Photo by Andrew White/Parkwood/PictureGroup
“You have as many hours in a day as Beyonce.” Okay, yes, that’s cheesy but I honestly have a print stating that on my wall that I look at every morning when I wonder if this grind is truly worth it. Beyonce is a monster. She is so driven, so independent– basically everything I try to be. Being able to see her last night was truly a dream come true. Having a good friend next to me and some killer seats was just the icing on the cake.
We were a bit late into the show due to confusion regarding where to pick up the tickets, so unfortunately we missed the openers but we didn’t seem to be the only ones. It was clear that fans were strictly there for Queen Bey and her husband- Jay-Z. The lines were long as we waited impatiently for our turn to go through the door even though the doors had opened nearly two hours prior to us getting there. We didn’t mind the lines other than the strong need to find a bathroom. The energy all around us was enough to keep us entertained. Sure, my friend and I were super excited to have the chance to see such an influential performer but our excitement was nowhere near as high as the people around us.
After finding our “better than we deserve” seats and a short delay, the show kicked off with Beyonce hand in hand with her superstar husband as they descended down a nearly four story high elevator as lights whized through the mega-sized stadium. There are certain moments that inexplicably give you goosebumps– this was one of them. I’m not a super fan of Beyonce or Jay-Z but there’s no denying the star power between the two of them and the unspoken girl crush I have on her. Having all of those vibes and the admiration that was strongly felt around us for the two stars all just came to a breaking point as soon as the two performers were spotted and had my friend and I screaming and cheering our heads off in no time.
You may be like me and thinking that you really don’t know many Beyonce or Jay-Z songs other than one or two here or there but you’re wrong just like I was walking into last night’s performance. With a set list that lasted two and a half hours and 43 songs, I was honestly shocked by just how many songs from both of them I knew and could sing along to. That just added to the magic of the show. Sure, I was kind of following along with a set list online so I could figure out what to say in this post but, even then, I didn’t recognize some of the song titles but definitely recognized the songs. The crowd roared into applause between each song before going back to shouting every word to every song. I’ve been lost in some excitable crowds before but last night’s definitely took the cake. There was just something about the excitement and love that was reigning supreme in the air that was infectious and had me wondering if this could be the show of the year.
As great as the show was musically and when it came to the theatrics, my favorite part was the chemistry between the wife and husband pair. I loved the way that both Beyonce and Jay-Z clearly had their own songs but also had a very strong bond. It was the way that they looked at each other throughout the set. Other than a couple of close dance moves, they kept their distance but you could easily see the love that there is between them. It’s obvious that Beyonce is a big deal these days but sometimes I feel like she over shadows her husband. The way the crowd reacted when Jay-Z took the microphone over went to prove that he is just as relevant even though he doesn’t seem to be in the spotlight as much as his other half. The constant switching of the two performers kept the set moving quickly and I was honestly shocked when it was said and done and I looked down at my phone to realize we had been standing there singing and dancing for two and a half hours.
Sure there were some fireworks, giant screens, and a couple of moving platforms but overall I feel like last night’s show was a bit understated for the couple. I thought there was going to be way more costume changes, breaks, and theatrics but Beyonce and Jay-Z definitely kept the focus on the music, not the show and that made me so freaking happy. Both of them have such a talent and such a voice and view that it was nice to be left with just that and not a bunch of smoke and flames to hide anything. There was something so genuine and true about their performance that made the show feel very intimate even though I was enjoying it surrounded by tens of thousands of strangers. I’ve been to my fair share of stadium shows and, although they are all great, I feel like many of them fail to give me the feeling that I search for concert after concert. That wasn’t the case last night.
I idolize Beyonce. I have for some time and will probably continue to do so. Seeing her perform live and being so close to Jay-Z as he rapped through songs that took me back to sitting by the pool and listening to the radio as a child was an amazing experience. Those goosebumps that I got as the couple made their first appearance didn’t leave until I was walking out of the stadium.
