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Beyoncé launches the Cowboy Carter tour at SoFi Stadium

BBG News

On Monday evening, Beyoncé kick-started her Cowboy Carter world tour at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, marking the first of five shows. The event showcased her signature intricate pop performance, emphasizing Black creativity as a vital or even primary source of American cultural influence.

Starting a year and a half following the debut of Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album, infused with country influences – an effort that finally secured her the Grammy for Album of the Year in February after four previous nominations – the latest concert series primarily showcases tracks from “Cowboy Carter”. However, it also takes a retrospective journey through Beyoncé’s extensive discography, notably highlighting 2022’s dance-oriented “Renaissance”, which ignited a successful global tour of its own.

On Monday, a show lasting 2 hours and 45 minutes kicked off, starting much like “Cowboy Carter” usually does with performances of Beyoncé’s soulful “American Requiem” and the Beatles’ poignant “Blackbird”. Following this, she performed “The Star-Spangled Banner”, while a massive screen behind her displayed the message: “Never seek permission for something that is already yours.” Dressed in white cowboy-style outfits, Beyoncé sang parts of her songs “Freedom” and “Ya Ya”. During “Ya Ya”, her 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy was among the numerous dancers. The performance concluded with Beyoncé sitting on a throne as a massive robot arm served her a drink.

Following a wardrobe switch, the second act commenced with Beyoncé performing “America Has a Problem” at a news conference adorned with microphones, followed swiftly by “Spaghettii,” “Formation,” “My House,” and “Diva.” Act III started off quietly with subdued renditions of “Alliigator Tears” and “Just for Fun,” before a heartfelt interpretation of “Protector,” during which another of Beyoncé’s children, 7-year-old Rumi, made an appearance on stage and shared a warm embrace with her mother.

During her performance, Beyoncé donned a sequined bodysuit for the dance-centric segments of the show, which included “Riverdance,” “II Hands II Heaven,” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin'”. She also wore it during “Jolene”, where she sang with a New Orleans accent. After that, she mounted a large neon horseshoe for “Daddy Lessons” while the horseshoe was in motion around the stadium. Following this, she performed a funky version of “The Bodyguard” and a snippet of “II Most Wanted”. The show culminated with an exhilarating performance of “Cuff It” on a secondary stage at the back of the venue. She returned to the main stage on the horseshoe before performing “Tyrant” while seated astride a golden mechanical bull, accompanied by two mechanical bull heads on rotating robotic arms.

Around the two-hour point, Beyoncé exclaimed, “Welcome once more to the Renaissance,” which was followed by performances of “I’m That Girl,” “Cozy,” and “Alien Superstar,” as well as a western-style rendition of the nightly ballroom battle that her dancers performed on the Renaissance tour.

Towards the end of the performance, the singer took to the stage in denim short-shorts and furry boots that reached her thighs, dressed as a big rig prop. She sang “Texas Hold ‘Em” and continued with a slowed-down version of “Crazy in Love,” both while wearing the same outfit. Next, she performed “Heated” followed by a cover of Frankie Beverly’s “Before I Let Go.” The show concluded with “16 Carriages,” a bluesy ballad about her experiences in show business, sung from inside a flying convertible, and “Amen,” the final song of “Cowboy Carter.” As the stage lights came on, a statue replica of Lady Liberty’s head was visible at its center.

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2025-04-29 10:31

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