The best day of my life
The story of a random girl at a show of the Beyoncé Cowboy Carter Tour
SO…There it is, everyone: the last episode of a trilogy which was dedicated to sharing with you my journey going to the first concert in my life, aka the Cowboy Carter Tour of Beyoncé.
Why talk about it ?
I am very aware that there is little to no need in reviewing this tour as it is (already) soon coming to an end (the planned end is July 26th).
The only two ways I see one could be interested in reading is that he/she is attending the remaining dates and wants to know, through other people retelling their experiences, what they are in for OR simply, Beyoncé fan or not, one is curious about what others have to say about it.
For me, personally, this feels like wrapping things up in a bow; a much necessary move in order to let it go fully and feeling ready and opened to new things coming my way. It is the conclusion/the closure I need to a beautiful time and the opportunity to sort of look back at it again when I feel like it.
Context, please ?
I attended the first stop of the tour in Paris: on June 19th, it was in the middle of the week, on a Thursday and took place at the Stade de France; the largest stadium in my country as it can hold a maximum capacity of 80,000 people.
A disclaimer perhaps?
The following is an OPINION piece and not a factual article. It wasn’t made by a journalist or a professional reviewer but by a random girl sharingwhat she likes with the world through writing on Medium (for now). Also, please be aware of the spoilers ahead!
Before the show
Looking back on it, I feel like I experienced the best day of my life. If my future children or husband see this, I hope they don’t feel offended by me saying this because I haven’t met them yet. When it comes to Beyoncé, I at least did (in my dreams maybe).
The best day of your life is a day which you have long dreamed of, one you thought of in your not so funny moments; one you imagined as the turning point that would drastically change your life for the better.
Since getting tour tickets back in February of this year, I spent a lot of times in my head envisioning what this day would be like. Above all, one question appeared to me as a great mystery; one that I would only have answers to after: in the end, would I actually be enjoying the live concert as much as I appreciate listening to Beyoncé’s music through my headphones?
In the end, as I said, it turns out I definitively did, if not even more.
Although, it is important for me to tell you that things didn’t really go as planned from the start.
First and foremost, I waited hours outside the stadium with fellow spectators in order to ensure myself a good view of the stage. It was at a time of intense heatwave going through France (we are still in it right now) and let me be clear: nothing was in place from the organisators to help us feel less hot and reduce the risk of something bad happening to anyone.
At least and that is the beauty of the Beyhive (the name of Beyoncé’s fanbase), I had the pleasure to look at the amazing diversity of attendees (while in line, you hear various languages and see people of all skin colors and walks of life, ages etc). Most notably, they all make an impressive effort to dress up for the occasion (more than I did).
So, I spend my bored and hot self contemplating all these beautiful people. You all slayed!!
Then, the doors (finally) opened over half an hour later behind schedule. At least (again), my patience got rewarded at this point as it made me land a nice spot. However, upon arrival, I quickly realized it wasn’t going to work out for me as I was in the pit and in European countries, there aren’t any seats there. For Beyoncé, the area was packed to the brim; the closer you were to the stage. You almost couldn’t move or breathe. At a time where stan Twitter called this tour a flop; the sign of a losing interest of the general public in Beyoncé or the fall of a legend. Well, let me tell you: they are very wrong!!!!! There wasn’t a single free seat left in the stadium. I bet that everyone would like a flop era like Beyoncé, no doubts about it.
In the pit, while waiting, there are limited options to resort to as forms of entertainment.
- For a lot of people in the crowd, the closer we got to the hour, the more it was about trying to make out which famous people just entered the stadium: I noticed it, as from my point of view, it seems everyone’s sight suddenly switched when it happens.
- Also available to yourself at this point is the possibility to make out any nonexistent details of the stage screen which displays the American Flag.
- Or smiling through attendees playing together with their fans (I was just happy to even be there).
- Trying to make out who was in the background music chosen.
- Simply getting it all in: I was of one of over 50,000 people in a room all there for the same one thing, at a size leaving me with my mouth open and my mind sometimes quite overwhelmed.
Although the possibilities seemed to be endless to keep your feet in place, that just wasn’t enough to keep me full so I smartly decided to move.
At last, the show started 1 hour behind the announced schedule.
First impressions
Despite all of these unexpected firsts, the sweat, the acccumulated tiredness and the organization mishaps, when the music started playing and it became clear it was about to began, I still very quickly felt the adrenaline jump and excitation going through everyone and uniting all of us. It all build up in anticipation of the big reveal.
Upon hearing the first notes of AMERIICAN REQUIEM, I shouted and rose my hands in the air.
I was ready to welcome a record-breaking range of emotions as it should and so I did.
Indeed, the energy emulating from the stage spread itself to me almost instantly. Beyoncé, her dancers and musicians, spend around 2 hours and 30 minutes entertaining the crowd without any short of breath. So did I: I danced, I sung my heart out along with the lyrics without a care in the world of my neighbours’ opinion of me, I cried and laughed when recognizing the tracks in advance.
In retrospective, I almost don’t recognize myself and how I acted. That is the power of Beyoncé. Like, who the hell was this? Me, the always serious, quiet and obedient girl (Church Girl almost!), suddenly losing it at almost every track. So much, that I had to remind myself to stop and take it all in at some intervals, by pausing to appreciate the crowd and the sight of the lights of everyone’s bracelets shining when moving (this turned the stadium into the most beautiful colours ever!).
Mind you, this happened although I couldn’t see Beyoncé fully.
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But what can’t happen as you are in a literal stadium, Beyoncé totally makes up for it completely for a various number of reasons:
- For starters, the ambiance in the crowd is amazing. I assume it is the case for any live experience but I would say that here it was on an exceptional level;
- That the screen allows you to experience her really well and there is just one in place;
- That Beyoncé moves on flying objects throughout the stadium on a number of occasions allowing everyone to share a comparable experience no matter their seat. These objects, a car and horseshoe if I remember correctly, do make up almost the only props used. Little to no fireworks or confettis canoons are part of the experience. Be aware: for this tour, and I think Beyoncé’s brand of live show in general, it is all Beyoncé, a reduced army of dancers including Les Twins, and team members, a mic and a dream and that’s it!!!!
- And that Beyoncé actually interacts with the crowd on a number of occasions.
Alltogether, I was under the impression that Beyoncé has the capacity to command an entire stadium almost all to herself: the mark of a performer who has done it for decades before and of a very gifted woman!!!
Let’s talk Cowboy Carter!
In truth, I believe it also has to do with me being an intense fangirl; one that joined the ride, a lot of years later after Beyoncé’s debut in the industry, and, loved it so much, that she spends her free time going back in time throughout her discography to become as experienced and full of knowledge as veteran members of the Hive.
With this background, I recognize that I had a lot of hope and expectations in mind: I wanted Beyoncé’s stellar voice singing the whole album and why not my favourite songs off other projects, I wanted live instruments, background singers, costumes and Beyoncé’s daughters. The full circus. And the absolute best of what Beyoncé has to offer.
In my heart, and that is very out of touch and parasocial to say, it didn’t really matter that it was the 101th tour date and that the team might have felt exhausted. I wanted my money worth it.
I wanted and got it all.
Beyoncé looks ridiculously good and so does the fashion. I was amazed at how well she stands together with her team. It all feels like one big entity. She isn’t there separated from them. She is there with them, to make you hear the 1% best of entertainment. It is simply fantastic and made me reach a state of euphoria!!!
Also, I am pretty sure almot the entirety of the Cowboy Carter album is played. Not the complete tracks (obviously) but at least bits and pieces. The cowboy ambiance is definitively there in the room with you. Beyoncé brings it all the way from Texas in grandeur!!!
Beyoncé makes the succession of tracks flaws amazingly, without any cut or brutal change of pace. It seems very well planned; all to allow a seamless transition of one song into the other without you even realizing it, to make you absolutely forgot how long you have been standing up in your feet. It reaches an absolute peak of excellency with TEXAS HOLD EM’. Another highlight for me? Hearing BODYGUARD, the sweetest song ever, live (I am not the same after it)!!!!
This is now the point in my story where I want to stop and admit 2 things here. It is undeniable that there are some moments in the show where it gets quieter than others. There is more hype in the most famous and commercially successful songs played than the underdogs of the album which most of the crowd doesn’t know the lyrics of. And I think that it is ok. I don’t want to turn this piece into a rant about how concert now are so expensive that real fans can’t attend them anymore, turning into stands to take pictures and have phones out for the entirety of the performance. I just don’t. I believe that these moments have a lot to do with needing to relax at times and dance harder at others and with the fact that Beyoncé has “complex” songs in her catalogue: complex meaning they can be hard to scream the lyrics too and in those times, you find yourself just vibing (which is more than ok).
In truth, it not only did happen for these tracks but also for the video interludes which I, personally, had a hard time understanding.
Please don’t get me wrong here: Beyoncé is an absolute master of the visual department and she came and left no crumbs here!!!! Budget was budgeting as per usual which makes me even madder that we have to beg for the visuals to be released for every album cycle!
However, I couldn’t make up the whole logic behind it all.
I have no doubts that a) Beyoncé is a smart woman and that b) she wants to transmit a message through the music. She is aware that is only how an artist can manage to create yourself a legacy still standing strong, if not even more, throughout the generations and the passing time.
So, what was it here for the Cowboy Carter Tour ? Why structure the show this way ? I know that there is this idea of (rightfully) reclaiming a music genre; country, on which the impact and contribution of black people often got erased throughout history (after all, there is a theory that Beyoncé is touring only the cities which originately hosted the Chitlin’ Circuit, many venues which provided African American the possibility to perform in the times of US racial segregation starting in the 1930s) but I think there were more key messages to take from it.
So, smarter people are welcomed to give their version/opinion in the comments below to enlighten me!!
Surprise!
To my astonishment, it wasn’t just the album Cowboy Carter playing during the 2 and half hours.
There is a complete section of the show reserved for Beyoncé’s hits everybody literally scream their lungs out for: Irreplacable, Crazy In Love, Single Ladies, Love On Top, If I Were A Boy etc. And, in the latter parts of the show, I observed that RENAISSANCE, the first album of the trilogy presumed to be called ECHOVILLE, is back: with the robot arms, the dance battle (and voguing?) with HONEY BALENCIAGA and the “Uncle Johnny made my dress, That cheap spandex, she looks a mess” ending line to the song HEATED.
On top of that, to pair it with the visuals sometimes displaying very intimate family pictures and going as far as having your daughters with you on stage (together for PROTECTOR and on their own for Blue Ivy during Deja Vu!!) is a choice, I believe.
It is the same idea that is behind ending the run with none other than 16 CARRIAGES; a track where she sings about spending her whole life on the road.
Alltogether, an atmosphere of reflection can be noticed as the show progresses. To me, it felt like Beyoncé is celebrating her last album but also her career as a whole, one she is looking back on, in gracefulness, thankfulness and awareness of all she has achieved, all with the fans. It is not to be mistaken with a greatest hits/anthology tour or even a farewell one before retirement but the essence of it is still here.
Also, don’t let this be a fooling trick for how, for some, Beyoncé is too old to keep performing. She is not. In fact, I would go as fact as saying that she looks and sings the best she has ever sounded ever. The entirety of the show is sung live and she doesn’t miss a single note. A single note. The harmonies are there. And…and… the range she displays is simply phenomenal!!! Going crazy manic to YA YA YA. Giving us high notes. Opera. Country. Pop.
Serving unstoppable looks and music, I know that’s right coming from the G.O.A.T herself.
And inviting Miley freaking Cyrus to perform II MOST WANTED for the first time (a song about friendship they said). I was there for it and we all went erratic when it happened.
As for me, not only was going to the Beyoncé Cowboy Carter Tour show a bucket list item but getting the luck to be in the same space as Miley Cyrus went beyond my initial expectations. We truly got the best of both worlds here.
Conclusion:
I couldn’t have started my experience with live concerts in a better way that I did with Beyoncé. I just had to be there and don’t regret it one bit.
The only effect this might have is making others I will go see look “pale” (meaning not nearly as good) in comparison.
But, “hey” at least, it made me truly appreciate the power of live music, as a necessary tool to complement streaming music.
Two final words and I am out:
1) You will be pleased to know that recording was happening at the show so we most definitively are getting something else out it. What exactly ? I don’t know and I am no magician so we will have to wait.
2) In the meantime, dear Sasha Fierce, a live album of this tour is more than welcome because the depression post concert is hitting harder than ever right now!
Also, real question: why does musician’s merch always have to be this expensive?!
An article written by Nica — June 21st 2025 — France — RANDOM#55
