Music Filheous Country Declaration on the debut of the cowboy Carter tour

During the opening of the tour Cowboy Carterwith western theme, BeyoncéLighted the big screen with the sentence in red:“Never ask for permission for something that is already yours.” In many ways, this direct mantra has defined its approach to what some have been calling “country adventure” – but instead of claiming something, Beyoncé celebrated the black origins of country culture and its evolution.

The presentation of three hours in Sofi Stadiumin Los Angeles, on the night of Monday (28), was intense and full of meaning. With a repertoire filled with tracks with country influences from the album Cowboy CarterBeyoncé also brought references to the era Renaissance– Your previous work inspired by the Ballroom scene – at various times of performance.

@tomasmier Beyoncé Addresses The Crowbod at Cowboy Carter Tour Opening Night in la#Beyonce#CowboyCarterTour#CowboyCarter#BeyonceConCort#BeyonceFans ♬ Original Sound – Tomás Mier

“I want to thank all who came before me,” said Beyoncé to the public, dressed in a white leather look signed by Muglerwith cowboy hat combining. Meanwhile, images of Linda Martell and other country’s black pioneers were shown on the big screen.

“I want to thank my fans for allowing me to make this album. Thank you for giving me the creative freedom to challenge me.”

The show Cowboy Carter It’s much more than a country show – and that was evident from the beginning, when Beyoncé removed the cowboy hat during “YA YA” and presented his already classic turns of hair and choreographed steps. Yes, the banjos resonated in “Texas Hold ‘Em”the violin led “II Most Wanted” and “Blackbiird”and she and the dancers wore giant hats, spurs and buckles throughout the performance. But in the end, Beyoncé delivered a stadium show worthy of his name, without musical genre limitations, supported by over 24 dancers and impeccable choreography.

Throughout the show, impressive visual effects have put Beyoncé in old west scenarios, representing her as a “outlaw” in a space where she was never welcome. In the end, she destroyed this narrative – overcoming an older white cowboy in a stylized duel, with bullets ricocheting in her body. The scene seemed to echo the exclusion of Beyoncé from the country music association awards and, more widely, from the white -dominated country industry, which has been marginalized for years. But Beyoncé made it clear that he doesn’t need anyone’s approval – she’s bigger than that.

She also deepened the patriotic visual themes of Cowboy Carter with striking symbologies. The show started with “American Requiem”followed with a delicate version of “Blackbiird” and then an impactful version of the US National Anthem, based on the performance of Jimi Hendrix In Woodstock in 1969. Hendrix touched the anthem a year after the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. as an act of protest. For Beyoncé, the moment served as a tribute and a warning about the past and the turbulent present of America.

Following, she sang “Freedom” – Trail of the failed presidential campaign of Kamala Harris in 2024 -, presented “America has a problem” with the verse of Kendrick Lamar in a scenario that simulated a press conference, and declared “But they never take the country out of me” During a powerful interpretation of “Formation”.

In “Formation”Beyoncé proudly sang: “I like my baby’s hair / with baby hair and afro”while BLUE IVY It appeared on stage next to the dancers, performing the choreography perfectly. The oldest daughter of the singer was present in several songs, including “Sweet Honey Buckin”, “YA YA” and “America has a problem”. In one of the most excited moments of the show, Blue Ivy shone alone during a dance stretch to the sound of “Déjà vu”of 2006, and revived the classic choreography of the era B’aday – Music that Rolling Stone classified as the best career of Beyoncé.

In one of the most exciting passages of the night, Beyoncé’s youngest daughter, Rumi Carteralso took the stage during “Protector”track that includes your voice. The seven -year -old appeared smiling, waving to the audience while packed by his mother’s voice. In the background, a tribute arose to the children of Beyoncé with a verse of Rumi’s eponymous poet:

“I once had a thousand desires / but in my only desire to meet you / Everything else has dissolved.”

Although loaded with comments about America and the black roots of country music, the show also tenderly celebrated Beyoncé’s own lineage.

The singer made it clear that the essence of Renaissance – First act of its album trilogy – remains alive in Cowboy Carter. Throughout the night, she presented tracks as “Cuff it”, “Heated” and “Thique”and made visual references to the metal and silver aesthetics of the previous album. In “Tyrant”Beyoncé appeared mounted on a gold mechanical bull, and at another time a robot served a glass of whiskey on his throne. The iconic horse Reneigh It was also reimagined in the golden version. She delivered the original choreography of “I’m That Girl”, “Cozy” and “Alien Superstar”with visual elements adapted to the country climate of the new album.

“Welcome back to Renaissance, guys,” He said on stage while the Ballroom party took over the scene.

Other set highlights included a fun version of “Diva”in which Beyonce imitated a viral video of Tiktok pointing to a generic fan in the audience and repeating “She Ain’t on Divaaaaa.” In “Thique”she mixed excerpts from “Bills, Bills, Bills”from Destiny’s Child, leading fans to speculate if the group’s hits were on the setlist. (They weren’t – but images of the band in their early years were displayed in an interlude.)

In the final stretch, Beyoncé traveled the stadium mounted on a huge pink horseshoe while singing “Daddy Lessons” – His first live presentation of the track since 2016 – in a segment appointed in honor of “Jolene”from DOLLY PARTON. The climax came with the remix of “Texas Hold ‘Em”which kept the country elements and slid smoothly to the classic “Crazy in Love”.

At the end of the show, Beyoncé flew the stadium in a flying classic car with a US flag, driving a chorus with the track “16 Carriages”from Cowboy Carter. In the bis, she came up with a dress printed with the American flag and sang “Amen” Faced with a statue of masked and braided freedom – a powerful visual allegory. Everything was carefully calculated. Beyoncé not only introduced a great theatrical show: she reaffirmed why she is at a completely separate level.

The tour Cowboy Carter It continues with four more performances in Los Angeles, the next scheduled for Thursday, May 1st. Then Beyoncé goes to Chicago and New Jersey, before performing in London and Paris, returning to the US to shows in Houston, Washington, Atlanta and ending the tour in Las Vegas in July.

This article is a translation of Rolling Stone American, written by Tomás Mier and published on April 29, 2025. Read the original version here.