Flying Red Cadillacs, Pink Horseshoes, and Blue Ivy: Welcome to Beyoncé Country

“This ain’t a country tour. It’s a Beyoncé tour.”

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Emblazoned across one of the many new shirts at her merch truck, this statement also functioned as a reminder to fans walking into SoFi Stadium on Tuesday, 4/28 for the opening night of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour. 

Sure, Cowboy Carter won Best Country Album at the Grammys—and there were more chaps being worn than ever previously believed to exist in L.A.—but nobody should ever reduce Bey to just one genre… or really, one anything. Her latest show is an epic showcase for the breadth of Beyoncé’s music, and a celebration of Black American music as a whole.

About half of the set came from her recent Album of the Year winner, and these songs sounded amazing in their live debuts. Grand lead-off track “AMERIICAN REQUIEM” provides an awe-inspiring overture for a concert, too, setting the scale for the 36-song, two-hour-and-forty-five minute set to follow. Soon after came an opened-up, roof-raising “YA YA,” complete with burning piano, elements of “Why Don’t You Love Me (MK Ultra Club),” and the first of several dances from 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy. And the bigger the single, the bigger the production. For “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” Bey rode out onto the stage on a mock Mack truck, where, for a climatic “16 CARRIAGES,” she flew around the entire circumference of the arena in a red Cadillac.

While the concert made sure to provide spectacle to the audience wherever they were sitting—some choreography and video images probably play better if you’re seated in the 300 level or higher—that wasn’t its sole purpose. “I want to thank all those who came before me,” Beyoncé announced early on, and she did that by highlighting the ways that Black culture has been at the root of American culture. She evoked both the sad tragedies and powerful protests of the Civil Rights era with a contrasting one-two punch, first delivering  an intimate-despite-the-venue take on “BLACKBIIRD,” but then going right into an incendiary version of “The Star Spangled Banner,” where Bey sang over Jimi Hendrix’s iconic Woodstock performance. “SPAGHETII” led into “Formation” which led into “MY HOUSE” and then to—via her impeccable back-up dancers and choreography—a showcase of the intersection of African stepping and country line dancing. And she revisited the many genres of her own career with her R&B and TikTok classic “Diva”—adding a playful twist on its famed “She ain’t no diva” bit—and a Renaissance mini-set of “I’M THAT GIRL,” “COZY,” “ALIEN SUPERSTAR,” and even its jaw-dropping Ballroom battle. 

The video pieces between each of the eight acts explored these themes even further. As a lead-in to “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM,” Bey contrasted pundits complaining about her invading country music with images of legendary Black musicians who influenced the genre, like Linda Martell, Little Richard, and B.B. King. Later came a Sergio Leone-influenced short film where Beyoncé met the embodiment of the modern country music industry in a western shoot-out… and won. 

That sense of victory especially filled the stadium as Beyoncé played Lemonade’s “Daddy’s Lessons” for the first time since 2016. That song was her first foray into country, and it brought her the wrath of the genre’s establishment and fans when she sang it with The Chicks at that year’s CMA’s. Here though, Beyoncé reclaimed the song with pride, pairing it with her cover of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene” and performing both aboard a soaring neon pink horseshoe, showing she was literally over that drama. 

Beyoncé also shined a spotlight on her children. Again, eldest daughter Blue Ivy Carter was one of the back-up dancers throughout the night and flawlessly took center stage for her own take on “Deja Vu.” Younger daughter, 7-year-old Rumi Carter, joined her mom on stage for the first time, during an incredibly sweet version of “PROTECTOR.” You could even see Bey crack a genuine smile as Rumi broke from the choreography to wave at the crowd. Bey’s own mother Tina Knowles was in attendance too, making this a truly multigenerational event. Later in the set, Beyoncé sang her operatic, mother-and-child ballad “DAUGHTER” in a show-stopping dress that changed colors throughout to mirror the arc of the song, reminding us that while Queen Bey might be the rare woman who truly has it all, it can even be tough for her.

The night ended with “AMEN,” a song that combines gospel and country into a decidedly Queen Bey-style anthem of strength. Backed by a bust of the Statue of Liberty wearing a bandana across her face à la a western outlaw, it was Beyoncé’s perfect closing statement. So many folks have asked across the Cowboy Carter album cycle if Beyoncé was country, but they all missed the point. Like that tour T-shirt suggests, she is so much more than that. Like America, Beyoncé and her tour contain multitudes. 

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