the crowd going when she screams ‘I Slay!’. What follows is an impressive choreography of her dancers with Beyoncé as the ever glowing centre of attention. This is something that continues throughout the whole show and it is definitely outstanding how the star of the night never misses a note or even a dance move.

Visually, the Formation World Tour is definitely a spectacle. The stage is filled with a huge decor, but Beyoncé does not need anything to hide behind and forms the point of attention from start to finish. The wind machines are working hard to blow her stunning hair out of her sweaty face. The style of her dance goes from slow and sensual to fast and powerful. The latter is most evident on a literally splashing rendition of ‘Freedom’, performed on the second smaller stage that is filled up with water. She continues with her feet in the water while singing Destiny’s Child classic ‘Survivor’, which is a nice reference to the famous music video of the track. Although the water sequence is definitely one of the highlights of the show, Beyoncé also impresses with just her vocals when she sings songs like ‘Irreplaceable’ and ‘Love On Top’ a capella. These are the moments when the crowd forms a huge choir that sings along every word.

Although Beyoncé gave it her all, she couldn’t stop her voice from getting lost into the awful echoes that the Amsterdam Arena seems to create. This recently badly affected Rihanna’s concert here too . The bass sounds overrule badly and even Beyoncé’s powerful vocals during the choruses can’t help the sound quality from declining towards the end. She closes the show with the emotional hit ‘Halo’, which is dedicated to the victims of the recent tragic events in the world. During fan favourite ‘All Night’ a lot of balloons appear in the room. Beyoncé shows herself thankful for this spontaneous action by the Dutch fan club and the loyal 19(!) year long support of her Dutch followers. Other than that, Beyoncé doesn’t talk much on stage, which gives the show a serious vibe, but never too dark. She touches upon the problems of the American police and black citizens with some footage on the screen and during songs like ‘Formation’ and ‘Freedom’, but the main goal still is entertainment. She twists, jumps, stamps her feet, conducts with her arms and shows she is completely in a league of her own in the current music industry.

Written by: Joana Chung

——————————————— Concert Recensie: Beyoncé in Amsterdam Arena.

Beyoncé toont zich een onevenaarbare superster in Amsterdam Arena Met het eerder dit jaar verschenen Lemonade heeft Beyoncé haar meest spraakmakende album tot nu toe de wereld in geslingerd. De plaat bevat rauwe teksten over ontrouw en is tegelijkertijd politiek beladen. Ze bespreekt zowel gebeurtenissen uit haar privéleven als ontwikkelingen rondom de Afro-Amerikaanse bevolking. Ze wist alle ogen op zich te richten met haar krachtige ‘Formation’ optreden bij de Super Bowl en steekt haar sympathie voor de BlackLivesMatter beweging niet meer onder stoelen of banken. De popster is ook activiste geworden. Zaterdagavond stond ze in de Amsterdam Arena om het Nederlandse publiek te trakteren op de Formation World Tour.

Miss Carter begon de tour in april in de Verenigde Staten en reisde in juni naar Europa af voor het vervolg. De setlist telt maar liefst 35 tracks, hoewel de meeste liedjes die niet op Lemonade staan, niet volledig worden vertolkt. Opvallend is wel dat hits als ‘If I Were A Boy’, ‘Listen’, ‘Single Ladies’ en ‘XO’ de grote afwezigen vormen, terwijl ‘Me, Myself & I’, een bescheiden hit van haar eerste album, wel op het programma staat. Deze soms onverwachte keuzes lijken het publiek echter geen moment te deren, want vanaf het eerste moment wordt er enthousiast voor haar gegild.

De opening is dan ook zeker een groots moment! Wanneer de eerste figuren met hoge hoeden en zwarte jurken aan komen lopen, barst het gejuich los en Beyoncé zelf in dito kostuum met bling komt vanuit het podium langzaam omhoog. De hoge hoeden verbergen nog de gezichten, maar wanneer ze op de beat van ‘ Formation ‘ knikken, zien we eindelijk Beyoncé en haar dansers. Met veel swag zweept ze het publiek op en de “I slay” kreten kunnen op veel respons rekenen. Een strakke choreografie volgt, waarbij een dozijn vrouwelijke dansers krachtige moves maakt met Beyoncé in het middelpunt. Vergelijkbare routines worden ons gedurende de hele show voorgeschoteld en het is indrukwekkend om te zien hoe Beyoncé vocaal altijd overeind blijft en geen danspasje mist.

Visueel is de gehele show een spektakel. Het podium wordt gevuld door een immens decor met verschillende verdiepingen. Ze heeft het echter niet nodig om zich achter te verschuilen, want met haar dansers achter zich vormt ze veelal de punt van een driehoekige formatie, waarbij de windmachines overuren maken om haar weelderige lokken uit haar bezwete gezicht te blazen. Haar stijl varieert van sensueel verleidend tot een krachtige powerhouse zoals het optreden van ‘Freedom’. Het b-podium is dan gevuld met een laag water waar Bey en haar dansers een letterlijk spetterende choreografie neerzetten. Ze vervolgt met haar voeten in het water tijdens de Destiny’s child klassieker ‘Survivor’, wat een leuke knipoog naar de video van het nummer is. Hoewel dit waterballet absoluut één van de hoogtepunten van de avond is, maakt Beyoncé vooral ook veel indruk met de liedjes die ze a capella ten gehore brengt, zoals ‘Irreplaceable’ en ‘Love On Top’. Juist dan wordt ook het publiek het meest aangespoord om uit volle borst mee te zingen.

Hoewel Beyoncé haar alles geeft, kan ze niet voorkomen dat haar stem soms verdwaalt in de beruchte galm van de Arena, waardoor onlangs nog het concert van Rihanna behoorlijk in het water viel . De basgeluiden resoneren langer door en ondanks Beyoncé’s krachtige zang, wordt de galm naarmate de show vordert, steeds erger. Het slotnummer ‘Halo’ draagt ze op aan de slachtoffers van de recente drama’s in de wereld en tijdens het meeslepende ‘All Night’ wordt ze door haar fanclub verrast met ballonnen door de hele zaal. Ze bedankt hen voor al 19(!) jaar lang loyale steun. Beyoncé is op het podium niet een vrouw van veel woorden, wat de show serieus maakt, maar niet te somber. Er is zeker aandacht voor de problematiek rondom de Amerikaanse politie en Afro-Amerikaanse inwoners, vooral op beelden en tijdens liedjes als ‘Freedom’ en ‘Formation’, maar de show blijft toch vooral entertainment. Ze draait, springt, stampt en dirigeert anderen met haar armen en steekt qua choreografie, maar ook vocaal, nog steeds met kop en schouders boven haar collega’s uit.

Geschreven door: Joana Chung

Share this:

Leave a reply cancel reply, discover more from a bit of pop music.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

All the Photos From Beyonce's 'Formation' Tour

Beyoncé kicks off the 'formation' world tour, beyoncé opens formation tour in miami.

Beyoncé kicked off her Formation world tour on Wednesday in Miami, where she performed old classics like "Crazy in Love" and new hits off Lemonade.

Beyoncé began the night by teasing her return with a video showing her walking up to the stage and the vastness of Miami's Marlins Park. Only hours later, did she bring the stadium to its feet with hits like "Baby Boy" and "Survivor."

Flanked by backup dancers, Beyoncé took the stage just four days after releasing her stunning visual album Lemonade .

Stills from Lemonade featuring Amandla Stenberg and Zendaya were projected behind Beyoncé while she performed tracks from the album.

During the show, Beyoncé paid tribute to the late Prince, who died April 21, by playing "Purple Rain." The crowd joined in for a sing-along and at the end of the concert, she thanked him "for your beautiful music."

Beyoncé ended the night with 2008's ballad "Halo." "I’d like to dedicate this song to my family,” she said before beginning her final song of the evening. "I’d like to dedicate it to my beautiful husband ." She added, "Blue, I love you so much."

Beyoncé's Formation tour will continue in North America through June, before heading to Europe. The whole run will wrap in August.

May 1, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia

May 1, 2016 in atlanta, georgia., related articles.

Beyoncé live review: Superstar shows Wembley Stadium who runs the world

Sasha may be retired, but the Fierce remains.

But her Formation World Tour - which arrived at Wembley Stadium last night (July 2) - scraps everything you thought you knew about Beyoncé's back catalogue. Yes, artists have always re-contextualised their songs to fit the current narrative of their latest piece, but the positioning of Bey's older material during this tour unlocked a whole layer that's been dormant under the polished production for years.

One of Lemonade 's most addictive but bitterest songs, 'Sorry' , centres around her husband Jay Z's alleged infidelity, concluding with the now infamous line: "You better call Becky with the good hair." So for it to be followed by decade-old hit 'Irreplaceable' and that oft-chanted opening "To the left to the left, everything you own in a box to the left" adds weight to what was largely considered a more observational perspective.

This happens time and time again throughout the Formation world tour. Beyoncé ferociously growls through super-charged Jack White collaboration 'Don't Hurt Yourself' , before linking it with the "I'll be damned if I see another chick on your arm" bite of 'Ring The Alarm' . The politically fired and fantastic 'Freedom' places the Black Lives Matter movement centre stage, pulling in Destiny's Child's classic hit 'Survivor' for an empowering conclusion.

It happens amongst a backdrop of carefully curated visuals from her latest album Lemonade , interspersed with home videos of her husband and her daughter Blue Ivy. The Kardashians have an E! reality show to give an insight to their tumultuous lifestyle, but Queen Bey can sell out a world tour and package it into an art piece to be projected onto a giant rotating HD-screened monolith to tell her story.

Of course, none of this smart narrative would work unless its performer did it justice. It helps, then, that Beyoncé can flip between magisterial pop goddess to approachable icon within the flick of her hair or the break of a smile. There's such a rich authority to every movement she makes, every note she sings and every glance across the stadium, it's difficult to not be caught up in the awe of it all.

Her often formidable and fearsome choreography throughout numbers like 'Run The World (Girls)' , 'Bow Down' and 'End Of Time' is powerful and mesmerising, but is then offset by the tenderness of '1+1' , 'Me, Myself and I' and 'Runnin (Lose It All)' . Beyoncé's dynamic ability to be both vigorous and vulnerable can't be matched by her contemporaries. In fact, we'd go as far to say she's effortlessly proven herself to be this generation's Michael Jackson.

It's fitting, then, that she honours the late King of Pop, referencing his own massive shows at Wembley Stadium. "I started singing a very, very long time ago," Bey told the crowd. "The first concert I ever saw was Michael Jackson. And I started dreaming that one day, I'll be in stadiums. All the way in London."

And all the way in London, the crowd was fully on side and willing to fulfil that dream. Enough so that 80,000 fans sang 'Love On Top' in unison as Beyoncé ad libbed a cappella over the soulful number. It was a stunning moment amongst the high energy set, and one which showcased the sheer might of Beyoncé's following from starting as a Destiny's Child band member 19 years ago, to a superstar who will go down as one of the greats.

The Formation World Tour was not only named after its incredible opening number (causing thousands to proclaim "I slay!"), but showcases the fascinating evolution of Beyoncé, the person and performer we know today. Classic and new tracks alike are brought together for one of the most cohesive and insightful shows of her career to date. Beyonce may have retired her alter-ego Sasha some years ago now, but the Fierce very much remains.

.css-15yqwdi:before{top:0;width:100%;height:0.25rem;content:'';position:absolute;background-image:linear-gradient(to right,#51B3E0,#51B3E0 2.5rem,#E5ADAE 2.5rem,#E5ADAE 5rem,#E5E54F 5rem,#E5E54F 7.5rem,black 7.5rem,black);} Reviews

Anna and the Apocalypse is must-see Christmas film

Wreck-It Ralph 2 review: Hilarious & heartwarming

Girl in the Spider's Web: Lisbeth's a superhero

Does Fantastic Beasts 2 recapture Potter magic?

Bohemian Rhapsody review: Not (quite) a kind of magic

Does the new Halloween movie live up to the hype?

First Man review: Does Ryan Gosling achieve liftoff?

Bad Times At the El Royale: A messy but stylish noir

Life Is Strange 2 episode 1 review: Road trip

Venom review: Does Tom Hardy's superhero measure up?

A Star is Born review: Does Lady Gaga's movie sparkle?

By clicking Sign In, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Sign In Up with your social account

We won't post to any of your accounts

Your password must include:

• Min 8 characters
• Min 1 lowercase character
• Min 1 uppercase character
• Min 1 number

The Five Fiercest Moments from Beyonce’s Formation Tour

Next year, the NFL might want to consider getting rid of all that football stuff and just let Beyoncé take over the entire Super Bowl for two hours. The unrivaled pop superstar, 34, certainly showed off an entire league’s worth of stamina and power during the mind-blowing opening night of her 41-show Formation World Tour in Miami last night. As expected, plenty of Lemonade songs were served during the 36-song set, as well as oodles of other surprises, including an emotional tribute to Prince , surviving a mic malfunction and the unveiling of personal home movies showcasing her most romantic moments with husband Jay Z . Us e ntertainment director Ian Drew was stage-side for the entire two-hour extravaganza, watching as Queen Bey strutted her stuff to hits including “Crazy in Love,” “Flawless” and Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” — along with a slew of sweet covers. Here are the top five standout moments:

Related: PHOTOS: See Beyonce's Sasha-Fierce Formation Tour Outfits

1) The Queen Gets Personal! Somebody may have cheated, as strongly suggested by Beyoncé’s blockbuster sixth album, Lemonade (not to call anybody out!), but the singer had nothing but love for her dearly beloved during the sold-out show. After wailing about an unfaithful husband in new cuts including “Hold Up” and “Sorry,” Queen Bey told an adorable story about driving to the show with 4-year-old Blue. “My daughter said, ‘Mommy, are we going to your work?’ And then we were pulling up to this huge stadium … I remembered when I was a little girl that this was my dream.” During a video interlude later on, the screens flashed never-before-seen footage of Bey and Jay cradling Blue after her birth in the hospital and a succession of private shots from the child’s life. Intermingled with that was rare footage of the music couple’s intimate moments, including a clip of them getting their matching four (IV) finger tattoos. At show’s end, Beyoncé dedicated “Halo” to “my beautiful husband. I love you so much.” Guess there’s no drama for now, at least. Side note: Beyoncé’s Destiny’s Child bandmate, Michelle Williams , also got a shout-out for surprising her with an appearance at the concert.

2) Prince Reigned! While the “Party” singer didn’t actually perform a number in honor of the recently deceased Purple One, she sure gave him his moment. During one of Beyoncé’s six costume changes, the video screens turned purple as a four-minute edit of his 1984 classic “Purple Rain” blared throughout the arena. The emotional crowd of roughly 35,000 fans sang in unison while waving their lit-up cellphones. Bey continued to pay tribute later in the show, blasting purple confetti over the fans during “Party” and performing a surprise cover of “Nasty Girl,” by Prince protégées Vanity 6. And closing the show, she was sure to thank Prince “for [his] beautiful music.”

Related: PHOTOS: Beyonce's Body Evolution

3) Bey’s Not Afraid to Get Wet! The award for the spectacle’s most impressive staging goes to the giant lap pool that was set up at the end of the stage’s runway toward the end of the show. A barefoot Beyoncé emerged to sing “Freedom” by wading into the ankle-deep water as she splashed around with her 22 female dancers through a highly choreographed set that also included “Survivor,” “End of Time,” “Grown Woman” and the finale, “Halo.” As she got more and more soaked, the superstar didn’t miss a step — and didn’t miss a beat when her microphone went out during the first verse of “Survivor.” Even though the crowd couldn’t hear her impeccable vocals, she kept powering through the song as a stagehand quickly rushed her an operating replacement mic. See, haters? There’s the proof that Beyoncé doesn’t lip-synch or even sing to a backing track during even her most exhaustive performances. Any questions?

4) She’s Got It Covered! Throughout the concert, Beyoncé whipped out several surprise cover songs. Although she rocked out to snippets of original songs including Brenda Lee’s 1960 heartbreaker “I’m Sorry” (before her new track “Sorry,” off Lemonade ) and The Doors’ “Five to One” (she headbanged to it on a metal throne!), she also crooned tunes by a few of her inspirations. The Houston native performed D’Angelo’s “(Untitled) How Does It Feel” while writhing on a chair in the middle of her own “Rocket.” Then, during a sex-themed suite of songs, out came the “Nasty Girl” cover, plus her version of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” (it was worked into her own 2008 smash of the same title). And blink and you’ll miss it: a piece of hubby Jay Z’s “Tom Ford” was woven into “Bow Down” toward the beginning of the song.

You have successfully subscribed.

Subscribe to newsletters

By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly

Deal of the Day

Check our latest news in Google News

Check our latest news in Apple News

Related: PHOTOS: Beyonce & Jay Z's Sexy Romance

Related: photos: beyonce's best instagram style.

5) There’s Nothing Like a Good Leotard! Once again, Beyoncé’s favorite concert wardrobe staple, the leotard, rocked her body all night (although her Stuart Weitzman heels of tours past were replaced with high-heeled boots). She paired a plain black onesie with a large, wide-brimmed hat to open the night with “Formation.” She then debuted six other stylish versions throughout the gig. There was the white lace and diamond-encrusted long-sleeved stunner she paired with lavender knee-high boots for “Mine,” “Baby Boy,” “Hold Up” and “Countdown.” Out came a white-and-red, pearl emblazoned version for a suite that included “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” “Ring the Alarm” and “Flawless.” A flashy gold number helped light up “7/11,” as well as “Drunk In Love” and “Rocket.” Honoring her hero Michael Jackson, she donned a sparkly black and gold marching-band–style getup (with tiger-skin–printed boots!) for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”: Two fans helped do the famous dance with her! And, of course, a red patent-leather number accentuated the sex-themed slew of songs that was highlighted by the 50 Shades of Grey revamp of “Crazy in Love” and “Blow.” Hey, if it works, why change?

In this article

Beyoncé Knowles

More stories.

Beyonce Announces ‘Formation’ World Tour Following Super Bowl Show

By Jerry Portwood

Jerry Portwood

One day after surprise-releasing a new song and video ,  Beyoncé  followed her Super Bowl 50 halftime show performance with news of the Formation World Tour.

The tour is the singer’s first solo trek since her ambitious Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2013. It kicks off April 27th in Miami, Florida at Marlins Park, with an additional 21 stadium dates that include New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Philadelphia, Dallas. The European leg of the tour starts June 28th in Sunderland, U.K. at Stadium of Light and includes dates in London, Manchester, Zurich, Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, Stockholm, Frankfurt and more.

Bey debuted “Formation” live Sunday at Santa Clara, California’s Levi’s Stadium dressed in a tight black jumpsuit with gold military “ammunition” that seemed to reference Michael Jackson’s signature look from the Eighties. Bruno Mars, another previous Super Bowl halftime show headliner, also appeared during Coldplay’s set.

“Formation” is available to stream and download for free exclusively through Tidal .

Billie Eilish Would Like to Reintroduce Herself

Team trump is ready to lose the supreme court immunity case. they’re celebrating, taylor swift and jack antonoff have reached their limit, meet the girthmaster, the onlyfans creator who makes up to $80,000 per month.

Beyoncé Formation World Tour Dates

April 27 – Miami @ Marlins Park April 29 – Tampa @ Raymond James Stadium May 1 – Atlanta @ Georgia Dome May 3 – Raleigh @ Carter-Finley Stadium May 5 – Nashville @ Nissan Stadium May 7 – Houston @ NRG Stadium May 9 – Dallas @ AT&T Stadium May 12 – San Diego @ Qualcomm Stadium May 14 – Los Angeles @ Rose Bowl May 16 – Santa Clara @ Levi’s Stadium May 18 – Seattle @ CenturyLink Field May 20 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Commonwealth Stadium May 23 – Minneapolis @ TCF Bank Stadium May 25 – Toronto @ Rogers Centre May 27 – Chicago @ Soldier Field May 29 – Detroit @ Ford Field May 31 – Pittsburgh @ Heinz Field June 3 – Boston @ Gillette Stadium June 5 – Philadelphia @ Lincoln Financial Field June 7 – New York City @ Citi Field June 10 – Baltimore @ M&T Bank Stadium June 12 – Hershey @ Hersheypark Stadium June 28 – Sunderland, UK @ Stadium of Light June 30 – Cardiff, UK @ Millennium Stadium July 2 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium July 5 – Manchester, UK @ Emirates Old Trafford July 7 – Glasgow, UK @ Hampden Park July 9 – Dublin, Ireland @ Croke Park July 12 – Dusseldorf, Germany @ Esprit Arena July 14 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund July 16 – Amsterdam @ Arena July 18 – Milan, Italy @ Stadio San Siro July 21 – Paris @ Stade de France July 24 – Copenhagen @ Parken July 26 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Friends Arena July 29 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Commerzbank Arena July 31 – Brussels, Belgium @ Roi Boudoin

Nicki Nicole Reminds an Ex What He's Lost on 'Ojos Verdes'

• By Julyssa Lopez

Kim Petras Cancels Summer Fest Appearances Due to Health Concerns: 'I'm Devastated'

• Get Well Soon
• By Charisma Madarang

Stagecoach Livestream 2024: How to Watch the Country Music Festival from Home

• Festival Season
• By John Lonsdale

Drew Carey Had a Spiritual and Sexual Awakening at His First Phish Concert

• Glad You Had Fun
• By Larisha Paul

Dionne Warwick on Her Rock Hall Induction: 'I've Never Considered Myself a Rock & Roller'

• SERENE DIONNE
• By David Browne

Most Popular

Anne hathaway says 'gross' chemistry test in the 2000s required her to make out with 10 guys: that's the 'worst way to do it' and 'now we know better', how i did it: judith regan remembers the day o.j. simpson (almost) confessed, prince william’s bond with his in-laws sheds a light on his 'chilly' relationship with these royals, first queen elizabeth ii memorial statue unveiled, with a smile and three corgis, in england, you might also like, ‘challengers’ heats up: how zendaya’s star power and a sexy love triangle could give gen z its next movie obsession, nyc’s meatpacking district to host a lineup of visual arts and fashion events this spring, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, accident video on ‘the pickup’ set shows vehicles flipping over, sue bird joins seattle storm ownership group.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

• Okayplayer 25
• OkayFuture Labs
• NYC Newsletter
• True Notes Newsletter

To continue reading

Create a free account or sign in to unlock more free articles.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy

The content is free, but you must be subscribed to Okayplayer to continue reading.

THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING

Join our newsletter family to stay tapped into the latest in Hip Hop culture!

To continue reading login to your account.

Forgot your password?

Please enter the email address you use for your account so we can send you a link to reset your password:

Here's The Full List Of Dates For Beyonce's 'Formation' World Tour

Needless to say, the highlight of last night's gridiron game had absolutely nothing to do with football. Rather, it was  Beyoncé and Bruno Mars  that stole the show, delivering one the best halftime performances in recent memory, performing a live and direct mash-up of Bey's surprise weekend release "Formation" and Mars' smash hit "Uptown Funk." It was announced during the halftime show that Beyonce had revealed the dates for a summer world tour. And so, with a little assistance for the Bey Hive, we've compiled all of the  Formation World Tour  stops into one list for you anxious hearts. Peep the full set of dates for Beyonce's tour below along with the jaw-dropping clip for "Formation." Tickets go on-sale next Tuesday, February 16th via Live Nation .

Tour Dates: 

April 27th @ Marlins Park - Miami, FL

April 29th @ Raymond James Stadium - Tampa, FL

May 1st @ Georgia Dome - Atlant, GA

May 3rd @ Carter-Finely Stadium - Raleigh, NC

May 5th @ Nissan Stadium - Nashville, TN

May 7th @ NRG Stadium - Houston, TX

May 9th @ AT&T Stadium - Dallas, TX

May 12th @ Quaicomm Stadium - San Diego, CA

May 14th @ Rose Bowl - Los Angeles, CA

May 16th @ Levi's Stadium - Santa Clara, CA

May 18th @ CenturyLink Field - Seattle, WA

May 20th @ Commonwealth Stadium - Edmonton, AB

May 23rd @ TCF Bank Stadium - Minneapolis, MN

May 25th @ Rogers Center - Toronto, ON

May 27th @ Soldier Field - Chicago, IL

May 29th @ Ford Field - Detroit, MI

May 31st @ Heinz Field - Pittsburgh, PA

June 3rd @ Gilette Stadium - Boston, MA

June 5th @ Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia, PA

June 7th @ Citi Field - New York, NY

June 10th @ M&T Bank Stadium - Baltimore, MD

June 12th @ Hershey Park Stadium - Hershey, PA

June 28th @ Stadium Of Light - Sunderland, UK

June 30th @ Millennium Stadium - Cardiff, UK

July 2nd @ Wembley Stadium - London, UK

July 5th @ Emirates Old Trafford - Manchester, UK

July 7th @ Hampden Park - Glasgow, UK

July 9th @ Croke Park - Dublin, IE

July 12th @ Espirit Arena - Dusseldorf, DE

July 14th @ Letzigrund - Zurich, CH

July 16th @ Arena - Amsterdam, NE

July 18th @ Stadio San Siro - Milan, IT

July 21st @ Stade de France - Paris, FR

July 24th @ Parken - Copenhagen, DK

July 26th @ Friends Arena - Stockholm, SE

July 29th @ Commerzbank Arena - Frankfurt, DE

July 31st @ Roi Boudoi - Brussels, BE

• Tens Across the Board for Opening Night of Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ Tour - Okayplayer ›
• From Diana Ross to Kendrick Lamar, the Stars Align for Beyoncé #BEYDAYLA Concert - Okayplayer ›
• NYC: The Ultimate Date Night Playground - Okayplayer ›

Trending Stories

The west is active: we were blessed last week with albums from mozzy and gangrene, berhana takes over the bowery ballroom with the 'nomad’s tour', what to do in nyc this weekend, sade fans rejoice: six albums to be re-released on vinyl, celebrating 30 years of illmatic, cavalier is getting it all in due time, black-owned art spaces in nyc you should check out, atlanta is hurting following the passing of dungeon family originator rico wade, rapper and producer duos we'd love to see, do rap albums still even matter, sign up to our newsletter, what to know about the sexual assault case against nicki minaj's husband, irish singer-songwriter sinéad o'connor has died at 56, recent stories, the most important producers in rap right now, slow money: artist pay in the streaming era, the spring 2024 festivals on our radar, courtney bell, detroit’s not-so-secret weapon, what’s left for roc marciano to prove, women’s month spotlight: harlem’s own, dardra coaxum, does big sean belong in hip-hop’s elite tier, first look friday: tg.blk, 'hell's kitchen,' always remember where dreams begin, black-owned bookstores in nyc to check out.

• Newsletters
• Account Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content Account Sign out

Beyoncé Finally Comes Down to Earth

In her new concert film  renaissance , the megastar embraces her imperfections..

If you’ve seen Beyoncé perform within the past decade, whether on a televised awards show or in the flesh, then congratulations: You have borne witness to a seamless orchestration of myriad moving parts, a perfect machine that only grows more gargantuan and complex with each new tour. “Spectacle” would be one way to put it, though that suggests that a Beyoncé performance is merely something to look at. “Experience” may be the more accurate term: Beyoncé envelops you in her craft, in her storytelling, in her sheer force of gravity—and, increasingly, since the 2016 “Formation” tour for her acclaimed album Lemonade , in the long-hidden messier inner workings of her life and her art. A decadeslong pursuit of perfection began to shift, in that stage of her career, to breaking down those same barriers of perfection that demarcated her as more idol than human. Now, after spending the past few years chipping away at this facade, the megastar has not just embraced her imperfections, but released a full-scale celebration of them with her latest concert film Renaissance , now playing in theaters.

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé begins in the same way as the shows from her “Renaissance” tour do, with the songs “Dangerously in Love” and “Flaws and All.” Specifically, the performance of “Flaws and All” that Beyoncé gave in Inglewood, California, on the day of her 42 nd birthday, prefaced by a moving speech about everything she’s thankful for, from her family and fans to “every flaw, every stretchmark, every fupa .” This expression of vulnerability, coming from an artist who, just a decade ago, made headlines for banning professional photographers from her concerts following the publication of apparently not-flattering-enough photos , is perhaps a sign that Beyoncé has gone all in on, as she describes it, “the ability to make lemonade out of lemons,” a loosening of absolute control and a demystification of the icon that began with Lemonade . Granted, everything we see in Renaissance , including the singer’s depiction of her own imperfection, has still been curated by her, but the fact that the film details so many of the lemons she has encountered throughout her life—the resulting lemonade, of course, being the show we are currently witnessing—feels, at the very least, like a sizable shift in image, and, at the most, gratifying.

Though Beyoncé’s previous concert film, 2019’s Homecoming —which centered her celebration of Blackness at her historic Coachella headlining performance—took the same approach of blending concert and behind-the-scenes footage, and earned praise for highlighting Beyoncé’s dancers and the star’s strict regimen in getting show-ready after having twins, it stopped just short of showing the true extent of manual labor involved in creating the production. A large part of breaking down the idea of Beyoncé is unveiling the workhorse that functions under her name, and the Renaissance film does that by highlighting the nuts and bolts of what the singer describes as the “well-oiled machine” of the tour. She reminds the audience of the huge crew that worked tirelessly for the four-plus years it took to create the show. She dresses her crew members in reflective jumpsuits to showcase the “choreography of what they do.” The work is far from flaw-proof, she reminds us: Half an hour into the film, after she goes long on the fine-tuned technicalities of the production, Beyoncé inserts footage of the moment, during her August performance in Arizona , when the audio unexpectedly cut off. It’s the making-of-lemonade in action: In the scramble to reinstate the audio, her team decides to have her do a costume change, ensuring that every exit and entrance onto the stage, even the unplanned ones, are a moment .

The film’s inclusion of that hitch, which is smartly edited to trick the audience into thinking the movie has cut out for a moment, illustrates a point that Beyoncé states outright later on: She “doesn’t give a fuck” anymore. By now, she has nothing to prove; everything that an artist could possibly achieve in a lifetime, she’s already done. (Save for an eyebrow-raisingly elusive Grammy for Album of the Year, but do not get me started on that.) She says she used to rehearse constantly so that she would be prepared enough to be free onstage, but on this tour, she’s “just free.” That sense of freedom comes through, evident in the countless fan videos of the singer messing up, laughing at her own mistakes, and sharing inside jokes with her fans. Looking back at videos of Beyoncé from early in her career, it was always obvious that she had a personality, but there was a time that she shielded it behind layers of fiercely upheld privacy and careful image calibration. Now, finally, she is in what my friends and I have dubbed a return to her “funny era.”

But Renaissance isn’t only about coming back from, transforming, or chuckling at minor, split-second fumbles onstage. In the behind-the-scenes footage, Beyoncé details her struggles, like suffering, at the age of 13, from a vocal injury that she feared would jeopardize her entire career, or undergoing knee surgery shortly before rehearsing for this show. She even shows herself reuniting with the other members of Destiny’s Child for, she explains, the first time ever—a reunion that included the two members whose exit from the group, before it became the trio many recognize it as today, was the subject of a lawsuit that was settled out of court in 2002 —alluding to the tumultuous and notably hush-hush history of the group’s many iterations.

Beyoncé’s most touching display of vulnerability, however, concerns motherhood. Though the show is a well-oiled machine, Beyoncé states in the film that she is not; she’s a human who struggles to balance her work with motherhood because, as demanding as her work is, her primary job is to be a present and involved mother. “Kids don’t care what you do for a living, they just want their mom,” she says. Admittedly, it’s in the portrayal of Beyoncé’s struggle balancing motherhood and work that the film indulges too much in the classic hagiography present in most concert films: Beyoncé says she still takes her kids to school, but doesn’t quite seem to realize how out of touch it may come across as to mention in the same breath how she would fly to Cannes to join her children in a luxurious French home for the second half of her tour. And, of course, there’s no mention of the help she can afford—the nannies for her children, the best physical therapists that can travel with her to monitor her knee rehab, all the other unseen labor that goes into facilitating her quest to have it all.

Nevertheless, Beyoncé’s story of motherhood is still compelling—nowhere more than in the part of the film that focuses on Blue Ivy, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 11-year-old daughter, who became something of a sensation this summer after dancing during the “My Power”/”Black Parade” medley, first at Beyoncé’s Paris show on May 26 , then subsequently at various stops. In a rare moment of vulnerability, mother and daughter share how Blue Ivy faced criticism on social media over her first performance. With more clarity than many celebrity parents seem to possess, Beyoncé explains that she was hesitant to let her child go onstage because Blue Ivy hasn’t been through the obstacles that Beyoncé has, which, difficult as they were, prepared her to be the performer she is today. But by honoring her child’s desire to join her on the main stage—a child who has been criticized online since her birth for no real reason other than having famous parents—Beyoncé obliterated a cycle of idealized perfection: All Blue Ivy had to do was take the leap, face the criticism, and work hard to overcome her challenges, rather than become paralyzed by the unattainability of perfection.

The film, as made explicit by Beyoncé’s opening speech, is built on the idea of exalting that which makes us human, whether it’s our flaws, our vulnerabilities, or our identity. It’s a meditation on time, aging, and motherhood. Watching it in the darkness of the cinema, surrounded by the palpable joys and heartbreaks of my fellow theatergoers, I teared up at the film’s touching remembrance of Beyoncé’s Uncle Johnny , a close friend of her mother’s, whose influence on Beyoncé’s life—as a Black, Southern, gay man—before he passed serves as the inspiration for this album. Life and death are two sides of the same coin; in embracing what it means to be mortal—and, by extension, human and imperfect—Beyoncé found a way, in this Renaissance era of hers, to celebrate life and liberation. She does it in a way that only a Beyoncé who has stepped down to earth from her pedestal after more than 20 years finally can.

Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' is hauntingly brilliant, even the 15 surprise songs

Taylor Swift ’s vulnerability is her superpower.

From the glorified diary entries of her 2006 debut to her 2024 album of the year Grammy winner “Midnights," she has proudly worn her heart on her sleeve.

That heart is bloodied and battered, but ultimately beating on “The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift’s 11th studio album that she surprise announced while collecting the first of two more Grammys in February.

Then came a bigger surprise when, at 2 a.m. Friday, Swift declared that "TTPD" was really a double album, with "The Anthology" tacked onto the the title and the addition of 15 songs to join the initial 16.

These 31 pensive pop tracks are the antithesis to “Lover.” Heartbreak and misery wrapped in melody. Rainbows faded into sepia tone. An era endured not enjoyed.

"TTPD" is bookended with a prologue – a poem by Stevie Nicks – and an epilogue framed as Swift’s summary report as the chairman of The Tortured Poets Department (Chaos, “leads the caged beast to do the most curious things,” she writes).

As she grapples with blame for the fizzling of a six-year relationship, she isn’t worried about pride. Former boyfriend Joe Alwyn is the obvious unnamed antagonist in most songs ("My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"), though Swift shoulders plenty of culpability ("The Tortured Poets Department" title track).

With these songs, Swift pulls listeners into the depths of misery catalyzed by a public breakup while she staged the biggest concert tour in history. It's an exploration of extremes told with intimate details. Is this her “Tapestry" ? Her “Blue" ? Her “Like A Prayer" ?

Maybe the old guard still isn’t ready to anoint Swift to the echelon of Carole King and Joni Mitchell (Madonna? Absolutely). But “TTPD” springboards off Swift’s vibrant storytelling on “Folklore” and “Evermore” and spotlights the open-hearted confidence she presented on those musically minimalist albums.

Swifties can exhaust themselves excavating lyrical clues in the F-bomb-dropping “Down Bad” (“If I can’t have him, I might die”) and surmise if “But Daddy I Love Him” is funny or cruel (“I’m having his baby. No I’m not, but you should see your faces”), but it hardly matters.

Like the most successful artists in history – The Beatles and Beyoncé, perhaps – Swift is untouchable. Critic proof. Adored whether she unveils a masterpiece or a stopgap collection of songs.

“TTPD” falls closer to masterpiece territory, if not musically – similar cadences and production from Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner coat many songs with the same sheen – then lyrically.

It’s a bonafide headphones album, best experienced in the quiet to fully absorb the sadness and exasperation in Swift’s voice when she sings in the resentful “So Long, London,” (“I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free”) and her ache on the melancholy piano ballad “Loml,” which will make your heart feel raked over with nails.

What guests does Taylor Swift have on her new album?

Post Malone is dancing closely to the fire known as "Call John Legend For a Feature" with his high-profile drops not only on Swift’s album, but Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter.”

While he offered a pedestrian contribution with Beyoncé, Posty fares better on “Fortnight,” the opening song on “TTPD” which he co-wrote with Swift and Antonoff.

A gentle thrumming in the background cushions Swift's darkly funny lyrics (“I was a functioning alcoholic ‘til nobody noticed my new aesthetic”) while Post Malone dips into the mesmerizing rhythm with some sweet vocals.

It’s also one of two songs to namedrop Florida. But the second, “ Florida!!! ,” co-written by and co-starring Florence Welch, is the standout, with Swift and Welch trading vocals over a stomping backbeat that is both cinematic and purposeful.

More: Taylor Swift name-drops Patti Smith and Dylan Thomas on new song. Here’s why

While it’s impossible to out-lyricize Swift, Welch nudges impressively close with her self-penned contribution: “Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine, well, me and my ghosts had a hell of a time.”

These two are ideal companions, musically and philosophically.

‘I Can Do it With a Broken Heart’ is one of Swift’s best Trojan horses

Synths flutter, an electro-pop beat pulses and the melody is structured as one of Swift’s trademark glistening pop gems.

But then the lyrics of “I Can Do it With a Broken Heart” kick in and Swift travels through the most potent psychological exploration of “the show must go on” since Smokey Robinson and The Miracles described “The Tears of a Clown” in 1967.

“I’m a real tough kid,” Swift sings, defiant as ever. “They said baby, gotta fake it til you make it … and I did.”

With humor and grace, Swift unfurls the anguish she hid while remaining very visible the past year, including blasting through an awe-inspiring three-hour show several nights a week on her world-spanning Eras Tour. But the song achieves liftoff with the dichotomy of Swift’s honeyed voice and her chant-singing, “I’m so depressed, I act like it’s my birthday, every day.”

It’s a clever entry into the complexity of mental health, and Swift, she of limitless ambition, flips her sorrow into something constructive, a Superwoman unbowed by pesky things like misery.

“I cry a lot but I am so productive,” she chirps, tongue firmly in cheek. “It’s an art … you know you’re good when you can do it with a broken heart.”

The capper is Swift declaring, “I’m miserable and no one even knows it!” as she laughs through the end of the song. But after recognizing what she’s endured, even her giggles lacerate.

More: All 11 of Taylor Swift's No. 1 songs ranked ahead of her 11th album release

Who is Clara Bow?

One of the most intriguing songs on “TTPD” is named for a 1920s-era silent film star and the layers run deep (paging all excavating Swifties!)

Is the choice of an actress who was seen and not heard on film a metaphor for her life with Alwyn, a cornerstone of which was privacy?

Or, as Swift sings from an observational post, does she merely resemble the alluring dark-lipsticked 20 th century star?

The wispy ballad finds Swift mimicking the words she (possibly) heard in her upstart years, such as “You look like Stevie Nicks ,” before the storyline comes full circle with a new rookie being told, “You look like Taylor Swift … you’ve got edge, she never did.”

It’s meta, yes, but Swift often subscribes to glancing back to lunge forward – always saturated in poetic sensitivity.

What is ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’?

The 15 additional songs Swift dropped a mere two hours after providing an emotional wallop with the first batch include four of the tracks already announced as bonuses: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.”

Among the others, Swift is especially pointed on the gently swelling acoustic guitar-based “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus,” a song that seemingly references her fling with Matty Healy (she laments being unable to save someone who “needed drugs” and was always just out of reach).

Her strongest vitriol, however, is reserved for “Thank you, Aimee,” which fans surmise digs into her feud with Kim Kardashian . But Swift is bold and forthright when schooling “Aimee” about her success in spite of criticisms – a familiar, if still welcome, page from Swift’s playbook.

A trio of “name” songs – “Cassandra,” “Peter” and “Robin” – are all winsome ballads couched in pretty piano melodies. “Peter” is especially endearing with its waltzing rhythm and Swift’s warm vocals on this ode to a childhood friend (“The goddess of timing once found us beguiling,” she sings).

But a highlight is the bouncy “So High School,” which finds Swift singing and strumming guitar with the breezy glow of ‘ 90s-era Sheryl Crow. Is her focal point current paramour Travis Kelce ? Lyrics including “You know how to ball, I know Aristotle” and “I feel so high school every time I look at you,” are significant indications. But more importantly, the song pulls Swift out of the sludge and into the sun.  

Review: Bad Bunny the bandido lights up the Wells Fargo Center on his ‘Most Wanted Tour’

Bad Bunny came to South Philly on Friday night for a sold-out show at the Wells Fargo Center.

It was the first time in Philadelphia for the Puerto Rican rapper, singer and influential cultural force — who was born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio — since he headlined the Made in America festival in 2022.

The stop on his Most Wanted Tour was in support of his 2023 album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana — which translates from Spanish to English as Nobody Knows What Is Going to Happen Tomorrow — and a thumping, infectious celebration of Latino pride.

The Inquirer’s Rosa Cartagena and Dan DeLuca went to the show. Here’s their review.

Dan DeLuca: Good morning after Bad Bunny, Rosa. We saw Bad Bunny take the stage following an overture by the Philharmonic Orchestra Project (led by Grammy-winning conductor Carlitos Lopez), ride a horse, and entertain fans while looking down on them from a floating skybridge. How’d you like it? What were the highlights for you?

Rosa Cartagena: I am still so pumped. Sore, but energized. Bad Bunny is one of the artists who has defined my 20s. He’s delivered so much incredible music that has catapulted reggaeton, Latin trap, and Spanish-language music overall to a completely new level — all while simultaneously shining a spotlight on Puerto Rico’s political problems and resilience. My family and I love Bad Bunny and we have so much fun listening to him together, so what I was really excited to see was how the crowd reflected that, too: There were so many intergenerational families (including at least one abuela!) and it warmed my heart.

Inside the arena, the biggest highlight for me was his Latin trap section. Nadie Sabe was a great album, but I desperately wanted to hear such tracks as “Tú No Metes Cabra,” “Chambea,” and “Soy Peor.” I wish he performed more than snippets but I’ll take what I can get. He was his flirty, funny self — blowing kisses, waving, and winking at the crowd. The floating stage brought him closer to the fans at all seating levels and he had me tearing up at one moment when the lights went on and showed so many Puerto Rican flags, and he simply, quietly, soaked it all in from his perch.

Despite being a fan since the mix-tape days, I hadn’t seen him live before, but you’ve seen him a few times in Philly, right? How did this show compare?

D.D.: I’ve only seen him once before, actually. When he headlined Made in America in 2022, in the closing night show that, if the festival, which is canceled again this year, never comes back will go down as the last-ever MIA performance.

I enjoyed this more. What was cool about that MIA show was how he transformed the grounds into a Latinx dance party, making Jay-Z’s festival over in his own image and language. This was a really smartly staged arena show with top-shelf production — though the relationship between Bad Bunny and the audience is still what makes it special.

He did a lot of standing there and soaking in the adulation — it was a bit Evita -ish when he was on the floating stage, looking down on his people from the balcony. But who can blame him? The passion and appreciation for the ways he’s represented Latino culture and refused to compromise or cross over by rapping or singing in English is real. His audience loves him for it, as well they should.

Yeah, the Latin trap section was impressive. I could feel the bass coming up through the soles of my shoes.

Let’s talk about the staging. The orchestral introduction was classy, and created an Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western vibe, fitting with the outlaw imagery of Nadie Sabe . A friend of mine on Facebook who’s also a non-Spanish speaker compared it to watching an Italian opera. You can be swept up by the emotion of the music, and the contours of the story reveal themselves.

R.C.: The orchestra definitely brought a level of class to the crowd ready for perreo — and that kind of genre-mashing surprise is part of why people love his sound. I see the bandido theme here almost in between Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter (which came out five months after Nadie Sabe ) and Taylor Swift’s brand-new The Tortured Poets Department , because it’s both bad boy and sad boy. (And unlike Beyoncé's country, he leans hard into Tex-Mex vaquero culture with a bolo tie and his mariachi-inspired outfit.)

But the resonance isn’t just contemporary. He also spotlights Puerto Rican folkloric music, like bringing plena performers to last year’s Grammys. Before he arrived onstage, the orchestra played an instrumental rendition of the iconic bolero by La Lupe, “Qué Te Pedi,” a beloved song that cuts across generations, proving what I heard from so many fans last night: He hasn’t forgotten his roots. It was also refreshing to hear his intimate, pared-down acoustic section, when he sat on the piano and crooned while holding a horse plushie.

D.D.: The piano section was sweet. Sitting on it, sort of like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys . It was impressive that he could pull off a cocktail lounge vibe in a massive arena. And before “Qué Te Pedi,” the intro music was Billie Holiday’s “I’ll Look Around.” Mood music of the highest order.

The filmed interlude of a masked man riding across the desert was like Clint Eastwood in a Sergeo Leone movie crossed with Max von Sydow in The Seventh Seal . But when Bad Bunny actually rode in on a horse it was anticlimactic, a brief video screen talking point. And I was glad it was short, though: I was worried the poor horse was going to freak out in a room with 20,000 people!

The setup with two stages, plus the floating sky bridge — that worked really well. And the lights were spectacular. It seemed almost everybody was wearing the light-up Bad Bunny boot necklaces synced to turn the room green or red, in rhythm with the music. The only show I’ve seen that used that trick so well was the Weeknd at the Linc a couple of summers ago.

R.C.: Breathtaking, for sure. The orb lights were versatile and dynamic, at one point making a bridge (like our own Benjamin Franklin). He threw down. The only thing Philly fans might have missed was “Acho PR,” the track where he shouts out Bryce Harper and the Phillies .

©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

• Tour schedule
• How to buy tickets
• How much do tickets cost?
• Who is opening?

Will there be international tour dates?

How to buy madonna tickets for 2024 tour.

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Madonna is wrapping up her current concert tour over the next few days with a trilogy of shows in Mexico City. Prices have been climbing over recent days, so you'll have to be sharp if you want to buy Madonna tickets for these dates while you can for the The Celebration Tour.

Before she takes her final bow of the Celebration Tour concert series in April 2024, Madonna will have performed 52 shows across 27 cities in the US, Canada, and Mexico. While many dates earlier in the tour were available for under $100, these final dates will cost you at least $245 at the time of writing. Still, it's a few grand cheaper than the Swifties have been paying this year.

• More events: Olivia Rodrigo tickets | Taylor Swift tickets | Adele tickets | Rolling Stones tickets

With the concert series being a retrospective celebration of her iconic career, The Celebration Tour's setlist unsurprisingly includes plenty of Madonna's timeless hits. Songs like "Like a Prayer," "Vogue," "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," and "Like a Virgin" have been performed across various dates on her tour.

We've got you covered if you're still looking for tickets to Madonna's Celebration Tour. Here's our breakdown of Madonna's remaining 2024 tour schedule, purchasing details, and original and resale ticket prices. You can also browse the available tickets for sale on StubHub and Vivid Seats at your leisure.

Madonna 2024 tour schedule

All concert times are listed in local time zones.

How to buy tickets for Madonna's 2024 concert tour

Madonna tickets have been on sale for a while now, so all original ones via Ticketmaster are long gone.

However, Madonna tickets are still available through verified resale vendors like StubHub and Vivid Seats .

How much do Madonna tickets cost?

The price for standard original tickets to Madonna's 2024 tour varies depending on date, location, and demand. For example, concert dates in major cities like New York City tend to be more expensive.

Standard original tickets still available on Ticketmaster a few weeks ago  were comparable to prices on verified resale platforms. However, the remaining original tickets have all been snapped up though, so resale vendors are your only hope now.

The Celebration Tour originally had VIP tickets available for premium prices. Madonna's 2024 concert series had The Immaculate VIP Package, Iconic VIP Package), You Can Dance Premium Ticket Package, and Where's The Party Premium Ticket Package. The prices for original tickets for each package on Ticketmaster started at $1,750, $895, $545, and $475, respectively.

Who is opening for Madonna's tour?

Madonna has not announced any additional opening acts for her 2024 concert dates. However, the artist is joined by Bob the Drag Queen, a special guest in each of her shows, who helps introduce the concert and interacts with Madonna as the emcee.

Madonna's 2024 tour began with the international leg in Europe, so the only remaining concerts in The Celebration Tour outside the United States are in Mexico.

In April, she'll have five performances in Mexico City, where she'll take her final bow of The Celebration Tour on April 26.

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

• Main content

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Rock trailblazer Heart reunites for a world tour and a new song

FILE - Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson, right, of the band Heart perform as Heart is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson of Heart perform on opening night of the Heartbreaker Tour at the Cruzan Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Fla., June 17, 2013. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Jeff Daly/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Nancy and Ann Wilson of the classic rock band Heart perform in concert at the American Music Theater on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Lancaster, Pa. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

• Copy Link copied

NEW YORK (AP) — Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring and fall for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.”

“I’ve been strengthening. I’ve got my trainer,” she says. “You go one day at a time and you strengthen one workout session at a time. It’s a lot of work, but it’s the only job I know how to do.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who gave us classic tracks like “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and “Alone” will be playing all the hits, some tracks from of their solo albums — like Ann Wilson’s “Miss One and Only” and Nancy Wilson’s “Love Mistake” — and a new song called “Roll the Dice.”

Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson perform on opening night of the Heartbreaker Tour in West Palm Beach, Fla., June 17, 2013. (Photo by Jeff Daly/Invision/AP, File)

“I like to say we have really good problems because the problem we have is to choose between a bunch of different, really cool songs that people love already,” says Nancy Wilson.

Like “Barracuda,” a sonic burst which first appeared on the band’s second album, “Little Queen” and is one of the band’s most memorable songs.

“You can’t mess with ‘Barracuda.’ It’s just the way it is. It is great. You get on the horse and you ride. It’s a galloping steed of a ride to go on. And for everybody, including the band.”

The tour kicks off Saturday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, and will hit cities including Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, as well as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. International dates include stops in London, Oslo, Berlin, Stockholm, Montreal and Glasgow.

The band’s Royal Flush Tour will have Cheap Trick as the opening act for many stops, but Def Leppard and Journey will join for three stadium dates in Cleveland, Toronto and Boston this summer.

Ann and Nancy Wilson will be filled out by Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar), Ryan Waters (guitars), Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals), Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean T. Lane (drums).

The tour is the first in several years for Heart, which was rocked by a body blow in 2016 when Ann Wilson’s husband was arrested for assaulting Nancy’s 16-year-old twin sons. Nancy Wilson says that’s all in the past.

“We can take any kind of turbulence, me and Ann, and we’ve always been OK together,” she says. “We’re still steering the ship and happy to do it together. So we’re tight.”

The new tour will take them to Canada, which was warm to the band when they were starting out as what Nancy Wilson calls “a couple of chicks from Seattle.” She recalls Vancouver embracing Heart, and touring in one van across Canada in the dead of winter on two lane highways.

The Wilsons at the American Music Theater on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Lancaster, Pa. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

The Wilson sisters broke rock’s glass ceiling in the ‘70s and Nancy Wilson says they only had male influences to look to, like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Moody Blues.

Now she says she looks out and loves seeing generations of female rockers. “You have boygenius and you have Billie Eilish and you have Olivia Rodrigo and so many amazing women — Maggie Rogers and Sheryl Crow, who calls us her big influence. And then Billie Eilish might have Sheryl Crow as her influence. So it’s a really nice legacy to pass along. I like to say we’re the OG — the original gangsters — of women and rock.”

Heart has made it into the Rock Hall, won Grammys, sold millions of albums and rocked hundreds of thousands of fans but Nancy Wilson has one place she’d still like to shine.

Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of their debut album, “Dreamboat Annie,” which was the same year that “Saturday Night Live” started. “So we’re actually kind of putting it out there — Heart never played on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ But what about the 50th birthday party with Heart?”

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Beyoncé: Renaissance World Tour review – a dizzying three-hour spectacular

Friends Arena, Stockholm Queen Bey’s first solo headline tour in seven years is a lavish leap forward for live entertainment, dripping with sci-fi disco decadence, sex and Black pride

E ven without Taylor Swift’s Ticketmaster-melting Eras Tour nipping at her heels, it wouldn’t do for a star as compulsively ambitious as Beyoncé to merely protect her status as the greatest pop show on Earth. Not when her first solo headline tour since 2016 could instead push 21st-century live entertainment another lavish leap forward.

Titled after the Texan’s disco glitter bomb post-pandemic party album of the same name , Renaissance is a monster blockbuster concert experience on a different plane. Fifty-seven stadium dates globally, starting in Stockholm, are projected to gross as much as £1.9bn ($2.4bn) by the time the tour ends in New Orleans late September. Dripping with sci-fi disco decadence, sex, body positivity and feminine Black pride, the near three-hour spectacular plays out in front, behind and, at times, inside a football-pitch-wide high-definition video screen designed to assault the senses at dizzying scale.

The BeyHive, as Beyoncé’s fans collectively style themselves, are buzzing pre-show as they flood into the venue from around the world for their first chance proper to see their queen live since 2018’s On the Run II co-headliner with Mr B, Jay-Z. Dressed head to toe in official tour merch, including a cap and hoodie both emblazoned with the word “THIQUE”, Mykwain Gainey has been to 20 Beyoncé shows over the past two decades and has spent nearly £2,000 to fly here from New York. “To see her transcend, and become what she has become, especially as a Black woman, is exciting,” he enthuses.

Brazilian Yhes Bezerra wears a spangly cowboy hat like the one sported by Beyoncé in the tour poster, except theirs is homemade; sticking on the thousands of tiny mirror panels took nine hours. They were determined to come to the opening night to avoid social media spoilers about what to expect. “I want everything to be a surprise,” Bezerra smiles.

Beyoncé appears first in a video cut scene, laid out luxuriously across the giant screen semi-naked in dimensions big enough to be visible from space. And yet, once she emerges in the flesh – all sequins, shoulder pads and that megawatt smile, drinking in the crowd’s screams – she begins disarmingly with a slew of her rawest soul songs. By the second, Flaws and All, she already appears to be fighting back tears, whether of release or gratitude or both. It’s an opening that seems designed to strip away artifice, if only to provide some sharp contrast for the heavily technologically augmented spectacle about to follow.

Harking back to early house and techno and the ecstatic utopia of the dancefloor, a segment dedicated to the Renaissance album ensues with Beyoncé done up something akin to the Maschinenmensch in Metropolis. She grinds with a dozen backing dancers to the jittery reggaeton of her boss bitch mission statement I’m That Girl, then dances with some actual robots (a pair of mechanical arms) during Cosy. Were all that not semi-hallucinogenic enough, Alien Superstar interpolates narcissistic anthem I’m Too Sexy by 90s dance-pop twosome Right Said Fred.

With many of the setlist’s whopping 36 songs abridged, the tempo is relentless. Blink and you’ll miss dancers popping out of the stage like champagne corks, or Beyoncé’s powerhouse band getting wheeled into occasional view on a tall stepped riser (shades of Beychella), such as during Chic-style feelgood funk workout Cuff It. “Y’all having a good time, Stockholm?” our host inquires, wiping an imperceptible bead of sweat from her brow. “Me too.”

Black Parade finds Beyoncé cruising the stage atop what looks like a kind of lunar rover. Somewhat comically, it exits up the gusset of a pair of massive splayed legs. Later she sings Plastic Off the Sofa stretched out in a clamshell. Come Crazy in Love, the show finally gets the enormous disco ball it seems to have long craved, dangled from the rafters for only a bit longer than the time it takes for the crew to get it up there and back down.

Bass-quaking, envelope-pushing Black power anthem Formation is a powerful political statement in any setting. Performed in a kind of virtual cathedral, horny southern rap and gospel cocktail Church Girl (sample lyric: “drop it like a thottie, drop it like a thottie”) might just be intended to provoke. But by Beyoncé’s own standards, it’s hard not to read Renaissance as a show much lighter on overt socio-political messaging than it is sheer, unfettered, mildly chaotic indulgence. And who could blame her?

In a final, unsubtle, retro-futuristic fanfare, Bey summons Bianca Jagger’s iconic Studio 54 moment by gliding through the air on a glitter-encrusted white horse while Summer Renaissance – which samples Donna Summer’s I Feel Love – blares. The disco history references may or may not be landing with the mostly young BeyHive, but that’s not really the point. By rewiring dance music past in a sensory overload of truly stunning ambition and stamina, Beyoncé is writing some history of her own.

The Renaissance World Tour continues until 27 September, see https://tour.beyonce.com/ for dates

• live music reviews

Most viewed

More From Forbes

Scottie scheffler’s pga tour dominance continues with 2024 rbc heritage victory.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Scottie Scheffler reacts after a putt on the ninth hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage ... [+] golf tournament, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The world’s top-ranked golfer is dominating the PGA Tour. Scottie Scheffler won the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Monday morning following a weather delay and restart late Sunday—his fourth win in his last five starts. He added a tartan plaid jacket to his second green jacket at The Masters , which followed wins at The Players Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational .

Scheffler carded an 8 under par 63 on Saturday to take a 1-stroke lead over Sepp Straka and 2 strokes ahead of his final round playing partner at The Masters, Collin Morikwa. Both those players shot a 1 over par 72 in the final round to fall back.

Scheffler entered Sunday’s final round as the -165 favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook to win the tournament with Straka and Morikawa both +650 and Masters runner-up Ludvig Aberg +1100 sitting 3 shots behind. Scottie was +450 to win at the start of the RBC Heritage .

Golf’s 27-year-old superstar was 3 under par through 11 holes Sunday and 19 under par with a 4-shot lead over six players when play was suspended before resuming 2 1/2 hours later at 7 p.m. ET. Scheffler played three more holes and took a 5-stroke lead into Sunday evening as play was suspended for darkness.

Early Monday he finished off the $20 million signature event with a 3-shot victory at 19 under par to earn another $3.6 million and take his season total to over $18 million. His bogey on the 18th hole ended a streak of 68 consecutive holes at par or better. Sahith Theegala finished second while Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark T3 and Justin Thomas part of a 4-way tie for fifth.

Huawei s Pura 70 Ultra Beats iPhone With Pioneering New Feature

Sh gun episode 10 review a powerful finale but not what i was expecting, the trump media stock price (djt) is about to adjust down by -22.7%.

Justin Ray, golf Lead Data Analyst, added a number of posts on X to show Scheffler’s run of dominance. Beyond Scottie being the last player since Tiger Woods in 2008 to win four times in a five-start stretch on the PGA Tour, this post about Scheffler holding the lead following a round 31 times on Tour the past three seasons speaks to Scottie’s spectacular play and dominance. The next closest player to have led or co-led following a round is 16 times.

Scheffler ramains the No. 1 ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings for the 49th consecutive week. His win at Harbour Town was also the 10th of his career on Tour. It took him 51 tournaments to win his 10th PGA Tour title following his first win. Tiger Woods did it in 59 events with David Duval the fastest from wins 1 to 10 at 33 starts.

Scheffler’s strokes gained stats are simply staggering. Scheffler ranks No. 1 in SG: Total, Tee to Green, Approach, No. 2 Off the Tee and top-10 Around the Green. He’s continued to win despite ranking outside the top 150 in SG: Putting. Scheffler gained more than a stroke both off the tee and on approach shots in his first three rounds at Harbour Town. He has done this in 27.2% of his rounds over the last three seasons. The rest of the PGA Tour has done it 4.7% of the time.

Scheffler then finished off another victory with a strong performance on Sunday at Harbour Town that included this chip-in for eagle from 53 feet off the front right short rough on the Par 5 at hole No. 2.

He’s now played 40 rounds in 2024 and has yet to shoot a round over par. It’s 44 in a row dating back to last year’s Tour Championship in August. Tiger Woods currently holds the Tour record at 52 rounds shooting par or better, which he set during the 2000-01 season.

Scheffler’s desire to win and determination to be the best is shining through despite any pressure that may mount. He’s nearly locked up 2024 PGA Tour Player of the Year honors before the end of April, and commented on his play and performances following rounds 3 and 4 while dealing with any added pressure.

Internally, do you feel less pressure compared to a few months ago when you're out there playing?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's tough to answer. I mean, I talked about it a bit at the end of last week. I really love winning, and I don't really like losing at all. It's one of those things where I try to manage the expectations of myself, kind of get that stuff out of the way and then go out there and compete.

Scheffler also added 700 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points to his total by winning the Signature Event at the RBC Heritage. He tops the points list with 3,915 - more than double Wyndham Clark (1,892) with Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg and Sahith Theegala next at more than 1,500 points.

Scheffler is scheduled to compete in the Wells Fargo Championship May 9-12 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, NC - another $20 million Signature Event. He should be a first-time father by then with wife Meredith expecting their child very soon.

“I definitely will enjoy the birth of my first child, and my priorities will change very soon, so golf will be fourth in line, but I still love competing,” he said last Sunday in the Butler Cabin at The Masters .

He competed at the highest level again without a letdown to win the RBC Heritage. Scheffler will enter the next major as the +450 favorite at the PGA Championship May 16-19 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY. FanDuel Sportsbook also has Scheffler at +6500 odds to win the Grand Slam and all four majors this year.

Scottie Scheffler is showing no signs of letdown and fans and bettors continue to support him despite ultra-low odds to win not seen since Tiger Wood’s dominance.

You can bet on it.

MORE FROM FORBES

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions