The 35-time Grammy Award winner performed the first of two shows at Houston’s NRG Stadium on Saturday, June 28. So far, the Cowboy Carter Tour has hit Los Angeles, Chicago, New Jersey, London and Paris. The Paris date had Jay-Z and Miley Cyrus as special guests. Hov, taking the stage for the first time in seven years, performed “Crazy in Love” and “N***as in Paris,” while Cyrus did “II Most Wanted” with Bey.
Upon her return to her hometown after last Christmas' "Beyoncé Bowl," the Queen Bey was at the height of her power, paying homage to her southern upbringing while setting the stage for the future of country music. She opened with the Cowboy Carter intro track “Ameriican Requiem,” arriving on the stage in a white cowboy hat and flowing coat. From the jump, Bey makes it known that this era was not only a passion project but also a political statement. She dedicated her cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” to “all of the blackbirds who came before” her before transitioning into a jaw-dropping rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.” This led into her 2016 Lemonade cut “Freedom,” which then seamlessly switched to the Cowboy Carter track, “Ya Ya” — the latter notably containing the line “whole lotta red in that white and blue.” Perhaps this may have triggered the preacher standing outside the stadium Saturday night, who accused Beyoncé of being a “false idol.”
As fans know, Cowboy Carter is Act II in a three-part trilogy, with Act I being her 2022 dance-centric album, Renaissance. During the 2023 Renaissance World Tour, she brought out her daughter, Blue Ivy, as one of the dancers during the performance of “My Power.” Though Blue’s dancing was the subject of criticism online — much to Bey’s chagrin — we see the 13-year-old uncannily emulate her mother throughout much of the show. Blue never missed a beat throughout performances of “America Has a Problem” and “Spaghettii.” The performance of “Protector,” which sees Bey’s eight-year-old daughter Rumi join her mother, sister and the group of dancers onstage as they embrace her, has also become a fan favorite online, symbolizing Bey laying the foundation for the next generation of her family.
Equally as captivating as the performances are the visuals — a series of clips that play throughout intermissions in the concert. One set of visuals is a montage of news anchors disparaging her. Another is a short film taking place in a saloon. But one of the most memorable clips is one set to BigXThaPlug’s “The Largest,” in which she emerges from a lake as a “400-foot cowboy,” picks up the Statue of Liberty and lights a cigar. Elsewhere in said clip, she pours a bottle of SirDavis American Whisky into a Marfa water tower.
Off-screen, there’s no shortage of stunts. During performances of her remake of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and her Lemonade country ballad “Daddy Lessons,” Bey zips throughout the stadium on a giant, floating horseshoe.
Bey has always been intentional with her craft, each of her eight albums following a cohesive narrative. And the Cowboy Carter Tour setlist shows us just how timeless her music is. Of course, she included “Crazy in Love,” “Irreplaceable” and “Single Ladies” for the OG fans, but also signaled that these eras are never truly over. When performing “I’m That Girl,” she told the audience, “welcome back to the renaissance,” seemingly hinting that the “eras” of her trilogy project are meant to coexist. As Bey is known to keep tight-lipped about her art until it drops, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the trilogy, though fans have speculated that Act III could be a rock album.
But no matter the genre, there’s no denying that Beyoncé is one of the greats. In the final visual of the show — the legacy montage — we see a collection of clips taken from home videos, early Destiny’s Child performances and the early stages of Bey’s solo career. Very few artists can say they’ve performed alongside Tina Turner, Prince and Diana Ross. As this particular montage takes us all the way up to Bey winning the award for Best Country Album at this year’s Grammys, fans have theorized that she may retire after releasing Act III. But we'll just have to hear from Queen Bey herself for confirmation. For now, Bey isn’t letting anything get in her way. Toward the end of the show, she performed “16 Carriages,” which saw her fly across the stadium in a red car. During this song, the car stopped moving in mid-air, leaving Bey at a tilt. After alerting production to pause the show, the crew gracefully lowered her down and the show continued without her thinking twice.
Nearly 30 years in the game, Bey is making some of the best art of her career. The sonic storytelling of Cowboy Carter, accompanied by the cinematic and personal visuals of the tour, fully realizes her vision.@michaelsversion BEYONCE MALFUNCTION IN HOUSTON!!! 16 CARRIAGES CAR ALMOST TIPS OVER!!!!! @Beyoncé ♬ 5 Minutes of Silence - Silenzio
Though some fans may still be frustrated that Bey hasn’t shared official music videos for Renaissance and Cowboy Carter, their respective tours have proven to exceed the expectations of both fans and industry vets alike. Tonight's show didn't have a special guest, leaving Houstonians to bask in the hometown glory of one of their own. She tapped into her Texan upbringing and honored the people and places that have formed her home.
Bey’s latest tour cements her as a peerless force. With the caliber of music, visuals and performances Bey has given us, it goes without saying that she owes us nothing else. But of course, she’s always going to leave us wanting more.
