There are few artists who can sell out an 80,000+ strong stadium like the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and you best believe that Beyoncé is one of them.
The singer-songwriter and legend, 41, took New York City and New Jersey residents by absolute storm on the night of Saturday, July 29 with the first of her two-date stop for the Renaissance World Tour.
In support of her seventh studio album of the same name, the tour is her first solo outing since 2016's Formation World Tour, and it's safe to say, based on the deafening reception from attendees, that it's been a resounding success.
© Getty ImagesSimilarly to another tour taking over the world currently, Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, Bey's tour nearly broke Ticketmaster once again when tickets went on sale earlier this year. And that's just the pre-sale, let's not get into the general sales, where demand exceeded supply by nearly 800% for select American shows.
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Through the trials and tribulations, however, of picking an appropriately shimmery outfit, dealing with the remnants of an NYC heat wave, navigating the crowds of concertgoers in just as much of a high, and the nosebleed seat I was confidently occupying, the show was a smash and then some, at least if we're judging by the amount of people screaming "Queen Mother!" each time she stepped on stage.
© Getty ImagesHere are five of the biggest moments to come from night one of Renaissance in NYC, from heartfelt tributes to a family surprise…
A tribute to Tina
Since the May 29 show in London, Beyoncé has performed a version of Tina Turner's 'River Deep – Mountain High' after her passing on May 24, and the tradition has continued.
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© Getty ImagesThe same moment appeared at the MetLife show, at the end of the Opening Act after 'I Care,' when she briefly spoke of the late rocker and called her "my true inspiration." While not part of the official setlist, it has become a staple of her shows over the past couple months.
The production value going off!
Leave it to Beyoncé to deliver one of the most tightly and extravagantly produced shows currently on the road, and that's even including some juggernauts like Taylor's Eras, Harry Styles' recently concluded Love On Tour, and Lizzo's The Special Tour.
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© Getty ImagesEach interlude featured incredibly detailed and intricate visuals, mimicking futuristic high-budget music videos. The set pieces are covered in silver, tinsel, metallic fabrics, and most of all, glitter visible from every corner of the stadium. Plus, once you see the animatronic arms framing the singer with window panes and changing the colors of her white robe, you can't really go back to a non-technological life.
The many, many dance breaks
What makes Renaissance seem like even more fun than many of the singer's previous tours is that it looks like she herself is having a blast. Apart from interacting with fans, having them address her at times as "Heyyy, Ms Carter," she got them all involved by having them clap along with her as each song kicked into high gear and she bust out the moves. And bust them out she did, as each of the interludes frequently ended with extended dance breaks for the crew and Bey herself.
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© Getty ImagesFrom twerking to hair flips that'll make your neck ache for days, Beyoncé tears it up when the time comes to show off her own moves. While she's always been an accomplished dancer, she goes in particularly hard this time, keeping up with her backup dancers AND singing throughout! It's giving 2013 Super Bowl Halftime Show levels of dedication, and the crowd was definitely here for it.
Blue Ivy steals the show
Beyoncé may be the headlining star, but when she brought out her daughter Blue Ivy Carter in the middle of the fourth act, all the attention was momentarily on the 11-year-old and her killer moves. Watch a snippet from her performance below!
Beginning with the May 26 show in Paris, Blue has made occasional appearances alongside her mother, and while they're not as frequent, they've been enough to credit her as one of the official dancers. And dance she did, walking onstage alongside her mom in an identical orange and silver jersey, joining the dancers for a mash-up of 'My Power' and 'Black Parade', already quite the natural. She looked delighted to be there, but her mom felt it even more, with the stadium's jumbotrons catching her proud gaze as she watched her daughter take a final bow.
The ballroom breakdown to close the show
While the 'Single Ladies' singer ended her show with an encore of album closer 'Summer Renaissance', the true peak of the show came with the ballroom dance break for the sixth and final act's outro.
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After a performance of 'Pure/Honey', the singer left the stage for the final song, leaving it all open to her many backup dancers, veterans and rising stars of the ballroom scene, who duke it out in a battle, serving face, vogueing, splits, acrobatics, and so much more.
© Getty ImagesIn a period of time where the rights of LGBT people, particularly trans and POC communities, are under attack, Beyoncé chose to champion them with the house-inspired Renaissance. And her deep love and respect for the community is present throughout the concert, featuring several video montages that pay tribute to them, featuring scenes from their lives and clubs. The Renaissance World Tour is, in many ways, a love letter to the LGBT community like the album that inspired it, and for a city with such a diverse and thriving queer population as NYC, myself included, it was the most heartfelt way to spend a Saturday night.
