beyonce world tour opener

Beyoncé raises – and clears – her own ambitious bar at Renaissance tour US opener

PHILADELPHIA – Two  Beyoncé s come to play on her Renaissance World Tour .

There is the understated Beyoncé  of the opening segment, her creme brulee -colored hair blowing delicately as she vocalizes intently through “Dangerously in Love,” sits elegantly atop a sliver baby grand piano for “1+1” and thanks the crowd for their loyalty (“You are the reason I’m standing on this stage”).

Then there is the Beyoncé of the other five segments of the show, with themes such as “Renaissance,” “Opulence” and “Motherboard.”

This Beyoncé is an unstoppable force of precise movement and vocal dynamics, a superstar who, two months shy of turning 42 and in the where-did-the-time-go third decade of her career, has raised – and cleared – her own ambitious bar yet again.

At Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field Wednesday, Beyoncé finally unveiled her colossal, eye-popping production in the U.S. She’s already played for a million-plus fans since launching the world tour in Sweden in May, allowing her time to perfect every second of this polished, 2 ½-hour spectacle that will play nearly two dozen stadiums through October.

Though a tiny, taut figure on a stage designed with ramps, staircases and catwalks, Beyoncé loomed magnificently on a video screen wall, her doe-eyed beauty and trademark snarls amplified to reach the farthest cranny of the venue.

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The dazzling concept videos that ushered in each changeover – particularly, the futuristic visual feast that created a Bey-bot for the “Renaissance” segment – captivated, never feeling like costume-change filler or a glitzy stall tactic.

Of course, there is no stalling in Beyoncé’s universe . The blizzard of beats powering “I’m That Girl” and “Cozy” was complemented by rigidly snapped elbows, severe shoulder shrugs and cocked hips by Beyoncé and her cadre of 10 female dancers.

Her ode to house music, punctuated by “Cuff It” and “Break My Soul” – standout tracks from last summer’s “Renaissance” album – pulsed accordingly, with lights attacking from every angle of the stadium.

Clad in a Barbie-pink gown with more slits than material, Beyoncé radiated glam-infused confidence. When her sunglasses slid down her nose one too many times, they were brusquely tossed offstage. No errant eyewear will impede her rhythm.

A hearty rump shake at the start of “Break My Soul” sent the sold-out crowd into spasms, but it was the midsong interpolation of Madonna’s “Vogue” that further encouraged their glee as Beyoncé name-checked Lizzo, Nina Simone, Solange Knowles and Jilly From Philly in her recitation.

By now, the Beyhive knew to expect an appearance by Blue Ivy, the 11-year-old daughter of Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z (aka Shawn Carter), who started joining the team on stage in Europe. But even with advanced knowledge, the crowd erupted when the preteen arrived during “My Power,” leading the dance crew down a ramp while Mom followed atop a glistening tank-like vehicle.

Blue Ivy ably kept pace with the fleet feet around her, ending “Black Parade” with her fist in the air. As the audience showered the young Carter with more whoops of appreciation, Beyoncé’s game face melted into a proud smile, leading to one of the most memorable snapshots of the night.

The tour set list draws heavily from “Renaissance” as expected, but Beyoncé sprinkles in hits – though maybe not enough for some fans – from her robust catalog, including “Naughty Girl” and “Formation.”

A musical highlight landed with the double punch of classics “Love on Top” and “Crazy In Love.” With her male dancers lined up behind mic stands, Beyoncé humorously led the crowd through the escalating key changes in “Love on Top” before the delectable groove of the song dovetailed into the snaky bass line of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” complete with throwback choreography.

It was a moment of unadulterated joy that remained through the sizzle of “Crazy in Love,” which included a fabulous coda by her hardworking band.

The tempo of the show decelerated a bit as Beyoncé entered the homestretch in her already-famous Loewe bodysuit designed with strategically placed handprints. “Plastic Off the Sofa” and “Virgo’s Groove” didn’t have the audience as adrenalized as intensely as other selections from “Renaissance.” But by the time she reemerged for the encore sporting a yellow-and-black headdress and offering a powerful missive with “America Has a Problem,” attentions were rapt again.

Soaring balladeer and poetic messenger. Refined couture and sequined camouflage. Warm smiles and dramatic sneers.

Beyoncé delivers all of it, with excellence.

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Beyoncé Regally Resets Her Renaissance World Tour With a U.S. Premiere in Philadelphia: Concert Review

By A.D. Amorosi

A.D. Amorosi

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From a private show in Dubai and its official opening in Stockholm to its Canadian dates last week, most of the globe has gotten at least a glimpse, from afar, of Beyoncé on the Renaissance World Tour — her first in nearly five years. Last night, the United States got its first in-person peek at the vibrancy of Club Renaissance with an opening show at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Center.

Four words immediately come to mind in trying to do justice to the show: Daring. Elastic. Silvery. Very .

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After the balladry of segment one’s “Opening Act” (the show is broken into six segments), the mood shifted and Beyoncé and company were ready to party, albeit robotically. Removing herself from “Metropolis”-inspired, metallic fem-bot gear, the vocalist jaggedly cut through fresh robo-R&B versions of “Renaissance” material such as “I’m That Girl,” “Cozy” and “Alien Superstar.” By doing so – and with adventurous choreography utilizing mechanical framing to mirror the songs’ lyrics – Beyoncé recontextualized her most recent album as something stranger, freer and more audacious in its live setting than in its studio renditions. For good measure, Bey also threw in elements of the odd-hop “Apeshit” from her Carters album with husband Jay-Z, and a stretch of Hova’s “Lift Off” cut with Kanye West.

Listening for what Beyoncé laced into each song and interpolated throughout each track became something of a spectator sport during this “Motherboard” segment. The brassy, hand-clapped disco of “Cuff It” mixed into thumpers such as “Energy” and “Break My Soul,” interspersing crowd-thrilling covers such as Teena Marie’s “Ooh La La,” the Jacksons’ “Shake Your Body,” Robin S’s “Show Me Love” and – for real pop-house punctuation – Madonna’s “Vogue.”

That segment’s rough feel made the next shift, “Anointed,” all the nicer. Starting off with a processional coat of many colors, this segment found her in peak vocal form, and her band at its most fluidly musical. The slow-to-fast gospel pop of “Church Girl,” the cosmopolitan quiet storm of “Rather Die Young” (you could hear her heart breaking when she sang “Boy, you’ll be the death of me”), the ever-ascending “Love on Top” (with its hat tipped to “I Want You Back” from the Jackson 5) — perfection. When Bey sang elastically through an insistent, aggressive “Crazy in Love,” with its catwalk choreography, it was the tart cherry on an already delicious sundae. When an oversized disco ball moved through mid-air for the creamy, drifting balladry of “Plastic Off the Sofa” and an overheated, swirlingly romantic mash-up of “Virgo’s Groove” and “Naughty Girl” (the latter with a caramelly chunk of “Say My Name” at its center), Beyoncé readied her crowd for an old school, tickling house music finale. With the star dressed in bee-bug yellow-and-black gear for this last “Mind Control” segment, the party rolled on hard with spare, bone-rattling percussion and bitchy swagger (“I’m just as petty as you are,” she roared during “Heated”), some Kraftwerk-ian soul (on the rough-edged “America Has a Problem”) and her lowest-voiced sing-speak (“Pure/Honey”). This transpired before yet another costume change (yes, a shiny silvery one) and her mount atop an arena-traveling flying horse for the syncopated, heavenly Giorgio Moroder epiphany of “Summer Renaissance.”

Two and a half hours after its start, Beyoncé turned off the strobe lights on Club Renaissance, and the party that started off with surprise tenderness and welcome poignancy ended with a loud and lovely bang of glorious disco communion.

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• Everything to Know About Beyoncé’s <i>Renaissance</i> Tour

Everything to Know About Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour

B eyoncé’s fans have been waiting for this day: the pop megastar finally announced that she will embark on the long-awaited Renaissance World Tour. She uploaded a post to Instagram early Wednesday morning with the caption: “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR 2023,” and her official website has been updated to show the tour dates. The tour starts in May in Sweden and will hit Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Poland, before she makes her way to North America. The first date stateside will be in Philadelphia, Pa., in July and the tour will hit the major U.S. cities before wrapping up in New Orleans, La., on Sept. 27.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

Following the release of her seventh album, Renaissance , in July, fans have been itching for a tour announcement, in addition to music videos to accompany the songs. Beyoncé’s last solo tour was the Formation World Tour back in 2016 to support her sixth album, Lemonade . Following that, she went on the On The Run Tour with her husband, Jay-Z, in 2018 after releasing their joint project, Everything Is Love . The announcement of a new tour just before the Grammy Awards on Sunday raises suspicion that Beyoncé might be performing or, at the very least, attending the night’s festivities.

The singer is nominated for nine Grammys at this year’s awards ceremony, which are set to take place on Feb. 5 in Los Angeles. This year, she is up against Adele for multiple awards, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. There has been speculation about whether or not Beyoncé would be performing ever since the nominations were announced. The last time fans saw her perform on a major televised stage was at last year’s Oscars ceremony, where she performed “Be Alive” from the King Richard movie for the first time.

Read More: 6 Takeaways from Beyoncé’s New Album Renaissance

Beyoncé most recently took the stage for a private concert at the opening of the Atlantis The Royal resort in Dubai in January. However, she did not perform any songs from Renaissance . Also, given that Beyoncé unveiled the album’s title on Instagram as “act [one],” her dedicated fanbase has been busy theorizing what acts two and three might be. Some have hypothesized that the tour would be act two and then a concert movie would be act three. Others have ventured to guess that this is a three-part album and that Renaissance was just the beginning.

Tickets for the concert will not be an easy get if Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is any indication. Beyoncé’s fans can click on the date they would like to attend to register for Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program and will then have to wait to see if they are given an access code to purchase tickets to the event. With Verified Fan and the “unexpected” traffic the pre-sale brought to the site, many Swifties likened the ticket-buying process to a warzone. The disastrous rollout drew ire from Swift’s fans and political officials alike. After the ticketing fiasco, the Senate held a hearing to look into whether Live Nation and Ticketmaster have a monopoly over the ticketing industry. This, coupled with the technical problems that Swift fans faced, have Beyoncé fans worrying that finding their way to an actual concert will be nothing short of an ordeal.

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Write to Moises Mendez II at [email protected]

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Beyoncé Announces 41-Date 'Renaissance' Tour

The five-month romp takes her to the U.K., Europe, and North America.

Beyoncé won’t break our soul — but she’s about to break our wallets.

Finally, months after the release of her acclaimed seventh studio album , the superstar has announced her Summer 2023 Renaissance world tour. The five-month romp, kicking off in May and wrapping in September, will take the singer to over 40 cities in the U.K., Europe, and North America. This will mark the first-ever live performances of her new album, and first live shows for Beyoncé in general since her 2017 On The Run II tour with husband Jay-Z.

Details of the Renaissance tour leaked early, in late 2022, after extravagant VIP packages for the tour went up for auction at the WACO Theater‘s Wearable Art Gala charity auction.

Unlike with previous album cycles, Beyoncé uncharacteristically withdrew from the public eye following the release of Renaissance. To date, the singer hasn’t released any music videos or visuals to accompany the songs, nor has she made any public performances of the songs. On Jan. 23, Queen Bey gave her first performance in years at the Atlantis The Royal hotel in Dubai, though the theatrical show was invite-only and she didn’t perform any songs from Renaissance . Bey reportedly earned around $24 - $34 million for the gig.

That being said, we may finally see more activity from the Bey camp in the months leading up to her tour. For everything you need to know about attending the Renaissance tour, including the full tour schedule, openers, and how to snag tickets, read on.

Where is Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour Playing?

Bey will visit the U.K., Europe, and North America over the span of five months. See her full tour schedule below:

• May 10 - Friends Arena, Stockholm, SE
• May 14 - King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, BE
• May 17 - Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK
• May 20 - BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, UK
• May 23 - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, UK
• May 26 - Stade de France, Paris, FR
• May 29 - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
• May 30 - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
• June 8 - Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, ES
• June 11 - Orange Vélodrome, Marseille, FR
• June 15 - Rhein Energie Stadion, Cologne, DE
• June 17 - Johann Crujiff Arena, Amsterdam, NL
• June 21 - Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, DE
• June 24 - Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, DE
• June 27 - PGE Nardowy, Warsaw, PL
• July 8 - Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
• July 12 - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
• July 15 - Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
• July 17 - L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KY
• July 20 - Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
• July 22 - Soldier Field Stadium, Chicago, IL
• July 26 - Ford Field, Detroit, MI
• July 29 - Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• Aug. 1 - Gilette Stadium, Boston, MA
• Aug. 3 - Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
• Aug. 5 - Fedex Field, Washington D.C.
• Aug. 9 - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
• Aug. 11 - Mercedez-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
• Aug. 16 - Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
• Aug. 18 - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
• Aug. 21 - Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, MO
• Aug. 24 - State Farm Stadium, Phoenix, AZ
• Aug. 26 - Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
• Aug. 30 - Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco, CA
• Sept. 2 - SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
• Sept. 11 - BC Place, Vancouver, BC
• Sept. 13 - Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
• Sept. 18 - Geha Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
• Sept. 21 - AT&T Stadium, Dallas, TX
• Sept. 23 - NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
• Sept. 27 - Caesar’s Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Who is opening on Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour?

No openers have yet been confirmed for the tour but stay tuned for announcements.

How to buy tickets to Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour

Like Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, we expect staggering demand for these tickets. Ticketmaster will hold several presales for select U.K. and European dates , the earliest of which kicks off as soon as Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. local time.

Meanwhile, Verified Fan registration is open for all North American dates with presale and public onsale dates to come. Register here .

This article was originally published on Feb. 1, 2023

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Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood

Beyoncé Kicks Off Her Renaissance World Tour In Stockholm, Sweden: Watch Performance And Stage Videos, See Photos, View The Setlist & More

Beyoncé returned to the stage with her hotly anticipated Renaissance World Tour, which saw the singer perform a three-hour set that included multiple live debuts of 'Renaissance' tracks and other classics.

BeyHive assemble: The moment has finally arrived. Beyoncé officially kicked off her 56-date Renaissance World Tour tonight in Stockholm, Sweden. Launching with a sold-out show at the Friends Arena in the Swedish capital, the tour marks Queen Bey's first tour in nearly five years and first solo tour in seven years. The world tour is in support of her GRAMMY-winning and history-making 2022 album , Renaissance , and also marks the first time she performed songs from the album on stage. 

Across a three-hour, 36-song set, which was split into seven acts, Beyoncé delivered an expansive, dazzling set spanning her broad and celebrated discography, including many live debuts of Renaissance tracks like "CUFF IT," "BREAK MY SOUL," "PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA," "VIRGO'S GROOVE," and many more. She also performed several Beyoncé classics like "Run the World (Girls)," her Megan Thee Stallion collab " Savage Remix ," "Crazy in Love," "Formation," and more.

*Beyoncé performs onstage during the opening night of her Renaissance World Tour at Friends Arena on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden | Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood*

Released last July, Renaissance is Beyoncé's seventh solo album, all of which have topped the U.S charts. Renaissance garnered Beyoncé eight of her nine GRAMMY nominations at the 2023 GRAMMYs ; she was also nominated for Best Song Written For Visual Media for her original song "Be Alive" from the film King Richard .

Read More: A Timeline Of Beyoncé's GRAMMY Moments, From Her First Win With Destiny's Child to Making History With 'Renaissance'

At the 2023 GRAMMYs, she took home four GRAMMY Awards — including Best Dance/Electronic Recording for "Break My Soul," Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for Renaissance , Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Plastic Off The Sofa," and Best R&B Song for "Cuff It" — setting the record as the artist with the most GRAMMY wins of all time . When nominations for the 2023 GRAMMYs were announced last November, she was the most nominated artist for that GRAMMY Award year; she is currently tied with her husband and occasional music partner, Jay-Z , for the most GRAMMY nominations ever, counting 88 nominations each.

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour continues across Europe through late June and then heads to North America in July.

Below, check out the full setlist , view photos, watch videos, and see fan reactions from the BeyHive from the first night of Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour.

*Beyoncé performs onstage during the opening night of her Renaissance World Tour at Friends Arena on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden | Photo: Andrew White*

*Beyoncé performs onstage during the opening night of her Renaissance World Tour at Friends Arena on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden | Photo: Mason Poole*

Opening Act

The Signboard (Video Introduction)

Dangerously in Love 2 (Live Debut - Shortened)

Flaws and All

I'm Goin' Down ( Mary J. Blige cover)

RENAISSANCE

RENAISSANCE (Video Introduction)  

I'M THAT GIRL (Live Debut - Extended spoken intro)

COZY (Live Debut)

ALIEN SUPERSTAR (Live Debut)

Lift Off (JAY Z & Kanye West cover)

7/11 (Dancers Interlude)

MOTHERBOARD

MOTHERBOARD (Video Interlude)

CUFF IT (Live Debut)

ENERGY(Live Debut)

BREAK MY SOUL (Live Debut)

OPULENCE (Video Interlude)

Formation (Shortened)

Diva (Shortened)

Run the World (Girls) (Shortened)

MY POWER (Live Debut - Shortened)

BLACK PARADE (Live Debut)

Savage (Remix) (Megan Thee Stallion cover) (Live Debut)

Partition (Shortened)

ANOINTED (Video Interlude )

CHURCH GIRL(Live Debut)

Get Me Bodied (Shortened)

Before I Let Go (Maze featuring Frankie Beverly cover)

Rather Die Young

Love on Top

Crazy in Love

Freedom(Band Jam. Interlude)

ANOINTED - PT. 2

Love Hangover ( Diana Ross song) (Sung by the choristers)

PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA (Live Debut)

VIRGO'S GROOVE (Live Debut)

Naughty Girl

MOVE (Live Debut)

HEATED (Live Debut)

THIQUE (Live Debut)

ALL UP IN YOUR MIND (Live Debut)

Drunk in Love

MIND CONTROL

MIND CONTROL (Video Interlude)

AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM (Live Debut)

PURE/HONEY (Live Debut)

SUMMER RENAISSANCE (Live Debut)

How Many GRAMMYs Has Beyoncé Won? 10 Questions About The 'Renaissance' Singer Answered

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Beyond Country: All The Genres Beyoncé Explores On 'Cowboy Carter'

On 'COWBOY CARTER,' Beyoncé is free. Her eighth studio album is an unbridled exploration of musical genres — from country to opera and R&B — that celebrates the fluidity of music and her Texas roots.

"Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they? In theory, they have a simple definition that's easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined."

With those words, spoken on "SPAGHETTII" by Linda Martell — the first commercially successful Black female artist in country music and the first to play the Grand Ole Opry solo — Beyoncé provides a proxy response to her original call on Instagram 10 days before COWBOY CARTER was released: "This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album." 

She delivered on that promise with intent. Through a mix of homage and innovation, Beyoncé's latest is a 27-track testament to her boundless musicality and draws  from a rich aural palette. In addition to its country leanings, COWBOY CARTER includes everything from the soulful depths of gospel to the intricate layers of opera. 

Beyoncé's stance is clear: she's not here to fit into a box. From the heartfelt tribute in "BLACKBIIRD" to the genre-blurring tracks like "YA YA," Beyoncé uses her platform to elevate the conversation around genre, culture, and history. She doesn't claim country music; she illuminates its roots and wings, celebrating the Black artists who've shaped its essence.

The collective album proves no genre was created or remains in isolation. It's a concept stoked in the words of the opening track, "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" when Beyonce reflects, "Nothing really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again." For country, and all popular genres of music to exist they have to evolve. No sound ever stays the same.

COWBOY CARTER's narrative arc, from "AMERICAN REQUIEM" to "AMEN," is a journey through American music's heart and soul, paying tribute to its origins while charting a path forward. This album isn't just an exploration of musical heritage; it's an act of freedom and a declaration of the multifaceted influence of Black culture on American pop culture.

Here's a closer look at some of some of the musical genres touched on in act ii, the second release of an anticipated trilogy by Beyoncé, the most GRAMMY-winning artist of all-time: 

Before COWBOY CARTER was even released, Beyoncé sparked critical discussion over the role of herself and all Black artists in country music . Yet COWBOY CARTER doesn't stake a claim on country music. Rather, it spotlights the genre through collaborations with legends and modern icons , while championing the message that country music, like all popular American music and culture, has always been built on the labor and love of Black lives. 

It's a reckoning acknowledged not only by Beyoncé's personal connection to country music growing up in Texas, but the role Black artists have played in country music rooted in gospel, blues, and folk music. 

Enter The World Of Beyoncé

Country legends, Dolly Parton ("DOLLY P", "JOLENE," and "TYRANT"), Willie Nelson ("SMOKE HOUR" and "SMOKE HOUR II"), and Martell ("SPAGHETTII and "THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW") serve mainly as spoken-word collaborators, becoming MCs for Queen Bey. Some of the most prolific country music legends receiving her in a space where she has been made to feel unwelcome in music (most notably with the racism surrounding her 2016 CMA performance of "Daddy Lessons" with the Dixie Chicks ) provides a prolific release of industry levies. Martell, a woman who trod the dark country road before Bey, finally getting her much-deserved dues appears as an almost pre-ordained and poetic act of justice. 

"BLACKBIIRD," a version of the Beatles ' civil rights era song of encouragement and hope for the struggle of Black women is led softly by Beyoncé, backed by a quartet of Black female contemporary country songbirds: Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts. 

Beyoncé holds space for others, using the power of her star to shine a light on those around her. These inclusions rebuke nay-sayers who quipped pre-release that she was stealing attention from other Black country artists. It also flies in the faces that shunned and discriminated against her, serving as an example of how to do better. The reality that Beyoncé wasn't stealing a spotlight, but building a stage for fellow artists, is a case study in how success for one begets success for others. 

Read more: 8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More

Gospel, Blues, & Folk (American Roots)

As is Beyoncé's way, she mounts a case for country music with evidence to back up her testimony. She meanders a course through a sequence of styles that serve as the genre's foundation: gospel, blues, and folk music.

"AMERIICAN REQUIEM" and "AMEN" bookend the album with gospel-inspired lyrics and choir vocals. The opener sets up a reflective sermon buoyed by  the sounds of a reverberating church organ, while the closer, with its introspective lyrics, pleads for mercy and redemption. The main verse on "AMEN", "This house was built with blood and bone/ The statues they made were beautiful/ But they were lies of stone," is complemented by a blend of piano, and choral harmonies. 

Hymnal references are interlaced throughout the album, particularly in songs like "II HANDS II HEAVEN" and in the lyrical nuances on "JUST FOR FUN." In the later track, Beyoncé's voice soars with gratitude in a powerful delivery of the lines, "Time heals everything / I don't need anything / Hallelujah, I pray to her." 

The gospel-inspired, blues-based "16 CARRIAGES" reflects the rich history of country songs borrowing from the blues while simultaneously calling back to songs sung by field laborers in the colonial American South. "Sixteen dollars, workin' all day/ Ain't got time to waste, I got art to make" serves as the exhausted plea of an artist working tirelessly long hours in dedication to a better life. 

Rhiannon Giddens , a celebrated musician-scholar, two-time GRAMMY winner, and Pulitzer Prize recipient, infuses "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" with her profound understanding of American folk, country, and blues. She plays the viola and banjo, the latter tracing its origins to Sub-Saharan West Africa and the lutes of ancient Egypt. Through her skilled plucking and bending of the strings, Giddens bridges the rich musical heritage of Africa and the South with the soul of country, blues, and folk music.

Pop, Funk, Soul & Rock 'n' Roll  

All in, Beyoncé is a pop star who is wrestling with labels placed on her 27-year career in COWBOY CARTER . Fittingly, she brings in two other pop artists known for swimming in the brackish water between country and pop, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone . Her intentional inclusion of two artists who have blurred genres without much cross-examination begs the question, Why should Beyoncé's sound be segregated to a different realm? 

On "YA YA" Linda Martell returns as the listener's sonic sentinel, introducing the track like a lesson plan: "This particular tune stretches across a range of genres. And that’s what makes it a unique listening experience." The tune sinks into the strummed chords of Nancy Sinatra 's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" before leaping into a fiery dance track that features reimagined lyrics from the Beach Boys , with soulful vocal flourishes and breaks that show the throughline connection between '60s era rock, funk, and pop music.

Robert Randolph lends his hands on "16 CARRIAGES" with a funk-infused grapple on his pedal-steel guitar. It's a style he honed through his early years touring and recording with his family band and later in his career as an in-demand collaborator working with names including the Allman Brothers , and Norah Jones . 

The lesson is solidified as the album transitions into an interlude on "OH LOUISIANA," featuring a sped-up sample of a classic track by Chuck Berry. This moment emphasizes the pop superstar's nod to civil rights era music history, spotlighting a controversial artist celebrated for his pioneering contributions to rock 'n' roll. (It's a part of music history Beyoncé knows well, after starring as Etta James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records , a veiled biopic of the legendary Chicago label Chess Records.)

Classical & Opera

Opera was missing from many listeners' Beyoncé Bingo card, but didn't surprise those that know her background. Beyoncé was trained for over a decade starting at an early age by her voice teacher David Lee Brewer, a retired opera singer who once lived with the Knowles family. 

COWBOY CARTER gives sing-along fans a 101 opera class with "DAUGHTER." In Italian, Beyoncé sings passages from the 1783 Italian opera "Caro Mio Ben," composed by Giuseppe Tommaso Giovanni Giordani. The aria is a classic piece of vocal training that fittingly shows off her full range — taking us back to the earliest days of her vocal teachings.

Hip-Hop & R&B

Midway through the album on "SPAGHETTII" Beyoncé announces, "I ain't no regular singer, now come get everythin' you came for," landing right where expectations have confined her: in the throes of a romping beat, experimenting with sounds that blend hip-hop with R&B and soul. The track notably highlights the talent of Nigerian American singer/rapper Shaboozey, who also shows up to the rodeo on "SWEET HONEY BUCKIN'" brandishing his unique mix of hip-hop, folk-pop, and country music. 

Beyoncé worked with longtime collaborator Raphael Saadiq on this album, a career legend in the R&B industry, who lends his mark to several tracks on which he wrote, produced, and played multiple instruments. Beyoncé also utilizes the Louisiana songwriter Willie Jones on "JUST FOR FUN," an artist who draws on a contemporary blend of country, Southern rap, and R&B in the hymnal ballad. 

The violin-heavy "TYRANT" and "SPAGHETTII" both underscore hip-hop's long love affair with the classical string instrument (See: Common 's " Be ," and Wu Tang Clan 's " Reunited " as the tip of that particular iceberg) with a blend of soulful R&B lyrics paired with beat-based instrumentalization. 

In a world quick to draw lines and label sounds, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER stands as a vibrant mosaic of musical influence and innovation. Ultimately, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER isn't seeking anyone's acceptance. As a Texan once told she didn't belong, her critical response claps back at this exclusion.  It's also a reminder that in the hands of a true artist, music is limitless.

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Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Beyoncé Is The Genre-Bending Queen On 'Cowboy Carter': 5 Takeaways From Her New Album

On 'act ii' of her three-part album trilogy, Beyoncé explores the world of country and beyond — and makes a statement with every track.

When Beyoncé released RENAISSANCE in July 2022, she revealed that the album would be part of a "three-act project." One year and eight months later, she delivered on her promise in a big, bold way with act ii: COWBOY CARTER .

The expansive 27-track project finds the star experimenting with country, folk and Americana, pushing the boundaries of genre in a way she never has before — and, in classic Bey fashion, serving up a poignant response to naysayers.

"It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn't," she shared in an Instagram post the week before the album's release. "But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive."

From thoughtful cameos to old-school instrumentation, COWBOY CARTER is the culmination of everything that makes Beyoncé one of the most influential artists of her time, flexing her knack for statement pieces as well as her versatility. 

Here are five key takeaways from Beyoncé's long-awaited new album, COWBOY CARTER .

It's Not Country, It's KNTRY

Beyoncé revealed the COWBOY CARTER track listing in a rodeo-inspired concert flyer posted to Instagram on March 27. The artwork shared an important tag at the bottom: "Brought to you by KNTRY Radio Texas."

KNTRY Radio is a fantasy station with a wide open format created for COWBOY CARTER , and hosted by Willie Nelson in two short "SMOKE HOUR" interludes. Throughout the album, you'll hear samples of old songs by Chuck Berry and other classic artists. 

As Beyoncé stated in another pre-release Instagram post, COWBOY CARTER isn't a country album. Instead, popular styles are blended together in surprising ways to create a new sound that's purely Beyoncé. (There's even a moment, on "DAUGHTER," where she sings a verse from a famous Italian opera called "Caro Mio Ben.")

Whether through an intro, an interlude or a powerful verse, it's clear that Beyoncé and her guests are trying to open minds musically with these songs. " If there's one thing you can take away from our set today, let it be this," Nelson said in the second of his two "SMOKE HOUR" radio-style interludes on the album. "Sometimes you don't know what you like and someone you trust turns you on to some real good s—. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I'm here."

It's A Unique Continuation Of Her Mission

COWBOY CARTER begins the same way as it ends, with Beyoncé proclaiming, "Them big ideas are buried here, Amen," in the intro of opener "AMERICAN REQUIEM," and then "Them old ideas are buried here, Amen" in the last line of closer "AMEN."

Those statements reflect exactly what Beyoncé set out to do with COWBOY CARTER : celebrate the Black community's roots within the country space, while addressing the lack of cultural acceptance of it. The album celebrates Blackness in the way she's always done, but in a way that feels even more revolutionary.

This is perhaps best exhibited in the trap-infused track "SPAGHETTII." "Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they?" asks Linda Martell — who was the first Black woman soloist to appear at the Grand Ole Opry — on the song's intro. "In theory, they have a simple definition that's easy to understand/ But in practice, well, some may feel confined."

As Beyoncé adds in the first verse, "Now we on a mission, tried to turn me to the opposition/ I'm appalled 'bout the proposition/ Y'all been played by the plagiaristic, ain't gonna give no clout addiction my attention."

Beyoncé has long been at the forefront of honoring Black culture, and COWBOY CARTER is her most boundary-pushing addition to the conversation yet — and she hopes to change the "old ideas" into "big ideas."

It Takes Her Cinematic Love To The Next Level

It's no secret that Beyoncé loves her visuals. Though COWBOY CARTER isn't a visual album like some of her previous releases, a press release revealed that each of the songs on the album are inspired by Western films. In a statement, Beyoncé named five specific films as primary influences: The Harder They Fall , Killers of the Flower Moon , Urban Cowboy , The Hateful Eight , and Five Fingers For Marseilles . 

Several of the COWBOY CARTER visuals have elements of Western films, from the desert and mountainous landscapes of "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" and "OH LOUISIANA" to the rainy ashtray in "AMEN." And it's likely not a coincidence that a track called "SPAGHETTII" ended up on an album inspired by Westerns. 

Beyoncé even made a new catchphrase out of the most famous Western movie actor of all time on "BODYGUARD," where she declares she'll "John Wayne that ass."

It's Her Most Organic Sound Yet

Pivoting from the electronic landscape of RENAISSANCE , Beyoncé favors analog instruments over digital sounds on COWBOY CARTER . As "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" foreshadowed, there's plenty of banjo, boot-stomping beats and guitar plucks — and even Beyoncé's fingernails as percussion — across the album.

Raw instrumentation is also sprinkled throughout, particularly on "FLAMENCO" and her stunning cover of the Beatles' "Blackbird" (whose title is given an act ii twist as "BLACKBIIRD"). And if anything sounds a little unpolished, Beyoncé wants you to know it was completely intentional.

"With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones," Beyoncé explained in a press statement . "I didn't want some layers of instruments like strings, especially guitars, and organs perfectly in tune. I kept some songs raw and leaned into folk. All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature."

It's Another Family Affair

Now that Beyoncé's first-born daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, has played a prominent role in her mom's career — winning a GRAMMY in 2021 for her part in "Brown Skin Girl" and famously dancing on the RENAISSANCE World Tour — it was time for her little sister to shine.

Six-year-old Rumi Carter contributes an intro on "PROTECTOR," by asking Bey if she can "hear the lullaby." Though Rumi isn't featured in the rest of the track, hearing her voice at the beginning makes the song's sweet sentiment all the more impactful: "And I will lead you down that road if you lose your way/ Born to be a protector," Beyoncé sings on the chorus.

With so much to uncover in COWBOY CARTER , Beyoncé already has the anticipation high for the final part of her album trilogy. Will act iii feature Rumi's twin brother, Sir Carter? Will the rumors of Beyoncé exploring her rock side be true? We'll hopefully find out soon enough, but for now, get lost in the world of COWBOY CARTER — a testament to Beyoncé's prowess as an ever-evolving trailblazer. 

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Beyoncé's New Album 'Cowboy Carter' Is Here: Check Out The Featured Artists, Cover Songs, And Tracklist

Beyoncé's highly anticipated 'COWBOY CARTER' opens up a Pandora's box of American lore, and the deep connections between Blackness and country music. Here's the rundown of the album's featured artists, cover songs and tracklisting.

Beyoncé 's act ii is upon us — say hello to COWBOY CARTER .

On March 29, the 32-time GRAMMY winner unleashed the follow-up to her acclaimed 2022 album, RENAISSANCE . While COWBOY CARTER hints "Bey goes country," the LP is more of a psychedelic opus, with glimmers of country twang and style.

Across a sprawling 27-song tracklist of inspired originals flecked with covers and interpolations, Queen Bey takes us on a rodeo ride through so many musical universes, paying homage to the Beatles , Chuck Berry , Willie Nelson , Dolly Parton , Linda Martell, and more.

Clearly, there's a treasure trove here — more than enough to keep the Beyhive abuzz throughout 2024. GRAMMY.com is here to help you pore over every twangy lick, mega-guest star and lyrical implication. 

As you dive into Beyoncé's astonishing new album, read on for some of the fundamentals of COWBOY CARTER.

The Tracklisting

Two days prior to COWBOY CARTER 's release, Bey released the tracklist — fittingly, in the form of a rodeo poster. And much to the delight of the Beyhive, it's nearly double the length of its 16-track predecessor, RENAISSANCE .

Check out the rodeo poster, as well as the complete track listing, below.

AMERIICAN REQUIEM

16 CARRIAGES

SMOKE HOUR WILLIE NELSON

TEXAS HOLD 'EM

ALLIGATOR TEARS

SMOKE HOUR II

JUST FOR FUN

II MOST WANTED

LEVII'S JEANS

THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW

OH LOUISIANA

DESERT EAGLE

RIIVERDANCE

II HANDS II HEAVEN

SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN'

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

The Cover Songs

Among two dozen dazzling Beyoncé originals,   COWBOY CARTER   features covers of the Beatles' "Blackbird," Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and Chuck Berry's "Oh Louisiana."

"BLACKBIIRD" (retitled from "Blackbird," with an   act ii   flavor) is a   Paul McCartney   song, credited to Lennon-McCartney and featured on 1968's   The Beatles , commonly known as   The White Album . The song's civil rights inspiration makes it more than a worthy selection: the use of McCartney's original guitar and foot-tapping track makes it especially ear-grabbing.

"JOLENE" is a Dolly Parton classic, similarly given symphonic heft by Bey; Parton offers a radio-like intro on the   COWBOY CARTER   rendition.

In Parton's pre-"JOLENE" intro, "DOLLY P," she connects "Jolene" to Bey's immortal line "Becky with the good hair" from the   Lemonade   track "Sorry": "You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about? Reminded me of someone I knew back when, except she has flamin' locks of auburn hair. Bless her heart. Just a hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same."

"OH LOUISIANA" is a Chuck Berry deep cut from 1971's undersung   San Francisco Dues ; a flicker of Berry's "Maybellene" appears in "SMOKE HOUR WILLIE NELSON," which also features interpolations of Roy Hamilton's "Don't Let Go" and Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Down By The River Side."

Similarly, "YA YA" contains glimmers of Tommaso Giordani's "Caro Mio Ben,"   Lee Hazelwood 's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'," and   the Beach Boys ' "Good Vibrations."

Beyoncé has always displayed razor-sharp intent with her collaborators, and   COWBOY CARTER   is no exception.

The featured guests highlight a slew of   rising Black stars   in the   country scene . "BLACKBIIRD" spotlights four budding female artists, Brittney Spencer, Renya Roberts, Tanner Addell and Tiera Kennedy; Willie Jones shows off his chops on "JUST FOR FUN"; and country-rap fusionist Shaboozey stars on two tracks, "SPAGHETTII" and "SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN.'"

She also welcomes two country-loving pop stars,   Miley Cyrus   and   Post Malone , who make appearances on "II MOST WANTED" and "LEVII'S JEANS," respectively. And along with Parton, Beyoncé honors two more country greats with two aptly titled homages: fellow Texan   Willie Nelson   appears on "SMOKE HOUR WILLIE NELSON" and "SMOKE HOUR II," and trailblazer Linda Martell "The Linda Martell Show"

Perhaps Beyoncé's cutest collaborator is her six-year-old daughter, Rumi Carter, who makes her adorable debut on "PROTECTOR."

With that, venture forth into   COWBOY CARTER   — another quintessentially Bey statement of purpose and prowess.

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Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Beyoncé Win A GRAMMY For "Halo" During Her Record-Setting Night In 2010

As you dive into Beyoncé's new album, 'COWBOY CARTER,' revisit the moment Queen Bey won a GRAMMY for "Halo," one of six golden gramophones she won in 2010.

Amongst Beyoncé 's expansive catalog, "Halo" is easily one of her most iconic songs. Today, the 2009 single is her most-streamed song on Spotify; it was her first video to reach one billion views on YouTube; and it helped her set one of her GRAMMY records in 2010.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind , watch the superstar take the stage to accept Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Halo" in 2010 — the year she became the first female artist to win six GRAMMYs in one night.

"This has been such an amazing night for me, and I'd love to thank the GRAMMYs," she said, admitting she was nervous before taking a deep breath.

Before leaving the stage, Beyoncé took a second to thank two more special groups: "I'd love to thank my family for all of their support, including my husband. I love you. And I'd like to thank all of my fans for their support over the years."

The five other awards Beyoncé took home that night were for the coveted Song Of The Year ("Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)") and four R&B Categories: Best Contemporary R&B Album ( I Am... Sasha Fierce ), Best R&B Song ("Single Ladies"), Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("Single Ladies"), and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (for her cover of Etta James' "At Last"). 

As of 2024, Beyoncé has won the most GRAMMY Awards in history with 32 wins.

Press play on the video above to relive Queen Bey's "Halo" win for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

• 1 Beyoncé Kicks Off Her Renaissance World Tour In Stockholm, Sweden: Watch Performance And Stage Videos, See Photos, View The Setlist & More
• 2 Beyond Country: All The Genres Beyoncé Explores On 'Cowboy Carter'
• 3 Beyoncé Is The Genre-Bending Queen On 'Cowboy Carter': 5 Takeaways From Her New Album
• 4 Beyoncé's New Album 'Cowboy Carter' Is Here: Check Out The Featured Artists, Cover Songs, And Tracklist
• 5 GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Beyoncé Win A GRAMMY For "Halo" During Her Record-Setting Night In 2010

Beyoncé Announces ‘Renaissance’ 2023 World Tour

• By Larisha Paul

Larisha Paul

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Another Ticketmaster war is on the horizon as the BeyHive prepares for battle. After weeks of speculation, Beyoncé has officially confirmed a world tour in support of Renaissance , scheduled to make stops in stadiums across the world in 2023 .

The musician confirmed the news on Wednesday morning. The tour will begin in Europe this May before landing in North America on July 8 with back-to-back nights at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The tour will make stops in Philadelphia, Nashville, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and more.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

The Renaissance tour marks Beyoncé’s first extended stretch on the road since the On the Run tour, which made 48 stops across North America and Europe in 2018. Those shows were proceeded by the singer’s redefining Coachella performance, which arrived as the Netflix concert film Homecoming the following year.

The clips sparked multiple viral moments, the most notable being Beyoncé’s new vocal arrangements on familiar records, including “Drunk in Love” and “Countdown.” The private concert, notably, did not include any Renaissance tracks on the setlist, even the chart-topping lead single “Break My Soul.”

The tour announcement arrives as a saving grace for a starved BeyHive, still yearning for any meaningful visual companion pieces to the singer’s acclaimed seventh studio album. If Beyoncé is heading on the road again, maybe the wait for the music videos she teased in the record release trailer won’t be too much longer.

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“As is customary for her, she layers the album with enough totems to fuel a million think pieces and dissertations,” Rolling Stone shared of Renaissance . “Yet it’s also possible to simply dance and vibe to the music. This is Beyoncé at her joyous peak, and you won’t get it unless you pull the “plastic off the sofa,” “drop it like a thottie,” and enjoy Queen Bey at her thrilling best.”

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Beyoncé lays claim to the throne at SoFi Stadium

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The Renaissance has reached Los Angeles.

Four months after it launched in Europe and immediately took over social media, Beyoncé’s blockbuster Renaissance world tour begins a sold-out, three-night stand at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium on Friday. The pop superstar’s first solo outing since the Formation tour in 2016, Beyoncé’s latest live spectacle comes behind last year’s “ Renaissance ” album, her loving and meticulous ode to the Black and queer pioneers of half a century’s worth of dance music.

Reports from the road promise a high-tech, costume-heavy 2½-hour show in which the singer — after warming up with a series of R&B ballads — performs the songs from “Renaissance” in order with older tunes and covers interspersed among them. Close followers of the tour on TikTok also know to look out for onstage appearances by Beyoncé’s 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, and for the so-called mute challenge , in which the crowd is supposed to go silent at a particular point in the song “Energy.” (Another recurring feature: Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z, who’s been spotted in the audience at more than a few gigs alongside the likes of Paul McCartney, Frank Ocean, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion.)

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Aug. 28, 2023

The SoFi dates, which come as the tour enters its final weeks — and as its gross proceeds approach a half-billion dollars, according to Billboard — could prove especially splashy: Ahead of her 42nd birthday on Monday, Beyoncé has asked concertgoers to wear their “most fabulous silver fashions” to celebrate “Virgo season together in the house of chrome.”

The Times’ Mikael Wood and August Brown are at SoFi for opening night and will provide live updates from the show as it happens.

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What to know about SoFi Stadium before Beyoncé’s Renaissance concert

Ahead of Beyoncé’s tour dates at SoFi Stadium, here are some things you should know, including the bag and outside food policies, what SoFi Stadium is like and what to eat once you’re there.

Aug. 29, 2023

7:15 p.m. Greetings from the (very) early shift at SoFi, where CeCe Peniston is pumping on the sound system and everyone seems to have obeyed Bey’s command to wear silver in honor of her triumphant Virgo season. I heard war stories of hours-long traffic jams for Taylor Swift’s Eras shows, so I took Metro to the stadium, which was relatively smooth sailing on the 212 bus. So far, the mood is pretty composed, but once all those fans’ tequila shots from the street vendors kick in (will we get “Drunk in Love” on this stop?), it’ll ramp up in short order. — August Brown

7:55 p.m. There’s no formal opener on the Renaissance tour, but there is a warm-up act for the Club Renaissance portion of the show: DJ Khaled, who made an extremely loud entrance with “All I Do Is Win.” Nice to see a guy so used to yelling his own name take a more humble billing. — A.B.

8:02 p.m. Can confirm the parking for Renaissance is just as nightmarish as the parking for Eras was! But traffic is far too boring a subject to dwell on as I walk into SoFi amid the beautifully silver-bedecked masses. Between recent gigs by Taylor, Morgan Wallen and Metallica, I feel like I’ve spent as much time in this building this summer as I have anywhere else in L.A. But no other fans can come close to matching the outfits on display tonight. — Mikael Wood

8:14 p.m. DJ Khaled brought a friend with him: 2 Chainz, who just popped out to do his songs “Watch Out” and “I’m Different” and to tell anyone with a birthday that we are most definitely celebrating tonight. Wonder if this cameo portends a special guest or two during Beyoncé’s set… — M.W.

8:22 p.m. As Khaled would say, ANOTHER ONE: Now Wiz Khalifa’s here, zipping through “Young, Wild & Free” and “See You Again.” (Alas, no Charlie Puth.) — M.W.

8:28 p.m. We’re still in the pregame portion, but now it’s local hero Roddy Ricch doing “The Box.” If you’re a rapper with a night off in L.A. and you’re not up here, it might be personal. — A.B.

8:30 p.m. Best silver outfits glimpsed so far: a guy in a glittery mariachi suit, a lady dressed as an alien superstar and a dude in full chain mail. — M.W.

8:36 p.m. When was the last time you listened to “Bad and Boujee”? If you’re at the Beyoncé show, you’re hearing it now: Offset just dropped in to rap the 2016 Migos hit with DJ Khaled. What a song. — M.W.

8:41 p.m. Lil Wayne just rolled up in a bucket hat and giant shorts like a true Zoomer. He was having some mic trouble and didn’t quite get off a full verse before departing. Still, it’s a great Bey bait and switch — why have one opener when you can have everyone open? — A.B.

8:42 p.m. This cavalcade of stars feels almost vulgar in its over-the-topness. Makes you proud to be an Angeleno. — M.W.

8:44 p.m. They’re tearing down Khaled’s rig. Countdown to Renaissance begins now. — A.B.

8:53 p.m. The lights have dimmed and we are approaching Bey o’clock. — M.W.

9:00 p.m. And ... it’s Beyoncé, in ballad mode out of the gate. She’s starting with “Dangerously in Love 2” with an all-silver backing band on a tall riser. No insane outfits, no fireworks, just a statement of intent that this is going to be a long ride, so get cozy. — A.B.

9:01 p.m. Man, can Beyoncé sing. I love the flex of opening the show with a vocal showcase like this. It’s like she’s saying: Yes, we’re gonna have a great time tonight, but first let me remind you of what I learned to do before you had any idea who I was. — M.W.

9:03 p.m. “Flaws and All” is next up. “I’m a train wreck in the morning,” she sings, absolutely perfectly, obviously. We knew this going in, but I love that this show starts on a very slow simmer before the rave. — A.B.

9:04 p.m. Two songs in and this band is cooking. — M.W.

9:07 p.m. Shout-out to Bey’s very pregnant trumpet player in a cropped top! — A.B.

9:10 p.m. Beyoncé has taken her seat atop a grand piano and is singing the ever-loving stuffing out of “1+1.” The riffs. The runs. The mic control! Truly a master. — M.W.

9:17 p.m. It’s easy to admire Beyoncé’s pace-setting fashion in a magazine shoot or music video, but wow, Shiona Turini and crew really saw this through down to the last stitch. We’ve barely even started, but it’s a whole new tier of care into these chrome and gold get-ups. — A.B.

9:19 p.m. Bey dedicates a slow roll through “River Deep, Mountain High” to the late Tina Turner, whom she calls “one of my biggest inspirations.” — M.W.

9:22 p.m. The ballads are finished; the club awaits. — M.W.

9:28 p.m. There’s a big camera rig on wires circling the stage and crowd; looks like the rumors of a concert doc being filmed may have some legs. — A.B.

9:30 p.m. The “Renaissance” portion of the evening opens with the album’s opener, “I’m That Girl,” and the way Beyoncé is toying with the song’s rhythms — stretching, shortening — let’s you know we’re in for a workout. — M.W.

9:31 p.m. Bey is in a resplendent Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini pink coat that could protect one from the most fabulous winter storm. — A.B.

9:33 p.m. “Cozy” — what a wonderfully insane word to build a song around. — M.W.

9:35 p.m. Different kind of physical performance from Bey on this tour. She’s a magnificent dancer, one of the best in music, but she’s also not afraid to pout and roll around on a pile of mattresses and let her crew contort. She’s having a blast. — A.B.

9:36 p.m. Something the endless TikToks from the Renaissance tour don’t prepare you for is how delightfully campy the I-woke-up-like-this sequence from “Alien Superstar” is. A+ comedy. — M.W.

9:37 p.m. “Alien Superstar”: It’s the “Sailor Moon” meme IRL! — A.B.

9:42 p.m. Here come Les Twins, the dancing French brothers who lend an uncanny, ultra-athletic sidecar to Bey’s main course. — A.B.

9:54 p.m. Now we’re into “Cuff It” with the full band, and it’s all slap bass and hot-pink corsets and exuberant ‘70s vibes. She’s brought out a killer horn section, wearing P-Funk space suits. — A.B.

9:55 p.m. Very moved by the deep musician-liness of this show. “I’m a seasoned professional,” she sings in “Cuff It,” and how many pop superstars are out here emphasizing their onstage experience? — M.W.

9:56 p.m. She just hit the big “Everybody on Mute” moment of “Energy,” and you better believe no one dared move or made a sound. Pretty cool to hear absolute silence in a packed stadium. — A.B.

9:58 p.m. Seems too depressing to get into right now, but we should probably think about how “Break My Soul” — with its screw-the-paymasters message — softened the ground for “Rich Men North of Richmond.” :( — M.W.

10:07 p.m. Sorry, Bob Dylan: Let’s take a minute here to commend what has to be history’s largest gaucho hat on Beyoncé’s head as she starts “Formation.” — M.W.

10:08 p.m. Hope everyone took notes during the roll call of “Break My Soul,” as Lizzo returned to tonight’s lineup. Wonder what Zoomers will make of “Mississippi Goddam” and “Pull Up to the Bumper” after they get home tonight and do some Googling. — A.B.

10:11 p.m. Blue Ivy Carter’s entrance during “Run the World (Girls)” gets a deafening cheer from the crowd. — M.W.

10:16 p.m. As a parent of children older than 11-year-old Blue Ivy, can very much relate to the moment Beyoncé is taking here to soak in the adulation for her daughter. What a wild summer internship. — M.W.

10:18 p.m. Pretty wild that rapping is, like, the fifth-best thing Beyoncé does when she’s onstage, but here comes “Savage” and she’s spitting absolute flames. — A.B.

10:19 p.m. We forgot to mention that Bey is doing all this on … a tank? — M.W.

10:26 p.m. After a costume change, we are back with “Church Girl.” Says Beyoncé, “If this is your song, I wanna give you permission to go crazy.” — M.W.

10:31 p.m. Has anyone ever sung a Frankie Beverly and Maze song at SoFi Stadium before? Beyoncé, and tens of thousands of fans, are doing it now on her cover of “Before I Let Go.” — M.W.

10:35 p.m. Bey’s singing “Rather Die Young” from “4” dressed like she’s about to hit the pool in Palm Springs. Love to hear a ballad about not making it to old age without your man, now sung on the other side of 40 surrounded by your family onstage. — A.B.

10:40 p.m. The crowd taking over “Love on Top” from Beyoncé as the song goes through its increasingly delirious key changes? Top 10 concert experience. — M.W.

10:51 p.m. What could be a more sumptuous setting for “Plastic Off the Sofa” than the inside of a three-story opalescent clamshell? Bey took it from there right into “Virgo’s Groove,” one of the spiritual centerpieces of the tour and the reason for all the silver in the crowd. — A.B.

10:55 p.m. Shout out to Syd of the Internet, the talented L.A. native who co-wrote and co-produced “Plastic Off the Sofa,” and who’s been making beautiful and wily soul music on a smaller scale in this town for close to a decade. — M.W.

10:58 p.m. Before “Heated,” Beyoncé asks how many concertgoers brought fans to the show — then advises folks to use them. — M.W.

11:07 p.m. She’s back from a break with “Thique” and has made the dancers essentially run a live barre class across a horizontal railing. From my very limited experience in such a setting, that’s a brutal turn this late in the set, but they’re handling it with aplomb. — A.B.

11:14 p.m . “I’m gonna need y’all’s help with this one,” Beyoncé says, and that’s the cue for “Drunk in Love,” a rarity on the Renaissance tour that’s throbbing throughout SoFi right now, as the singer ascends on a platform surrounded by sparks. — M.W.

11:22 p.m. If “America Has a Problem,” Beyoncé is here to tell you about it behind the prop desk at her KNTY4 NEWS stage rig, dressed in a menacing-looking Mugler bee helmet. — A.B.

11:28 p.m. As the show approaches its finale, Beyoncé dedicates “Pure/Honey” — with a bit of “Blow” — to “the legendary Beyhive.” — M.W.

11:32 p.m. Totally virtuosic ballroom circle happening with all the backup dancers during “Pure/Honey,” replete with death drops and some of the sauciest vogueing of the whole night. — A.B.

11:36 p.m. And now we have Beyoncé asking us to take a screenshot as she emerges astride an enormous, beglittered, Bianca-Jagger-at-Studio-54-style horse to sing “Summer Renaissance.” What a show. What a night. — M.W.

11:38 p.m. We’ve known this since Coachella 2018, but she is simply the best live performer working today. — A.B.

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Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour: See all the epic photos and fashions

See all the dazzling photos from the "Cuff It" singer's tour.

Beyoncé is currently making her way through the North American leg of her Renaissance World Tour and captivating concertgoers with her dazzling performances and fashion moments.

The Grammy-winning singer most recently performed at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Tuesday night and will perform next at FedExField in Summerfield, Maryland, Aug. 5-6.

MORE: Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy appears onstage during Paris show

Here are some of Beyoncé's most stunning looks from her shows so far:

Beyoncé first kicked off her world tour in Europe in May, wowing audiences with her vocals, theatrics and style choices in major cities including, Paris, London and Barcelona.

One standout look came during her first show in London, when she stepped out onstage in a red bespoke Off-White bodysuit, which was covered in 40,000 red hotfix crystals , according to the label.

She also wore a custom bee-inspired look from Mugler.

The singer's 11-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter has also appeared on the Renaissance World Tour stage. Blue Ivy made her tour debut during her mom's show in Paris . She also took the stage during Beyoncé's concert tour stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at MetLife Stadium.

See more of Beyoncé's showstopping looks below:

MORE: Beyonce announces 'Renaissance' world tour for 2023

Read on for everything you need to know about Beyoncé's world tour.

When did Beyoncé announce the world tour?

Seven months after the release of her seventh studio album, "Renaissance," the "Cuff It" singer took to Instagram to announce her Renaissance World Tour .

The tour is her first solo tour in more than six years.

When did the Renaissance tour start?

The Renaissance World Tour kicked off Wednesday, May 10, at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

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According to the Friends Arena website , the show was slated to run for three hours.

MORE: Beyonce teases new release 'Break My Soul,' dropping at midnight

When does the tour run until.

In addition to Stockholm, Paris, London and Barcelona, the European leg of her tour made stops in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. Beyoncé's final European show was in Warsaw, Poland, on June 28.

The North American leg of the world kicked off in Toronto at Rogers Centre on July 8. Following her show at FedExField -- which is located just outside Washington, D.C. -- the singer will head to Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta; and Tampa, Florida.

Beyoncé's final scheduled performance of the tour will be held Oct. 1 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

When was the last time Beyoncé toured?

Beyoncé's last solo tour was the Formation World Tour in 2016, which followed the release of her sixth studio album, "Lemonade."

In 2018, she toured with her husband Jay-Z, for the On The Run Tour.

What is the Renaissance World Tour setlist?

During her tour, Beyoncé has performed songs off her latest album, including "Cuff It," "Heated" and "Virgo's Groove."

At her first tour stop in Stockholm on May 10, she sang a number of fan favorites, including "1+1," "Run the World (Girls)," "Get Me Bodied," and "America Has a Problem," among others.

Beyoncé's "Renaissance" album was released on July 29, 2022, after it was leaked two days prior. The album is the first part of a three-act project and features a total of 16 tracks with collaborations from artists such as Drake, Tems and Pharrell Williams.

MORE: Beyonce officially drops 'Renaissance' album, thanks fans for 'unwavering support'

In an Instagram post, the singer said that "Renaissance" was recorded over three years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world," she said. "It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. ... It was a beautiful journey of exploration."

How to get Beyonce 2023 tour tickets

While tickets to see the singer on tour sold out quickly in many cities around the world when sales began in February, fans can still purchase tickets on Ticketmaster.

This article was originally published on May 10, 2023.

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Beyoncé Announces Renaissance World Tour

The star’s first solo tour since 2016 will start May 10 in Stockholm.

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By Joe Coscarelli

For the first time since 2016 — a world before Beychella , Covid-19 and “Renaissance” — Beyoncé will headline a solo tour, the singer announced in a social media post on Wednesday.

Beginning on May 10 in Stockholm, and continuing in Europe through June before coming to North America, the Renaissance World Tour, in support of her seventh solo album, will run for at least 40 dates, largely in stadiums, according to dates posted to Beyoncé’s website . The tour includes one night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (July 29) and one at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. (Sept. 2) amid stops in Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, Atlanta, Phoenix and Miami.

Limited tickets for certain tour dates will go on sale beginning Monday for members of Beyoncé’s BeyHive fan club, followed by the staggered release of additional tickets by market, using a complex registration system for various tiers of buyer.

The tour, produced by Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment and promoted by Live Nation, will use Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan system , which aims to limit bots and professional scalpers, marking one of the first major tests for Ticketmaster since extraordinary demand for early tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour last year led to fan backlash and regulatory scrutiny . At a Senate Judiciary hearing last month spurred by the botched presale, artists, fans and politicians cast Live Nation Entertainment, the concert industry giant that owns Ticketmaster, as a monopoly that hinders competition and harms consumers.

Beyoncé’s shows will be the singer’s first live events available to the public since the On the Run II tour with her husband, Jay-Z, in 2018, tied to the surprise release of a joint album, “Everything Is Love,” by the duo billed as the Carters. Beyoncé last toured alone behind her previous solo album, “Lemonade,” in 2016. Two years later, she headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

That show — which went on to be released as “Homecoming” (2019), a live album and concert film — was called “rich with history, potently political and visually grand” in a review by the New York Times critic Jon Caramanica. “By turns uproarious, rowdy, and lush. A gobsmacking marvel of choreography and musical direction.”

In the years since, Beyoncé has surfaced intermittently, including with songs like “Black Parade,” which won a Grammy Award for best R&B performance, and “Be Alive,” which appeared in the movie “King Richard” and was nominated for an Oscar. Last year, in a taped performance, Beyoncé performed the song at the 94th annual Academy Awards.

But the singer made a return to the pop mainstream in earnest with the July 2022 release of “Renaissance,” a dance-floor-oriented album that she said was inspired by the L.G.B.T.Q. community and has spawned hits like “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It.” At the Grammy Awards on Sunday, Beyoncé is nominated nine times , with a chance to become the most-awarded artist in history.

Upon its release, the singer called “Renaissance” part of a “three act project” that she recorded during the pandemic. “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment,” she wrote of the album, which was billed as Act I. “A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom.”

Major music touring has largely recovered, especially at its highest levels, since the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the industry trade publication Pollstar , touring grossed a record-setting $6.28 billion last year, up more than 13 percent from 2019, due in part to pent-up fan demand, inflation and major acts like Bad Bunny, Elton John and Harry Styles.

In addition to Beyoncé’s shows, this year will see blockbuster tours from artists including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Metallica, Morgan Wallen and Madonna.

Last month, Beyoncé proved more polarizing than usual when she headlined the grand opening of a luxury hotel in Dubai, performing for an invite-only collection of guests, including influencers and journalists.

While some fans decried the optics of taking a major payday in a place that criminalizes homosexuality — “Beyoncé’s Dubai performance isn’t just an affront to LGBTQ+ fans, but workers’ rights in the UAE,” The Guardian declared — others noted that the singer’s set list did not yet include songs from “Renaissance.”

An earlier version of this article misstated the year Beyoncé headlined Coachella. It was 2018, not 2016.

How we handle corrections

Joe Coscarelli is a culture reporter with a focus on pop music. His work seeks to pull back the curtain on how hit songs and emerging artists are discovered, made and marketed. He previously worked at New York magazine and The Village Voice. More about Joe Coscarelli

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Beyoncé: Renaissance World Tour

Following the wildly successful release of BEYONCÉ’s seventh studio album,  RENAISSANCE , the global superstar has announced  RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR  today, her first solo tour in over six years. Ticketing will begin Monday, February 6, 2023, starting with an exclusive presale to BeyHive members.

The 2023 tour, produced by Parkwood Entertainment, and promoted by Live Nation, kicks off on May 10, 2023, at Friends Arena in Stockholm, SE, making stops throughout Europe in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Sunderland, Paris, London, Marseille, Amsterdam, Warsaw and more. The tour then continues across North America with shows in Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston and more.

TICKETING DETAILS :

On sale dates:

• North American Dates:   North American Dates:  Visit  livenation.com  for the exact details as ticketing on sale timelines vary by city.
• European Dates:  Check your local event listings for complete ticket information regarding European dates of the tour.

Only one (1) pre-approved bag per guest will be allowed inside the stadium. Review the newly updated stadium Bag Policy .

Mobile Ticketing Only

For your safety and convenience, all tickets will be available via mobile ticketing only . Download the Gillette Stadium App .

• 7:00 PM: Event Start Time
• Find tickets  here .
• The main ticket office is closed due to the ongoing construction. There are two ticket office trailers; one is located across from the Ticketmaster Gate and the other is located outside of the W3 entrance near the CVS Health Gate.
• For your safety and convenience, all tickets will be available via mobile ticketing only. Download the  Gillette Stadium App . Tap the “Tickets” icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap the “View/Manage My Tickets” icon.
• For information on the Concert Seating Chart,  click here.
• Field seating enters through the Ticketmaster Gate ONLY.
• Only one (1) pre-approved bag per guest. Review the newly updated stadium  Bag Policy.
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Explore the shops and restaurants at  Patriot Place  before and after the event.

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Although negative tests and vaccinations will not be required for stadium entry, all ticketholders must agree that neither they nor their guests will attend an event if they have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days or experienced symptoms of COVID-19 within 48 hours prior to the event. All ticketholders also agree to follow all applicable CDC guidance in effect on event day, including guidance on when to quarantine and wear a mask, and what steps to take when you have been exposed to COVID-19. For more information, please review the Gillette Stadium Ticket Terms.

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Every Look From Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour, From Custom Catsuits to Disco-Inspired Couture

Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour began with a bang in Stockholm and it hasn't slowed down since. The highly-anticipated show has featured inventive set design, a decades-spanning setlist, and a plethora of standout style moments—from to archival pieces to custom looks and nearly everything in between. The star’s wardrobe has combined her signature style with the visual ethos of the album Renaissance ( think lots of sequins, silver, catsuits, and the occasional bee-inspired look). Beyoncé has also been wearing looks from brands specific to the city she’s performing in—for the UK leg of her tour she wore picks from the London-based Mary Katrantzou and Robert Wun while in Marseille, France she opted for a look by designer Simon Porte Jacquemus.

The singer has donned looks from both established brands—Valentino, Mugler, lots of Alexander McQueen, among others—as well as smaller labels like Anrealage and Brandon Blackwood. Balmain catsuits and mini dresses have been a constant throughout her tour wardrobe (in March, she partnered with creative director Olivier Rousteing to design a Renaissance couture line for the brand ) as well as imaginative pieces from Loewe. Beyoncé began the tour in Europe which has seen her in London, Paris, and other cities with the last being Warsaw, Poland on June 28th. She will then head to North America with her last date coming in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 27th. Needless to say, there will be countless more style moments to come—so, to make sure you don’t miss one look, keep checking back here as we keep track of everything Beyoncé has worn during the Renaissance world tour.

Beyoncé certainly made a splash for her final Renaissance show in Kansas City, Missouri. To open the concert, the star wore a custom Balenciaga gown, embroidered with over 8000 crystal rhinestones, and black opera gloves.

The star also brought out a black, latex version of a previous Ivy Park bodysuit and cropped jacket for her final show.

It’s fitting that perhaps the most memorable look from Beyoncé’s tour, a crystalized Loewe bodysuit, came in not one, not two, but three color ways.

At Beyoncé’s Houston show, Meghan Thee Stallion hit the stage to perform the “Savage” remix live for the first time. Naturally, then, the singer made sure to bring out a handful of major looks for such an occasion, including this dramatic black-and-white Balmain gown.

For another Houston ensemble, Beyoncé went with a black number by British maestro Gareth Pugh that was trimmed with reflective detailing.

Lingerie powerhouse Agent Provocateur designed this fringed, metallic piece for the singer’s Houston Renaissance stop.

American designer Rick Owens’ first custom look for Beyoncé’s tour came in the form of this plunging, sculptural bodysuit that she paired with silver cut-out boots and shield sunglasses.

The Carters have a song called “Boss,” but it was Beyoncé who looked in control wearing this full look from, yes, Boss. Silver was again the color of choice for the star—opting for slouchy boots, a form-fitting bodysuit, and cropped statement jacket.

Beyoncé donned her mermaid best while in Dallas, Texas with this custom Georges Hobeika couture look. The gown, which took over 300 hours to make, is embroidered with layers of Swarovski crystals and features a dramatic head veil.

This custom look from Milanese house Del Core featured pink garter boots and a sculptural bodysuit complete with statement shoulders. Plus, some very “Alien Superstar” sunglasses to match.

Despite saying her “Telfar bag imported,” it took Beyoncé until her tour’s Seattle stop to sport a look from the New York brand . The red, sequined cut-out bodysuit was certainly worth the wait, though (Blue Ivy also had a matching look from Telfar).

For her show in Seattle, Washington, Beyoncé donned lots of denim in the form of this Diesel bodysuit moment complete with a blue overcoat.

The star pulled out this crystallized, sheer Elie Saab couture look complete with a dramatic hood and feathered train.

This sequined Vera Wang bodysuit was taken to the next level with layers of blue chiffon that moved gracefully while the singer performed in Vancouver, Canada.

For her first Renaissance concert up North in Vancouver, Canada, Beyoncé pulled out a few new looks like this custom Ivy Park gear that featured intricate embroidery throughout. She added a matching top hat, overcoat, and silver above-the-knee boots to complete the ensemble.

Brazilian brand PatBO brought the sparkle (and fringe) with this eye-catching, hand-beaded number they designed for the singer’s Vancouver, Canada concert.

This is the second flame bodysuit that Roberto Cavalli has designed for the singer. This time, though, the look was even more fiery thanks to dozens of red and orange Swarovski crystals lining the piece.

Beyoncé made this barely-there lingerie look by Agent Provocateur stage-ready by adding fringed boots and a sparkly overcoat.

Like many a pop star, it’s no secret that Beyoncé loves a Mugler bodysuit. Here, the star wore a strappy silver version that she styled with metallic boots and shield sunglasses.

Beyoncé pulled out all types of looks for her Los Angeles show, which also happened to fall on her 42nd birthday. In one of many new looks during the night, she rocked this embroidered Givenchy bodysuit with a cropped black jacket and patent heels.

Beyoncé went big for her first Versace look during her Renaissance tour. She wore a skin-hugging mini dress and over-the knee boots designed in the Italian brand’s signature Medusa print.

The star opted for a lace Dolce & Gabbana look consisting of a corseted bodice and a dramatic off-the-shoulder train.

A vision in red, Beyoncé wore a ruched Balmain top that she paired with latex, cargo-style pants and opera-length gloves. To round out the look, she wore a Ruslan Baginskiy hat and Thierry Lasry sunglasses.

Pucci is known for their statement prints, so it’s no surprise this bodysuit was heavy on all sorts of colors. The look featured the Italian brand’s archival "Giardino” print as well as crystal embellishments and a sparkling body chain.

Loewe may have created the most memorable look from Beyoncé’s tour thus far with their “hands” bodysuit. For her Los Angeles show, the singer wore another anatomy-focused look from the Spanish brand, this one, in black and red.

This pink Gucci look consisted of pleated satin and a handful of pearl and crystal embellishments. The star added in velvet gloves, a wide-brimmed hat, and a pair of bedazzled binoculars for good measure.

For the opening portion of her Los Angeles show, Beyoncé donned this rose pink Tamara Ralph gown that featured ruching at the side and feathered sleeves.

While she may have been hidden underneath a sculptural headpiece, this ivory Danielle Frankel look certainly spoke for itself.

Australian designer Tamara Ralph created this velvet gown, complete with shimmering details at the bodice, for Beyoncé’s Los Angeles show. She paired the dramatic piece with a black top hat and Alaïa heels.

The singer looked in control with a custom A-Morir cane that she wore with a bedazzled bodysuit by Prada inspired by their spring/summer 2012 collection.

Instead of her usual over-the-knee stilettos, Beyoncé opted for a towering pair of Marc Jacobs “Kiki” boots. She also wore a custom iteration of a look from the American brand’s fall/winter 2023 collection that featured a glittering red scarf.

This custom Alexander McQeen number, which featured an embellished mini dress and sculptural headpiece, was inspired by the brand’s fall/winter 2013 couture collection.

Sarah Diouf, the designer behind African brand Tongoro, designed this black-and-white motif bodysuit, gloves, and boots for the singer’s Santa Clara, California show.

The star looked presidential in another Ralph Lauren look, this one, a tuxedo-style bodysuit that she paired with a feather boa, bedazzled cane, and black boots.

In an ensemble that would make her song “Telephone” proud, Beyoncé donned a custom bodysuit by Lou de Bètoly made from recycled phones, chargers, and crystals.

Yes, that is Beyoncé hidden under all of that silver fringe. During her Las Vegas show, she certainly made a statement in this silver Jacquemus look.

Even when hidden underneath a red top hat, Beyoncé looked Renaissance -ready in this silver mini dress by Ukrainian brand Frolov.

Beyoncé opted for another printed Marine Serre ensemble, this time, a silver bodysuit layered with a red cut-out dress.

Cult-favorite lingerie brand Agent Provocateur designed this metallic bodysuit, completed with cut-out detailing, for the singer’s Las Vegas show.

Leave it to Beyoncé to make newsboy caps look cool. Here, she paired the accessory with a latex and fishnet look from Dundas.

The star spiced things up with a sheer, crystalized bodysuit by Bronx and Banco that she wore with a white feather overcoat.

Beyoncé donned another Givenchy look during her Glendale, Arizona stop–this one a form-fitting suit dress complete with gold accents along the waist and arms.

British brand Gareth Pugh designed this sculptural metallic bodysuit for the singer, which she paired with over-the-knee boots and flashy opera gloves.

The star swapped out her Loewe “hands” bodysuit for an equally as flashy look from the Spanish brand in the form of a black long sleeve, high-low dress.

Beyoncé looked ravishing in red when she wore this Atelier Zuhra look composed of a glittering bodysuit and a statement-making, sculptural train.

This very “Alien Superstar” ensemble by Zigman featured a semi-sheer bodysuit, metallic knee-high boots, and antena-like wings that doubled as a train.

Georgian brand Situationist and Ukrainian label Yaspis came together to create this custom metallic look for Beyoncé’s Phoenix, Arizona show. The dress featured a criss-cross halter bodice and an asymmetrical draped skirt with a daring slit up to her waist. To finish things off, the star added in a pair of opera-length gloves and a crystal mesh bodysuit.

The superstar, who celebrates her birthday September 4, recently posted a request to her fans via Instagram. “Virgo season is upon us,” she wrote. “This tour has been such a joy and as we approach the last month, my birthday wish is to celebrate with you wearing your most fabulous silver fashions to the show 8.23 – 9.22.”

Beyoncé has long been a fan of Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran, so it’s only fitting that he crafted one of her buzziest Renaissance World Tour ensembles yet. The custom yellow bodysuit, which took over 200 hour s to make, was paired with beaded opera gloves and knee-high boots. Of course, the star rounded things out with antenna-like shield glasses.

London-based Alessandra Rich designed this shimmering ensemble for Beyoncé’s St. Louis, Missouri stop. The look featured a semi-sheer crystal net bodysuit complete with patent detailing at the midsection and sleeves. Prior to showing off the form-fitting catsuit, she wore a vinyl trench coat and coordinating top hat.

Beyoncé celebrated the arrival of Virgo season with this custom Loewe look that she wore for her St. Louis, Missouri show. She paired the look, which consisted of a metallic sculptural top and black maxi skirt, with sparkly heels from The Attico. The singer also announced that she wants her fans to wear their “most fabulous silver fashions” for the remaining month of her Renaissance tour, which concludes on September 22nd. “We’ll surround ourselves in a shimmering human disco ball each night,” she said in a statement.

The singer previously wore a similar swirl motif mini dress from David Koma earlier on in her tour. This time, though, she paired the piece with an asymmetrical leather jacket, patent cowboy boots, and sleek silver sunglasses.

Beyoncé definitely brought the heat to Miami in this sparkling custom Gucci look. The Italian brand created a corseted bodysuit draped with strands of silver fabric for the singer, which she paired with over-the-knee fringe boots.

Though this custom Valdrin Sahiti bodysuit followed a similar silhouette to many of Beyoncé’s form-fitting looks, its dramatic tulle shoulders and flowing train certainly spiced things up a bit. The singer rounded out the look with a pair of cat eye sunglasses and PVC heels by Mach and Mach.

Unlike her Marni look which was heavy on mixed metals, this custom Missoni ensemble was pure silver. The Italian house designed a patterned form-fitting dress (complete with a leg-baring) slit that the singer unveiled during her Tampa, Florida show. She also wore a silver long sleeve top with built-in gloves underneath, Amina Muaddi heels, and custom Tiffany & Co. glasses.

Patchwork like never before. The singer donned this custom Marni look, composed of a cropped puffer jacket, bodysuit, and boots, for her Atlanta show. The silver and gold pieces were made of leather and fragmented crystals for some extra shine.

Rounding out a pair of Gaurav Gupta looks in Atlanta, Beyoncé chose this show-stopping hooded gown for her final show in the city. The sparkling number is from the brand’s fall/winter 2023 collection and featured a one-sleeve silhouette and a trio of cut-out details.

Beyoncé turned up the heat in this blue flame bodysuit by Roberto Cavalli. The brand’s creative director Fausto Puglisi created the trompe l’oeil ensemble with a slew of Swarovski crystals and even added in a dazzling cowboy hat and gloves to finish off the look.

Even Beyoncé got in on fashion’s sheer obsession with this statement-making Dolce & Gabbana look. She paired the bodysuit, which featured sprawling crystal embroidery, with a pair of fringe sunglasses.

If anyone can make a newsboy cap work, it’s certainly Beyoncé. She accessorized this fitted, embroidered bodysuit from Self-Portrait with a matching hat and strappy heels.

Alberta Ferretti has been a constant throughout Beyoncé’s Renaissance wardrobe. So, naturally, the singer chose a scarlet bodysuit, complete with a sculpted bodice and plenty of crystals, for her Atlanta show.

The star opted for another Gaurav Gupta look, this one, from the brand’s fall/winter 2023 collection. Like her previous ensemble from the brand, the green dress featured an array of smartly placed cut-outs and a thigh-high slit.

If this Carolina Herrera ensemble looks familiar, that’s because Beyoncé previously wore a red version earlier on in her tour. Like the last wear, this one was made complete with a dramatic headpiece and opera-style gloves. The star also tied in a pair of Alaïa cabaret sandals, a pari she’s taken a liking to throughout her time on the road.

The star chose a Barbie pink look from Lapointe during her show in Charlotte, North Carolina. The curve-hugging mini dress featured a one-side feather sleeve and a draped train at the side. Of course, she had to add in a pair of sequined knee-high boots and fringe sunglasses from A-Morir for good measure.

This Gaurav Gupta bodysuit may be Beyoncé’s most detailed one to date—the piece featured elaborate infinity draping that cascaded throughout the look. She then paired the top half with garter-inspired crystal leggings that transitioned into boots.

Beyoncé dazzled in this custom Ralph Lauren satin gown and feather shawl for her Washington, D.C. show (which drew heavyweight guests like Solange Knowles, the Obamas, and Kamala Harris).

Tinsel chic? Beyoncé’s latest custom Gucci look (a fringe bodysuit, sculptural hat, boots, and overcoat) turned heads for all the right reasons at her D.C. show.

Nina Ricci designer Harris Reed created this crystal and velvet bodysuit inspired by the brand’s archival couture gowns. Beyoncé accessorized the look with custom drop earrings and an Elsa Peretti diamond ring from Tiffany & Co.

Beyoncé went with this custom royal blue look from Off-White (she wore a similar red version earlier on in her tour) for her show in the nation’s capital.

Self-Portrait creative director Han Chong custom designed this glittering mesh bodysuit and matching skirt for the star’s Washington, D.C. show. The sequined piece featured a diamond cut-out at the midsection and dramatic feather cuffs.

For her Boston show, Beyoncé dazzled in this reflective silver ensemblefrom Peter Dundas’s namesake brand. The look featured a form-fitting mini dress, oversized trench coat, ankle boots, and a coordinating hat.

Beyoncé got in on the lingerie dressing fad with this sultry custom look from Spanish-born, Paris-based designer Arturo Obegero.

Israeli designer Alon Livné designed this sheer catsuit, complete with intricately placed cut-outs, and ruffled cape for the singer’s Boston show.

Beyoncé looked straight out of a sci-fi thriller in this custom Demobaza look which featured a color blocked bodysuit, harness, and white boots.

Jean Paul Gaultier is known for their trippy prints, so it’s no surprise then that the bending motif was the focal point of this custom bodysuit.

The debate is still out on whether this look should be classified as Barbie pink or Valentino pink. Regardless, Beyoncé nailed this custom look from the Italian brand. She paired the form-fitting bodysuit (which was layered under a cape) with knee-high boots and feathered shield sunglasses.

For her New York show, Beyoncé, fittingly, wore one of the city’s favorite designers. Her custom Marc Jacobs gown featured a dramatic slit, bending black and white stripes, and a slew of dazzling Swarovski crystals.

This Alexander McQueen may look familiar. The singer wore a similar version just a few stops ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This one, however, featured a slightly different color way in bronze and silver and was accented by a dramatic reflective cape.

The singer looked ethereal in this semi-sheer Georges Hobeika gown. The piece featured delicate embroidery throughout and a strappy neckline at the bodice. Her sheer headpiece was crafted with 3D embroidered flowers and her opera gloves were trimmed with train-like pieces of fabric.

Beyoncé donned another custom Ivy Park look for her New Jersey show. This one kept up the camouflage theme with another pair of slouchy knee-high boots. Instead of a form-fitting bodysuit like she’s worn in the past, her jersey-style long sleeve was decidedly more casual (yet still packed a punch with crystal embroidery). Blue Ivy had on a matching jersey, too.

Sparkles and (faux) fur took center stage in this Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini look. Her long sleeve bodysuit was embellished with Swarovski crystals and layered perfectly beneath the apricot coat.

The singer packed on the sparkle in this Miu Miu look during her stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The tank and cut-off shorts were embroidered with rhinestones and crystals as were her fringed knee-high boots, naturally. She paired the set with a custom Tiffany & Co. silver peephole cowboy hat and HardWear drop earrings.

Louis Vuitton’s newly appointed creative director of menswear, Pharrell Williams, designed this glittering catsuit for Beyoncé’s Detroit, Michigan concert. The two have quite the history as long time friends and collaborators—Williams has produced songs for Beyoncé in the past and she recently attended his debut runway show for the French brand earlier this year. The custom bodysuit put a spin on the brand’s famed Damier check through glittering crystal embroidery. Williams also created custom ensembles for Blue Ivy and Beyoncé’s backup dancers.

Beyoncé looked like liquid gold in this hooded mesh gown from Ivy Park. The piece featured slight ruching at the waist and a dramatic side slit which showed off her daring footwear choice—a pair of Alaïa cabaret heels. The patent calfskin choice are from the brand’s spring/summer 2023 collection in which the heel is designed to mimick the shape of two legs.

This silver cut-out number may just be Beyoncé’s most disco-ready jumpsuit yet. Custom designed by Lanvin, the piece featured the brand’s signature gold hardware as well as ruching throughout. To round things out, Beyoncé accessorized the look with equally as flashy opera gloves and above-the-knee boots.

Beyoncé traded her tour wardrobe of silver and gold for some Tiffany blue while in Chicago, Illinois. The look was created in partnership with designer Giles Deacon and featured a sculptural bodice and sheer organza gloves. She paired the dress with, of course, a custom Tiffany & Co. Twister Collar Necklace.

Beyoncé’s Acne Studios ensemble may have nailed the Barbie pink look, but it certainly did not disappoint during her Minneapolis show. She paired her reflective mini shorts and bustier with an oversized jacket and sparkling thigh-high boots.

Beyoncé’s Renaissance wardrobe isn’t just limited to bodysuits—she’s also been incorporating dramatic ensembles like this custom Schiaparelli mini dress and shawl. The strapless piece featured white feathered detailing which she paired with simple Dolce & Gabbana heels.

Balmain has been a focal point of Beyoncé’s Renaissance wardrobe and things got taken up a notch during her stop in Minneapolis. The singer opted for a sculptural latex bodysuit that she accessorized with knee-high boots, shield sunglasses, and a brimmed top hat.

Beyoncé stunned in silver with this custom Marine Serre look. The star wore a fitted bodysuit, complete with the brand’s signature moon motif, as well as chain undergarments layered on top. She added in a brimmed hat and silver boots for good measure, too.

This custom Alexander McQueen bodysuit is a riff on a similar look from the brand’s fall/winter 2016 collection. The semi-sheer piece features sequin horse embroidery and a tulle base.

It’s no secret that Beyoncé has been all in on the bodysuit style throughout her tour. But this custom Diesel look for her Louisville, Kentucky show may just be one of her most unique styles thus far. The trompe l’oeil look featured a print mimicking denim and grey crystals throughout. And to round things out, the piece’s boots and gloves were connected to the main portion of the ensemble.

Pulling out the sequins in Louisville, Beyoncé dazzled in this custom mini dress by Raisa Vanessa. The dress took nearly six months to make and featured a plunging neckline and two slits on either side. The singer rounded out the look with glittering knee-high boots and goggle-style sunglasses.

Beyoncé donned this Dsquared2 bodysuit—complete with layers of dazzling embellishments and a plunging neckline—for the opening act of her Louisville concert.

Alexander McQueen was a staple throughout Beyoncé’s European performances, so it’s no surprise that she’s returned to the British brand when stateside. During her Nashville concert, the singer wore a custom bodysuit, gloves, and boots complete with crystal embroidery. She stopped it off with a UFO-shaped chapeau appropriate for an alien superstar. The outfit seemed to be a shorter version of a look she wore earlier on in the tour.

The singer opted for another dazzling custom look from David Koma. Unlike her previous printed mini dress from the British designer, this red number had plenty of sequins throughout as well as an asymmetrical train detail. She rounded things out with patent leather boots, a ruby belt, and pendant necklace.

The McQueen look wasn’t the only repurposed silhouette Beyoncé wore in Nashville. She opted for a pink Ivy Park jacket, halter top, and shorts that are, again, a shorter iteration of a similar bodysuit she previously wore in Europe. She also mixed in a pair of custom Tiffany & Co. sunglasses and Gedebe boots to make things even more Renaissance worthy.

Beyoncé certainly leaned into some drama (and disco) with this custom Valentino look in Philadelphia. The focal point was the seemingly never-ending sequined train that connected to the pouf bodice of the bodysuit. She paired the flashy piece with coordinating boots, and towards the end of the show, she flew above the crowd in this look while mounted on a horse.

The singer mixed in some more sequins in Philadelphia with this custom Givenchy mini dress. The piece featured intricately placed cut-outs as well as fringe throughout the dress. She rounded things out with strappy heels and sheer black opera gloves. She, of course, also had on diamonds from Tiffany & Co. in the form of a ring, drop earrings, and a tennis bracelet.

Beyoncé went with another camouflage look from her label Ivy Park, this one a two-piece set. The crop top had built in sleeve-gloves and the mini shorts also featured chaps-like detailing that extended into her boots.

Beyoncé has been wearing plenty of Tiffany & Co. jewelry throughout her tour, but she took it to another level for her first North American stop in Toronto, Canada. The singer donned a dazzling bespoke mini dress from the brand complete with layers of chains and stones. The mesh look of the piece was inspired by the designs of Elsa Peretti and took nearly 200 hours to make. Beyoncé paired the piece with custom Malone Souliers heels as well as vintage earrings and an anklet both from Tiffany & Co.

Also while in Toronto, the singer traded her layered mini dress for a dazzling custom Fendi gown. The piece is a riff on a similar look from the brand’s spring/summer 2021 couture collection and features a daring slit as well as crystal embroidery meant to imitate the appearance of honeycombs. She rounded out the look with another pair of clear heels and statement tassel earrings.

Leave it Beyoncé to make comouflage cool. During the Toronto stop of her tour, the singer wore a fully patterned ensemble from her brand Ivy Park. The look featured a cropped jacket, over-the-knee boots and a plunging bodysuit.

For the final stop of the European leg, Beyoncé went with a slew of sequined and silver ensembles while performing in Warsaw, Poland. This look, by Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, featured a dramatic bodice that cascaded down her side as well as a daring slit at the skirt. The singer rounded out her look with velvet gloves and a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels.

While Beyoncé has had some pretty avant-garde outfits, this Richard Quinn number may be her most “Alien Superstar” yet. The look featured legging-style pants with large crystal embellishments as well as a peplum-inspired top finished with similar adornments. However, the focal point of the ensemble is certainly the UFO-like headpiece that obscured everything but the singer’s eyes.

Outfitting an entire crew and Beyoncé is certainly no small feat, but global brand Daily Paper seemed to be up for the task. During the "Opulence" section of her concert in Warsaw, Beyoncé donned an embellished black jumpsuit and reflective track jacket from the brand—which she paired with knee-high boots and one of her signature top hats. In addition to Beyoncé’s look, Daily Paper designed over 100 custom tracksuits for her crew and dancers, mostly in silver reflective nylon.

Just one night after sporting a similar hooded piece while in Paris, Beyoncé went with another veiled look, this time, for her concert in Hamburg, Germany. The ensemble is designed by Carolina Herrera creative director Wes Gordon and features a plunging bodysuit, sheer red tights, and a silk hood that connects at the head and arms. Of course, the singer also had on her signature opera gloves and glitzy earrings to round out the look.

Again in Hamburg, the singer chose a look from Ivy Park—one of a wider selection of pieces from an upcoming collection between her brand and Adidas. Naturally, backup dancer’s leotards matched her ruched mini dress and knee-high boots.

Ferragamo’s creative director Maximillian Davis designed this red glittering gown for the singer’s show in Amsterdam. In honor of Juneteenth, Davis was one of several Black designers that Beyoncé wore throughout the show.

This robo-couture custom Balmain look featured silver-plated detailing that paneled the singer’s bodysuit. She paired the piece, which drifted into gloves, with a pair of knee-high boots.

“In the industry where we have to all fight, I want to thank [Beyoncé’s] support last night [to] all the Black designers that had created their own space in this tough industry,” Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing said . “This was the celebration.”

This is the second all-red Off-White look worn by Beyoncé during her tour. Her second version, however, featured a shortened silhouette and an accompanying top hat that was designed by the brand’s art and image director Ibrahim Kamara.

For her second Balmain look in Amsterdam, Beyoncé went with another iteration of the bee-inspired catsuits we’ve seen repeatedly on her tour thus far. This time, she paired the ensemble with a coordinating top hat rather than her infamous insect-like antena.

New York designer LaQuan Smith crafted this silver, shattered glass bodysuit for the singer’s Amsterdam stop. She paired the plunging piece with an equally as disco-worthy cape and heels.

London-based brand Feben outfitted Beyoncé in a color-blocked catsuit. “Thank you for inviting me into your world,” the designer wrote on Instagram . “What an incredible moment to be a part of, and a pivotal one for myself, and my inner child. It means the world to be supported and seen as a Black female designer in the industry.”

This deep silver mini dress was the second look from Ferragamo the singer wore in Amsterdam. The look featured ruched detailing that drifted into a train and above-knee boots.

While Beyoncé has, seemingly, unlimited access to a never-ending roster of designers, she went with her own label Ivy Park for this pink look in Amsterdam—and rightly so. Designed by the star herself, the piece featured daring slits, opera-style gloves, and a halter neckline.

“I started designing this collection over a year ago,” she said on Instagram . “I was so engulfed in all things Renaissance and was inspired by Studio 54, Bob Mackie, and the disco era.”

In Amsterdam, the singer went with a custom Gucci corseted leotard. The glitzy piece featured sheer detailing and draped crystal fringe that fell across the bodice area.

Naturally, Dutch designer Iris van Herpen was a standout of Beyoncé’s wardrobe for her first night in Amsterdam. The custom look, which took over 700 hours to make, featured a flowing train paired with a sculptural mini dress.

Yes, you can always count on Beyoncé to wear a form-fitting catsuit. But this one by Lebanese designer had a handful of eye-catching details. The bodice was composed of various strands of rhinestones and crystals and the sheer portion wrapped entirely around her body (even down to her boots).

French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus is from Marseille, France so it’s fitting that he outfitted the singer for her tour stop there. Jacquemus, who attended the concert, designed a form-ftting mini dress, boots, and gloves that featured disco ball-esque paillettes.

“[Beyoncé] is the first singer I saw live in Marseille 15 years ago,” he wrote on Instagram . “I’m so happy and proud. What a night in Provence, means a lot.”

This custom gown by Alebrta Ferretti has an embroidered leotard and a gold draped train that cascades down the singer’s side. Beyoncé wore the eye-catching piece with matching knee-high boots and black opera gloves (which have been a running theme in many of her looks throughout the tour thus far).

Beyoncé went with a sparkling, disco-inspired Stella McCartney dress and stirrup leggings for her concert in Barcelona, Spain. The custom look was made of environmentally friendly materials such as silver lead-free crystals.

“It is a life moment to dress someone as iconic and inspiring as Beyoncé—a visionary pioneer, disruptor, and artist who has worked tirelessly to make the world a better place,” the British designer said. A pair of clear Amina Muaddi heels rounded out the ensemble.

The star wore a custom Fendi leather intarsia catsuit for her show in the Spanish city. It was paired with over-the-knee boots, matching gloves, and an upcycled fur cape inspired by illustrations by Antonio Lopez as seen in Fendi’s spring 2022 collection.

For her fifth and final show in London, Beyoncé wore a custom Mary Katrantzou surrealist mini dress with black and gold detailing. The look, meant to resemble a perfume bottle, also featured a custom Stephen Jones bottle top headpiece, latex boots, and gloves.

The 41-year-old singer opted for a dramatic “Black Blossom” Robert Wun look. The form-fitting ensemble featured a plunging blazer accented by ruffled sleeves and asymmetrical pleated detailing.

Beyoncé again went with another British label for her third London show, this time a custom Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood look. The mini latex dress features corset-style detailing and sheer spiral sleeves.

Beyoncé wore a custom royal blue Roksanda number for her London show. The piece is a riff of a similar dress from the brand’s fall/winter 2023 collection.

Alexander McQueen has been a staple of Beyoncé’s Renaissance wardrobe thus far. Here, she wore a custom deep red embroidered dress with coordinating boots and opera gloves—an iteration of a similar look from their fall/winter 2023 collection.

The signature silver paillettes of Paco Rabanne fit perfectly into the visual aesthetic of Renaissance, so its no surprise the star opted for a piece from the brand. She wore a glitzy custom gown for her show in Paris.

The 41-year-old looked ethereal in a custom light blue gown by New York brand Brandon Blackwood. She paired the off-the-shoulder number with coordinating opera gloves and silver jewels.

Beyoncé chose a statement-making Off-White look for her London show. The red bodysuit features a bustier-style top and 40,000 red hotfix crystals throughout.

Ditching the catsuits that fill the latter half of her concert, Beyoncé has chosen a series of stunning gowns for the opening segment of her show. Here, she wore a white Valentino dress complete with a train and coordinating opera gloves.

The singer was worn several looks from London-based brand David Koma over the course of her tour—one of them being this asymmetrical mini dress that features glittering fringe and wide shoulders.

The star has worn a silver two piece set from Loewe for several of her tour stops. On top of the long sleeve, she layered a molded breastplate and rounded out the look will silver boots.

This custom Dolce & Gabbana bodysuit is one of many bee-themed looks that Beyoncé has worn (there’s a reason she’s referred to as the Queen B after all). The piece features black and yellow embroidery as well as coordinating opera gloves.

Beyoncé continued her longstanding relationship with Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing—here, she wore an silver asymmetrical mini dress, thigh high boots, and wraparound sunglasses.

Beyoncé kept the bee theme rolling at the opening night of her tour in Stockholm. She wore a custom Mugler catsuit complete with towering antennas and bug-like sunglasses.

This custom look from Alexander McQueen features bugle bead and crystal anatomical embroidery. Beyoncé wore the piece during the opening night in Stockholm.

This trompe l’oeil Loewe catsuit has become a fan favorite throughout the star’s tour. The piece was custom made by the brand’s creative director Jonathan Anderson and is a play on a similar dress that recently went down the runway.

Beyoncé has worn this silver cutout bodysuit from French brand Courrèges several times thus far.

Beyoncé and her dancers wore colorful David Koma looks for opening night. The ruched dress, which she wore with a reflective jacket, is inspired by the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection.

Beyoncé wore another custom Balmain look, a catsuit complete with the brand’s signature silver embroidery.

Beyoncé donned a color changing robe by Japanese brand Anrealage in what was one of the more experimental looks of the tour. The piece changed colors when exposed to UV lights and revealed a stained glass-like pattern.

This article was originally published on May 31, 2023

The show is now September 14th, not September 13th.  All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date. If you have any questions or issues regarding your ticket order, please contact  [email protected].

SILVER FASHION Beyonce has asked fans attending the tour to wear their most fabulous silver fashions!

EVENT DAY TIMELINE  

6 a.m.: Lumen Field Parking Garage opens  

10 a.m.: NW Box Office opens (Customer service and ticket sales)

3 p.m.: Merch Truck opens near the NW gate

3:30 p.m.: Event Center Box Office opens (Customer service and ticket sales)

6:15 p.m.: VIP Early Entry

6:30 p.m.: Gates Open  *Please note, there is no support act, so fans are encouraged to arrive early!

8 p.m.: Event Start Time  

Prohibited Items

RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR VENUE/PHOTO POLICY:

Please note professional cameras are NOT permitted in the venue.

While cell phones and small personal cameras are allowed, cameras with a detachable lens are strictly prohibited. * This is different from our usual venue policy. Please follow the above guidelines for this show.

Please review our prohibited items prior to coming to the stadium.

Parking & Transportation

Parking:    

Parking will be very limited on show day in the Lumen Field Parking Garage. We recommend fans with pre-purchased parking passes in the Lumen Field Parking Garage to arrive early.

Public Transportation:  

We strongly recommend taking advantage of the many easy and cost-effective public transportation options to and from the concert including bus, light rail, streetcar, ferry, and bike or scooter share. Allow for extra travel time when planning your trip to and from the event. View Seattle public transportation information at Sound Transit and King County Metro.    

Entry Information  

• Bowl Tickets: If you have a ticket in the seating bowl (non-floor ticket) you can enter through the NW Gate, W Gate, or S Gate. You will not be able to enter through the SW or Event Center gate.
• Floor Tickets: Fans with floor tickets must enter through the dedicated Floor Ticket Entry point through the Event Center Gate (look for signage outside under the WAMU Theater marquee). If you are attending with someone who does not have a floor ticket, they will need to enter through the bowl ticket gates.  
• Club Renaissance/VIP/Bey Hive: If you have a VIP Ticket (including Club Renaissance and Bey Hive), you will need to enter through the SW gate .  
• Club & Suite Tickets: If you have a club or suite ticket, you can enter through any bowl gate in addition to Level 5 (club) & 6 (suite) of the Lumen Field Parking Garage .  
• Accessible Entry Information: All gates allow ADA access. In addition, Level 2 of the Lumen Field Parking Garage is an ADA-only entrance. If entering the Parking Garage from Royal Brougham Way, take the elevator to Level 2 and cross the garage to the opposite end. To view the Accessibility Services Guide, click here.  

• The NW Box Office will be open at 10am and the Event Center Box Office will be open at 3:30pm for ticketing questions and customer service.
• All tickets are mobile tickets. Fans are reminded to access their mobile tickets and pre-purchased parking passes in advance of the event and add them to their mobile wallet for expedited entry.  

Merchandise

• Merchandise will be available inside Lumen Field for guests with tickets to the show. A merchandise truck will also be open outside of the stadium by the NW gate on show day starting at noon.

Food & Drink

• If you don’t want to miss a beat, check out our new concession stands powered by Amazon-Just Walk Out Technology. Grab your drinks and snacks, walk out, and get back to the show! Located at our District Markets (section 104, 105, 123, 323), Tutta Bella (section 137), Local Dogs and Links (sections 109 & 135), and Pizza Hut (section 107).

Lumen Field only accepts cards and contactless payment like Apple Pay (foods, bars, parking, etc.) For attendees without cards, we have cash-to-card kiosks available to easily convert cash onto a prepaid card.

View the full clear bag policy here . Clear bags can have a tint or sticker, as long as all contents of the bag can be completely seen from the exterior.

Fans must have a valid ID to purchase alcohol. Vertical driver’s licenses are NOT a valid form of ID even if it shows proof of 21+. For a complete list of accepted and prohibited ID types, click here .

Pumping equipment is allowed. Please ask for a supervisor upon entering so your bag can be screened. Lumen Field is pleased to offer several Nursing Lounges throughout the stadium. Locations are as follows: Section 105 – Mamava Pod on Main Concourse, Sections 206/238 – In between North restrooms, either side of Club Level, in the Rainier West Neighborhood of the Suite Level – Directly off the Rainier West elevator, Section 327 – Mamava Pod on Concourse. Each lounge is a private space where guests can nurse, pump and spend some quiet time. Each space has warm lighting and is equipped with electrical outlets. Only the Nursing Lounge on in the Rainier West Neighborhood of the Suite Level has a hand washing sink. For locations, click here .

Copyright © First & Goal Inc.

Will Beyoncé announce the 'Cowboy Carter' tour? Fans think she may be hitting the road again soon

• Beyoncé released her new album "Cowboy Carter" on Friday.
• Some fans think she's gearing up to tour again, though many say they don't have the funds to attend.
• The Renaissance World Tour wrapped last October in Kansas City. It was hailed as a must-see event.

Less than a year after the Renaissance World Tour wrapped, it might already be time for the Beyhive to dust off their boots and head back out to see Beyoncé live again.

The Renaissance World Tour was hailed as a once-in-a-lifetime event , a bona fide status symbol , and a blockbuster concert movie that awed audiences while near-singlehandedly boosting AMC's revenue . The 56-show run wrapped on October 1, 2023, in Kansas City.

On its heels, Beyoncé has released her new album " Cowboy Carter ." The triumphant country-inspired project is billed as "Act II" in a three-part "Renaissance" series.

So it would stand to reason — financially and thematically — that Beyoncé would plan another tour leg for "Cowboy Carter."

Her team seemed to hint that something is coming by launching a new website, " Been Country ." The landing page shows a photo of young Beyoncé performing at the Texas Sweetheart Pageant, as well as a childhood photo of her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson , and an image of a banjo.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Slayonce Avenue (@slayonce_avenue2)

A fan account on Instagram shared a rumor that the tour announcement is scheduled for Friday, exactly one week after the album's arrival. Knowles-Lawson liked the post, adding more fuel to the rumor's flame.

Beyoncé's longtime collaborator The-Dream, who produced 10 of the new album's 27 tracks, also alluded to a forthcoming tour. He celebrated the release of "Cowboy Carter" on X, writing, "This tour bout to B' Incredible!"

Related stories

Fans grabbed screenshots of The-Dream's post, though it has since been deleted.

'The-Dream' via Twitter: “This tour bout to B’ incredible!” The singer-songwriter is Beyoncé’s longtime friend, and worked on 10 songs on her new album #CowboyCarter . pic.twitter.com/KNHQOuqFI9 — COWBOY CARTER TOUR (@CowboyCarterWT) March 31, 2024

However, the six-month turnaround since Beyoncé's last concert does cast suspicion on these theories. Thanks to "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," we know the Renaissance World Tour took four years to ideate and execute.

It's unclear if plans for a "Cowboy Carter" show were also in the works during that time, but if not, fans may have to wait a bit longer to watch Beyoncé perform. As she's already made clear, " A queen moves at her own pace ."

Even so, a delay may come as welcome news, even for dedicated members of the Beyhive.

Many fans have been posting about their lack of ticket funds on X, playfully begging Beyoncé to put off touring until next year.

- I don’t want https://t.co/QqyQduNfkr to be a tour because we https://t.co/icyUqbLR1L . pic.twitter.com/XZ5WHMUqyL — Rob Milton (@therobmilton) April 3, 2024

She can announce it for 2025 but in 2024 we are at capacity https://t.co/Gtg7f2jvSG — Antoinette “Asst (To The) Regional Manager” Childs (@TheFancyFriend) March 31, 2024

. @Beyonce keep the tour announcement for next year…I have trips planned for this summer pic.twitter.com/GPhRrW1GiF — Nicolas is happy (@niggaolas) April 3, 2024

what i’m eating if beyoncé announce this tour https://t.co/CfI1Vm3XuG — 𐚁 onii 𐚁 (@__Onixivy_) April 4, 2024

i'm begging beyoncé to tour in 2025 and not this summer pic.twitter.com/Nqw68434Bu — zae (@itszaeok) March 27, 2024

the whole fandom begging beyoncé not to announce a tour is HILARIOUS! we are BROKE DOWN pic.twitter.com/YXDFHuzELM — j. (@virgosgrooviest) March 27, 2024

Representatives for Beyoncé did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Watch: The Taylor Swift effect: How a pop star created her own economy

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Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Songwriting Credits: Here’s Who Wrote Each Song

The album features covers of tracks penned by Dolly Parton and The Beatles.

By Hannah Dailey

Hannah Dailey

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So long disco balls and platform shoes, hello square dancing and cowboy boots. Beyoncé officially ushered in a new era with the Friday, March 29 release of Cowboy Carter , her eighth album and a changing of the guard following 2022’s critically acclaimed Renaissance .

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’: All 27 Tracks Ranked

Born out of an experience Bey had “years ago where [she] did not feel welcomed ,” Cowboy Carter finds the superstar embracing the musical roots of her Southern heritage while paying homage to many of the country greats who came before her — from Willie Nelson to Linda Martell , each of whom recorded voice messages introducing different genre-warping tracks on the album. The project also includes a reinvigorated, Beyoncé-fied version of Dolly Parton ‘s “Jolene,” preceded by an interlude recorded by the icon herself.

The LP also sees the Houston native uplifting modern country stars, with Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts (all Black women in country) joining her for a poignant cover of The Beatles ‘ “Blackbird,” while Shaboozey and Willie Jones add their own flavor to “Spaghettii” and “Just for Fun,” respectively. Plus, Miley Cyrus blends her voice with Bey’s on the heartfelt “II Most Wanted,” and Post Malone doubles the Texas representation on “Levii’s Jeans.”

The Cowboy Carter tapestry also includes by fascinating samples and interpolations. Case in point? Nancy Sinatra ‘s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” and the Beach Boys ‘ “Good Vibrations” are somehow both seamlessly fused into just one track, “Ya Ya.”

See which songwriters Beyoncé collaborated with on each of the 27 tracks on Cowboy Carter below, per Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia.

"Ameriican Requiem"

Written by Atia Boggs, Beyoncé, Camaron Ochs (Cam), Dan Walsh, Darius Dixson, Derek Dixie, Ernest Dion Wilson, Jon Batiste, Michael Price, Raphael Saadiq, S. Carter, Stephen Stills and Tyler Johnson.

"Blackbiird" feat. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts

Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

"16 Carriages"

Written by Ink, Atia Boggs, Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin and Raphael Saadiq.

"Protector" feat. Rumi Carter

Written by Beyoncé, Camaron Ochs (Cam), Jack Rochon and Ryan Beatty.

Written by Beyoncé and Shawntoni Ajanae Nichols.

"Smoke Hour Willie Nelson" feat. Willie Nelson

Written by Beyoncé, Charles Anderson, Chuck Berry, Jesse Stone, Leah Nardos Takele, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Son House.

"Texas Hold 'Em"

Written by Beyoncé, Brian Bates, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro and Raphael Saadiq.

"Bodyguard"

Written by Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Leven Kali, Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Beatty and Shawntoni Ajanae Nichols.

Written by Beyoncé, Dolly Parton and Leah Nardos Takele.

Written by Dolly Parton.

Written by Beyoncé, Camaron Ochs (Cam), Derek Dixie, S. Carter, Simon Maartensson and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

"Spaghettii" feat. Linda Martell & Shaboozey

Written by Beyoncé, Collins Chibueze, DJ Dede Mandrake, Khirye Tyler, S. Carter and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

"Alliigator Tears"

Written by Beyoncé, Khirye Tyler and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

"Smoke Hour II" feat. Willie Nelson

Written by Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin, Jeff Gitelman and Leah Nardos Takele.

"Just for Fun" feat. Willie Jones

Written by Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin, Jeff Gitelman and Ryan Beatty.

"II Most Wanted" feat. Miley Cyrus

Written by Beyoncé, Michael Pollack, Miley Cyrus and Ryan Tedder.

"Levii's Jeans" feat. Post Malone

Written by Austin Post, Beyoncé, Nile Rodgers, S. Carter and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

"The Linda Martell Show" feat. Linda Martell

Not known as of press time.

Written by Anais Marinho, Beyoncé, Brian WilsonHarry Edwards, Klara Mkhatshwa Munk-Hansen, Lee Hazlewood, Mike Love, Oliver Rodigan, S. Carter and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

"Oh Louisiana"

Written by Chuck Berry.

"Desert Eagle"

Written by Beyoncé, Jabbar Stevens, Marcus Reddick and Miranda Johnson.

"Riiverdance"

Written by Beyoncé, Mark Spears, Rachel Keen and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

"II Hands II Heaven"

Written by Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin, Jack Rochon, Mark Spears, Ryan Beatty and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

Written by Beyoncé, Camaron Ochs (Cam), David Doman, Dominik Redenczki, Ezemdi Chikwendu and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

"Sweet Honey Buckiin'" feat. Shaboozey

Written by Beyoncé, Collins Chibueze, Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard, Pharrell Williams, S. Carter and Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant.

Written by Beyoncé, Camaron Ochs (Cam), Danielle Balbuena, Darius Dixson, Dave Hamlin, Derek DixieIan Fitchuk and Tyler Johnson.

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Music Reviews

Beyoncé's 'cowboy carter' is a portrait of the artist getting joyously weird.

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter has ignited discourse about the place of Black musicians in country music. But it's also evidence of its creator's desire to break genre walls by following her most eccentric impulses. Mason Poole/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter has ignited discourse about the place of Black musicians in country music. But it's also evidence of its creator's desire to break genre walls by following her most eccentric impulses.

This essay first appeared in the NPR Music newsletter. Sign up for early access to articles like this one, Tiny Desk exclusives, listening recommendations and more.

After two months of anticipation, Cowboy Carter has been out in the world for nearly a fortnight, and the discourse is thick as sawdust on a honky-tonk floor. Beyoncé's spangled opus, as lengthy and florid as a Sergio Leone classic — it really could have been called The Good, the Bey and the Ugly -- has generated more think pieces than any pop phenomenon since her friendly rival Taylor's Eras tour.

I've kept track of the coverage of Cowboy Carter and it's, well, something. Actually it's everything, ranging from paeans to (not too many) pans . Not weighing in hasn't been an option for most music writers, who have spilled tons of ink documenting the album's backstory, tracing its references, and examining its work of legacy building. What could I add to the discourse? Well, this: Whether it's considered a champion's walk, an overlong stumble, a powerful political gesture or a highly personal cri de couer — one thing Cowboy Carter is, undeniably even if no one has said it, is weird. And that's a wonderful thing.

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10 takeaways from beyoncé's new album, 'cowboy carter'.

Album Review

On 'cowboy carter,' beyoncé's country is as broad as the public she serves.

Not that Beyoncé herself would ever admit to her own eccentricity. She's declared herself a diligent student of the genre she sought to revise, and many of the touchstones on this massive grab bag of ballads and bangers check the boxes of cultural intervention. She features Dolly and Willie; shows us her boots, brand-name jeans and whiskey bottle; includes a murder ballad and her perspective on that ultimate country emblem, the American flag. (She sees it as red: blood, Alabama clay, indigenous people.)

Her inclusion of the undersung Black Grand Ole Opry pioneer Linda Martell as a collaborator nods to efforts to rectify historical omissions that have been going on in and around Nashville for years — shoutout to the Black Opry crew, to artist and radio host Rissi Palmer and to Martell's granddaughter, who continues to crowd-fund a documentary that Beyoncé really should just finance.

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But the way she assembles these hardly unique elements is startling. Sidestepping either a conventional foray into country's traditional sounds or a risk-averse pop approach that would just use those elements as window-dressing, she and her dozens of collaborators assemble a cosmic omnibus of reference points while drilling down on her long-standing obsessions. While it's correct to call this album an epic and a strong political statement, it's an idiosyncratic one, more akin to Jim Jarmusch's off-kilter visions of American heritage — especially Mystery Train -- than, say, Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon .

It may seem off to identify eccentricity in a project that includes radio-ready Miley Cyrus and Post Malone collabs, and which was quickly endorsed by none other than the Vice President. Yet the first thing I thought of when I sat down to listen to Cowboy Carter was an album from 1967 that's beloved by many rock cognoscenti for its very peculiarness. Van Dyke Parks 's Song Cycle was the first solo album by the noted composer, arranger and producer. It is a shambling, sunnily psychedelic portrait of California living from the perspective of a transplanted white East Coaster with Southern roots. (Parks was born in Mississippi but grew up in Princeton singing in a boys' choir.)

Rich with strings and gorgeous melodies and rife with punnily poetical lines like, "Nowadays a Yankee dread not take his time to wend to sea" in a song about Parks's own experience trying to make it within the L.A. music biz hustle, no less, Song Cycle features Parks's birdlike warble, and by birdlike, I don't mean Beyoncé's operatic forays on new songs like "DAUGHTER" or "FLAMENCO," but Tweety Bird or the Peanuts ' Woodstock. Parks made the unfinished psychedelic masterpiece Smile with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and later worked with 21st-century visionaries Joanna Newsom and Gaby Moreno, among others. But Song Cycle is his strange baby. Though it's a rich work that offers real insight into the melting late 1960s American West Coast dream, Song Cycle is not for everyone. Parks experimented joyfully with song structure, sound effects and lyricism, painting a floating world that requires time and sympathy to comprehend.

Cowboy Carter sounds absolutely nothing like Song Cycle , yet I thought about the latter as I sunk into the non-linear, fragmentary experience of listening to it. I appreciate how Beyoncé sticks to her guns throughout, just as Parks maintained his whimsicality and dreaminess. Stacked harmonies do here what strings do on Song Cycle , lending grandeur to the opening "American Requiem" and tenderness to the ballads "MY ROSE" and "FLAMENCO" (the latter pairs them artfully with Andalusian hand-claps); yet those vocals also set a kind of Broadway stage for the songs, rendering them winsomely surreal. The album's employment of banjo and pedal steel signify country, sure, but they're used in unusual ways, as Parks uses accordion and balalaika. The distortions are highly individualistic, nothing like what current country sounds like. (Exception: that Post Malone duet, "LEVII'S JEANS.") Same with the roots references. The interlude "OH LOUISIANA" speeds up a Chuck Berry vocal to turn that rock and roll founder into helium. On the tour de force Tina Turner tribute "YA YA," Beyoncé begins with a spoken exchange with her background singers that calls back to her campy turn in Austin Powers in Goldmember as well as to Southern rap's most glorious weirdo breakthrough, Outkast's "Hey Ya!" Sure, this is historical work, but it's hardly textbook.

These tracks stand alongside others in a sprawl of concepts, tempos and tones until Cowboy Carter turns into a full-on megamix, its final four tracks returning to the dance party of Renaissance , abruptly concluded with a literal showstopper, the Broadway-ready "AMEN." The album is immersive, but it's a jerky, bucking rodeo ride, not a narrative that lends itself to easy absorption. And through it all Beyoncé bends country and blues tropes — those two genres are inseparable, something Cowboy Carter acknowledges — to the themes she can never abandon: the perils of attempted monogamy, the joy and terror involved in mothering and her own determination to be great, an ambition that she views as a responsibility more than a privilege.

Concept albums can be relatively straightforward, like Willie Nelson's classic Red Headed Stranger , but often they do come out ornate and leaky as their makers dump all of their ideas within the frame. Beyoncé nods sonically to a few that came after Song Cycle . At certain points, Sly and the Family Stone's murky funk on There's a Riot Goin' On comes to mind. Michael Jackson never made a full-on concept album, but that tarnished legend requires mention because Beyoncé's massive ambition rivals his more than anyone's. (Maybe Madonna's; she did make a concept record, Erotica . Or that soundtrack-maker Prince's.)

More recent touchstones include the high-concept forays of Janelle Monaé, whose " Tightrope " seems as much a touchstone for "YA YA" as does Tina Turner's shimmy, and the efforts of two of her collaborators on Cowboy Carter . Raphael Saadiq, who co-produced several tracks, released a similarly massive and emotionally affecting concept album , Jimmy Lee , in 2019. And the Virginia-born multihyphenate Shaboozie, a visionary character whom Beyoncé has apparently recognized as a kindred soul, paid tribute to the landscapes and culture of his native state on his own 2022 disquisition on the same themes as Cowboy Carter . Its title? Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die .

Beyoncé is getting played on country radio. Could her success help other Black women?

When I associate Cowboy Carter with these equally adventurous and strange concept albums and the outsiders who made them, I don't mean to reduce the impact of her work or her centrality as an era-defining artist. Instead, I'm trying to free this fun and unfettered music from the burden of predefined significance. Beyoncé has, by her own will as well as her fans's needs, become what Doreen St. Felix calls an "übermatriarch," not only a biological mother but the nurturing, burdened mother of all of her faithful — and of Black America, a role she inherited and claimed from the equally eccentric and more reluctantly ennobled Aretha Franklin. The seriousness of her responsibilities has earned her a lot: millions nearing billions of dollars, a place among heads of state and a fan base that strikes fear in the hearts of naysayers. But for an artist, such success ultimately confines. Only a few have been able to remain playful and light-footed as their public images have hardened into marble.

Two such artists, as it happens, are ones Beyoncé directly takes on in Cowboy Carter : The Beatles, whose members never stopped releasing humorous and even nonsense songs alongside their wedding-and-funeral ballads and politicized anthems; and Dolly Parton, the most agile pop star of all, who's crossed into nearly every category that's interested her with her own birdlike laugh and dimpled smile. Dolly herself has deep and strange predilections: her many songs about dead children, for example, or her way of turning sexuality cartoonish not only as comic relief, but as a weapon. It's her oddball side as well as her musical genius that's allowed her to slip through so many doors.

Beyoncé did not create Cowboy Carter to honor white artists like Parton, but she made a wise decision by invoking her as a partner and a patron saint. In the spoken interlude that precedes Beyoncé's rewrite of her classic "Jolene," Parton refers to Beyoncé's famous line about a white woman's allure for her Black husband, "Becky with the good hair," as "that hussy with the good hair." She drawls out the insult, though, as if she's in the middle of a Hee Haw skit: huzzzzy . It's a goofy, enjoyably destabilizing moment — an eccentric gesture that reminds us that as serious as music can be, it's most powerful when its subversions are also fun.

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Beyoncé Fuels Tour Rumors With "Been Country" Website

If Beyoncé is going to do anything, it’s wage war on our wallets with a surprise announcement. So, when the “ 16 CARRIAGES ” singer unveiled “Been Country,” a new website landing page, fans immediately saw it as a subtle confirmation of a rumored tour and joined forces, begging her to relax and delay it until 2025.

One fan wrote , “Beyoncé I beg.. my pockets are empty.” Another tweeted a video of Angela Bassett from Waiting To Exhale where she questioned, “What am I supposed to do for money?” Scottie Beam reiterated , “We just paid rent @Beyonce” as someone else offered alternative options. “A deluxe ….. a skincare line …… cecred plus ….. cowboy lingerie ….. idc JUST PLEASE DONT LET THIS BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TOUR,” they wrote .

Initially, the “Been Country” site redirected visitors to a list of the RENAISSANCE: A Film By Beyoncé credits. Now, it’s a splash page featuring Bey in an American flag get-up, a photo of a young Celestine Beyince aka Mama Tina, a picture of a young Bey performing at the Texas Sweetheart Pageant, a banjo, and the following quote: “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”

The-Dream tweeted about the anticipated tour on March 30, writing, “So proud! BB Let’s Go. This tour bout to B’ Incredible!” Upon the release of COWBOY CARTER , Bey’s dance captain Amari Marshall further fueled rumors of a tour with an Instagram post that reads, “The Boss has done it again. It's about to be a KNTRY Summer.”

Thus far, the new website aligned with the release of Bey’s new single, “ TEXAS HOLD ‘EM (PONY UP REMIX) .” The tour section of the Houston native’s official website (see above) currently houses all things from the RENAISSANCE World Tour including its credits, the remaining merchandise on Amazon, the film trailers, and photos organized by city.

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Beyond Country: Forthcoming Beyoncé Albums in Surprising Genres

By Skyler Higley and Mads Horwath

After months of anticipation, Cowboy Carter has finally arrived. Is it a country album? In many ways, yes—but it’s also a sprawling work filled with disparate influences and references. — NPR

Following the success of “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé, in her infinite wisdom, has announced the rollout of additional albums in even more unexpected genres.

“Polkassance” Beyoncé’s next record, “Polkassance,” will see the megastar adopting the Bohemian aesthetics of polka as she explores the joy of half stepping and spinning to the sounds of an accordion in modern-day America.

“Ich Bin Sasha Feurig” In this self-reflective album, Beyoncé looks back on and revamps her third studio album, “I Am . . . Sasha Fierce,” with the help of the dizzying electronic soundscapes of German synth pop. Notable tracks include “If I Were Ein Boy,” “All the Single Fräulein,” and “Hälo.”

“The Notes You Don’t Bey” This smooth, laid-back jazz project represents a distinct entry in Beyoncé’s catalogue, as it marks the only album in which the artist forgoes singing entirely (save for the occasional scatting of “zoobie-zoo-wop-bop-bah”) in favor of playing the upright bass in a five-piece jazz band.

“Dangerously in Blood!” Cover your ears, because Beyoncé has something to say—or, rather, scream. This hardcore screamo, death-metal project features the icon letting her powerful voice loose and screeching lyrics about her personal struggles, such as, “I’M STILL MAD AT JAY! / ACTING WASN’T MY FORTE!”

“Bey-Ska-ncé” On this third-wave ska-inspired album, Beyoncé explores summertime fun and dancing the night away by means of an up-tempo bass line and bouncy trumpets. This record is sure to be lauded by critics as delightful, yet completely unnecessary.

“Regina Ego Sum Sed Deus Rex Meus” Following a five-year-long stint at an isolated monastery, Beyoncé will emerge and shock the world with the release of “Regina Ego Sum Sed Deus Rex Meus,” her album of Gregorian chanting that reaffirms her divinity. This album will precede Beyoncé’s Eucharist World Tour, featuring opener Pope Francis.

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By Doreen St. Félix

By Amanda Petrusich

By Hanif Abdurraqib

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‘I want to bring the party up north’: Nia Archives on unleashing a Yorkshire rave revolution

She had to go her own way to get her 90s indie-infused drum’n’bass bangers heard. Now, after opening for Beyoncé, the performer is about to release her first album, a ‘quintessentially British record’

Nia Archives is a loud and proud junglist. When you dive deep into the West Yorkshire DJ, producer and singer’s discography, you might assume she was around during the genre’s mid-90s golden era. But being born in 1999 hasn’t stopped her from being nostalgic for an era before her own. “I love making the beats. I love making the drums. I’ve always loved the chaos of jungle,” she says. The 24-year-old’s recent rise has largely been down to the way in which her songs capture the energy and euphoria of the genre without being considered derivative or pastiches. It’s why drum’n’bass great Goldie refers to her as “one of our own”.

Since bursting on to the scene in 2020 with the melodic and soulful Sober Feels single, which she self-produced and promoted using her student loan, Archives has released a string of critically acclaimed EPs and been dubbed by the New Yorker “one of the brightest talents to emerge in the once again burgeoning field of drum’n’bass”. She has gained respect far and wide, collaborating with supergroup Watch the Ride (consisting of DJ Die, Dismantle and DJ Randall) on the club banger Mash Up the Dance and seeing her remix of Jorja Smith’s Little Things blow up on social media.

Archives became the first electronic artist to be awarded the coveted BBC Music Introducing award for artist of the year, and opened for Beyoncé’s 2023 Renaissance tour in London. “I didn’t know it was happening until the day,” she says. “I was anxious, but I was very grateful to be taking my underground genre to such a huge audience.”

Now she is about to release her debut album, Silence Is Loud. Not only is it her longest work yet, but it also serves as an evolution of her sound. The kaleidoscopic flair typical of an Archives recording is still there, but there’s a new rawness and tenderness to her voice. “I did a lot of the clubby stuff on earlier projects because I wanted to prove to people that I can produce. That I can make sick tunes,” she says. “I love rave music, but I don’t necessarily listen to albums that sound like that. I love albums that tell stories.”

Listeners can still expect to hear high BPMs, deep synths and rapid breakbeats, but Silence Is Loud has more melody, alt-rock-inspired guitar riffs and passionate vocals. Archives has talked in past interviews of Amy Winehouse being a big inspiration, and you can very much hear it in her voice, while elsewhere there are nods to the Beatles, Blur and Natalie Imbruglia. “I’m a bit nervous, because the sounds are a bit different from what people are used to from me. But sometimes you’ve got to take risks.”

We are chatting over a video call. Her camera is off because she’s getting ready for an important meeting, so all there is to engage with is a black screen and a northern accent. It is rare but refreshing when talking to artists to hear a voice that sounds like mine. Archives was born in Bradford and raised, like me, in Leeds. She is half-Jamaican, half-English, and music runs deep throughout her family history. “I used to go to church with my nana. We’d always sing gospel.” Her grandmother ran a pirate radio station in Bradford as well as a sound system that introduced Archives to genres such as dub and soul.

So Archives is keen on affirming dance music’s history within Black culture. In 2022, she wrote an open letter to call the Mobos out for not having an electronic/dance category (when they did finally introduce an award, she became its first winner ). Why was she compelled to speak out? “I wrote that letter honestly just as a bit of a nudge,” she says. “For some reason in the past 10 years, people [don’t] associate Black people with dance music. The Black community distances themselves from raving. I’ve always found it so bizarre, because their parents were literally out at raves in the 90s. Funky house is Black music.”

Archives lives in London, but she is deeply proud of her northern heritage. “A lot of people assume I’m from London when they first meet me.” That assumption is evidence of how London-centric the creative industries are. It’s not often that you see Black working-class northern women receiving as much attention as she has. The north-south divide is something she is keen to dismantle: “I’m hoping in the next few years we see more northern creatives who are not just rich kids with parents who are going to pay for their gap year in London and their rent.”

Archives likes playing in London, but she loves playing up north: “It’s about creating those opportunities and bringing those events to people that is not the norm for them.” Once she’s done with the album, she wants to do DJ, production and visual art workshops with working-class kids. “I love working with people. It’s one of the amazing parts of my job,” she says. “And that’s definitely my future goal – to bring the party up north.”

Growing up there wasn’t easy for Archives, however. “It made me who I am. But it’s a tough place to come from.” She lived in Horsforth, a little countryside town on the outskirts of Leeds; it was a very white area, and she and her brothers were the only Black kids in her school. She was told her musical dreams were unrealistic. Whether it was coming from a place of tough love or lack of belief, she was frequently advised to focus on getting a “real job”. “But I’m a bit delusional,” she says.

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She admits to having a weird relationship with Leeds today. Archives moved to Manchester by herself at 16, and although she has never explained exactly why, her track Family on the new album sheds light on some of her personal struggles. “Seven years, I ask myself how this went on for so long,” she sings. “Sometimes family ties do not always survive.”

Today Archives will not talk about her family. But what she does make clear is how she uses music to work through her feelings about them. “When I started producing at 16, it was definitely my coping mechanism, just how I express myself. I’ve always found it quite a healthy way to express happy emotions, sad emotions. I like that I can have really deep songs on jungle beats and people won’t necessarily think I’m being deep unless they are really listening. It kind of protects me a little bit. If I wrote a ballad, it’s really [exposing].”

Music isn’t all about processing her melancholia. Archives also sees her music as an expression of her Britishness. “I am Black and I’m half-Caribbean. But I am also just a British girl,” she says. “I wanted to make a quintessentially British record.” Its artwork features a union flag because, says Archives, “it’s punk. And I’ve always thought of jungle as really punk.”

Archives is changing the landscape of dance music at an uncanny speed. Her dreams are big and beyond herself. Silence Is Loud might be a new experiment in sound and style, but it is rooted in the age-old ideals of music being a force of connectivity. “I’ve always loved the unity aspects of [jungle]. No matter what you look like. No matter who you want to date. Just come have fun. Listen to the music. That’s why I love jungle. It’s just so inclusive,” she says. “We’re taking it back to that attitude of what it was like in the 90s. That one-love vibe.”

Silence Is Loud is out now.

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