Since Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour started on Could 10 in Stockholm, Sweden, it’s develop into the place to be this summer season. And final evening, Queen Bey introduced the present to New Jersey as she closed out her second consecutive evening at MetLife Stadium.
Whereas it’s been one yr (sans visuals) since Renaissance dropped, the keenness and love for the album haven’t waned. Within the hours earlier than the live performance started, 1000’s of keen followers flooded the stadium carrying outfits impressed by the album—sequined cowboy hats, black bodysuits, leather-based pants, and no scarcity of silver Telfar buying luggage. In case you’re into people-watching, the present actually begins earlier than she even hits the stage.
Serving as her personal opening act, Beyoncé started the present in a brand new child pink Georges Hobeika tulle costume with an identical headpiece and carried out an amalgamation of her most soulful ballads: “Dangerously in Love,” “Flaws and All,” “1+1,” and “I Care.” And as a girl who likes to reference her idols, she additionally paid homage to Mary J. Blige and Tina Turner by performing covers of their songs “I’m Going Down” and “River Deep, Mountain Excessive,” respectively. For these unfamiliar with the construction of the present, it was an unexpectedly calm begin for an album as maximal as Renaissance. However as quickly because the instrumental to its intro music “I’m That Lady” started, all religion was restored.
The primary present is split into sections—Renaissance, Motherboard, Opulence, and Anointed—and Bey performs many of the Renaissance album from high to backside. (She skipped “Thique” and “All Up In Your Thoughts,” a lot to the BeyHive’s chagrin). The viewers went notably loopy for “Cozy” and “Cuff It,” which immediately remodeled the present from a live performance to a membership. By this level, the drinks have been flowing and a spicy margarita courtesy of 21 Seeds was my go-to for the rest of the evening.
However the principle spotlight of the present took place midway by when her daughter Blue Ivy joined her onstage for “My Energy,” a dance break to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” and “Black Parade.” Though she is barely 11, Blue’s stage presence is immaculate and the gang went wild for her. She then ended her set by revealing a jersey that mentioned “New York” on it and threw up the Roc Nation hand sign up honor of her father Jay-Z.
Bey then ran by extra Renaissance songs like “Church Lady,” “Plastic off the Couch,” “Virgo’s Groove,” and “Heated” (a fan favourite). She additionally carried out classics like “Get Me Bodied,” “Loopy in Love,” and “Love on High,” which the viewers impressively sang word-for-word with every escalating key change.
The present ended with Beyoncé sitting atop a bedazzled silver horse (affectionately referred to by followers as Reneigh) as she sang the album’s closing music “Summer season Renaissance,” which encompasses a Donna Summer season pattern.
On the finish of the evening, as confetti flew within the air whereas she hovered over the gang, it grew to become abundantly clear that Beyoncé is the best performer of this technology—and maybe of others, too.
Juliana Ukiomogbe is the Assistant Editor at ELLE. Her work has beforehand appeared in Interview, i-D, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and extra.