Certain moments in life are unforgettable: graduation, buying your first car, COVID, and seeing 63,500 people packed into a stadium to watch Beyoncé perform a country-themed album. From flying horseshoes to political messages projected on 100-foot screens, Beyoncé had everyone “Crazy In Love” with the Cowboy Carter tour.
The Cowboy Carter tour consisted of eight acts, including songs from some of her earlier albums like “Dangerously In Love” and “B’Day.” Despite the variety of songs she played, they all had one recurring theme: political elements woven within the performance through layered performances, visuals, costumes, song choices, and historical references.
One of the most memorable political statements Beyoncé included was her song “MY HOUSE,” released on December 1, 2023, following her final show of the Renaissance World tour. “MY HOUSE” helped to connect her albums “RENAISSANCE” and “COWBOY CARTER” since they are two of the three albums within the trilogy she has been rigorously producing.
Beyoncé's performance of the song in front of a set that looked identical to the White House left the audience asking, “Whose house is it?” Her goal with this powerful ensemble number was to reclaim power in a country where Black women are often marginalized in conversations about national identity.
But this wasn’t the only moment Beyoncé commanded the stage. Her powerful performance of “Freedom,” delivered in a glittering gold fringe bodysuit, channeled her frustration with the state of America. Notably, the song was used as the theme for Kamala Harris’s 2024 Democratic Presidential campaign.
However, the concert took a brief hiatus from political dance breaks and montages and transitioned into an act solely dedicated to “COWBOY CARTER.” Beyoncé rode a glittering horseshoe through the sky while reimagining Dolly Parton’s “JOLENE” and then mounted a mechanical bull for “TYRANT” in a moment of pure-diva meeting rodeo drama. “ALLIGATOR TEARS” and “JUST FOR FUN” transformed the stadium into a full-on saloon while Flamenco dancers added theatrical flair to the folky “FLAMENCO.”
Despite the heavy Western influence, this concert was still the epitome of a Beyoncé concert—especially the wardrobe and choreography. A head-to-toe sequined bodysuit, rhinestoned denim, opera gloves, mile-high heels, and everything in between. The “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” dance break brought back her early 2000s era with body rolls, quick turns, and an entire stadium bouncing their feet to the infectious beat.
Even though this concert was Beyoncé's tour, she made sure to honor the history and the people who paved the way for her in the music industry. Throughout the eight acts of her concert, the screen projected videos of Black cowboys, country musicians, gospel choirs, and performance footage of influential figures like James Brown and Nina Simone, all of whom have been influential figures for Beyoncé.
Sophomore Matthew Hart praised Beyonce’s integration of political elements. “The political theme that stood out to me was overall the power in pushing back against racism, because when Beyoncé originally came out with country, she got pushback, saying that she wasn’t real country,” he said. “Now we see throughout her tour different visuals and lines that prove just how country she is and where country originated.”
Beyoncé also made sure to weave in her family throughout her concert, not only acknowledging the past but the people currently with her. Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé’s eldest daughter, had a stellar dance break during the TikTok famous song “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM,” where the audience was thunderously cheering for her. Rumi Carter, Beyoncé’s youngest daughter, made a special appearance during “PROTECTOR,” an emotionally intimate song that centers around Beyoncé’s role as a mother and solidifies that no matter the fame she reaches, she will always be a fierce protector of her children.
Although this was the Cowboy Carter tour, she made sure to give fans the satisfaction they wanted by playing her iconic throwback songs, “Irreplaceable,” “If I Were a Boy,” and the most iconic of them all, “Crazy in Love.” Her “RENAISSANCE” segment offered a ballroom detour, transporting the crowd back to the 2022 era filled with glittering lights, vogue-inspired choreography, and sheer energy.
Freshman Ella Joseph appreciated the nostalgia. “When Beyoncé revisited her “RENAISSANCE” era with the same choreography and set design from the previous tour, I freaked out, because I had been hoping for her to perform some of the songs from the album,” she said. “‘RENAISSANCE’ was an amazing tour, but I didn't know how many songs she would include because of the difference between the two albums.”
This blend of old, new, and in-between moments captured what “COWBOY CARTER” is about: reinvention. Beyoncé delivered a show that was as bold as it was beautiful, merging protest and elegance, family and freedom, and the past with the present. In three hours, Beyoncé fused American music’s past, present, and future, proving once again that no matter what genre of music she sings, she will make it her own.
