Swarms of silver chrome costumed fans stopped traffic on the streets surrounding Caesars Superdome on Wednesday evening. That could only mean one thing - the long awaited Renaissance World Tour had finally landed in New Orleans. Originally set as the last date and grand finale on Beyoncé's worldwide run, everyone knew that they were in for a special show that night.
Doors were originally scheduled to open at 8pm, but 20 minutes beyond that time, no one had been allowed access to the Dome. Once security got clearance, fans bolted through metal detectors and ticket scanning lines to secure their merch and take their seats to witness the greatness that was to come. All levels of the stadium were buzzing with people abiding to Queen Bey's birthday wish of everyone to wear silver fashions for the remainder of Virgo season, even though we were well into Libra territory.
By this point at the end of the tour, everyone had viewed spoilers on social media, so attendees knew what to expect from merch, best view locations, and judging by the long lines - even some hopefuls expecting to get free seat upgrades from guest services.
Prior to the lights going down, the massive size of the stage can't be missed. It encompasses two VIP risers on the actual stage as well as two additional Bey Hive sections at either side of the front of the stage and the ever popular and highly sought after Club Renaissance which was inside the main circle of the stage. No matter where you sat, you could be sure that you'd have a great view of the action.
The giant LED screens projected colors making up the pride and trans flags. No doubt an ode to this album and tour's theme of inclusivity and acceptance. The stadium filled with the most suspenseful elevator waiting music, which was later revealed to be Falling Rizlas "Actress." Finally, the lights went down and everyone rushed to their spots.
The screen changed from colors to a giant image of a reclining Beyoncé, before transforming to a visual of the sky as she entered stage as if she just ascended from Heaven with her signature fans creating the perfect breeze through her Gaurav Gupta hooded dress and long blond locks. She opened the show with "Dangerously In Love" from her 2003 solo debut album of the same name. She continued to remind us that the mic is indeed, always on, as she belted through a medley of ballads including "1+1" and "I Care" which features an insane musical solo on the breakdown from her guitarist Agape Jerry. She closes this section with an ode to the recently departed Tina Turner, performing a cover of "River Deep, Mountain High", which to my surprise not many people knew the words to.
She exits the stage for the first of what would prove to be several outfit changes and stunning visuals fill the screens. These images are so aesthetically pleasing, and I was highly impressed at how they were able to maintain such high image quality across such large screens. The voice of ballroom legend Kevin Jz Prodigy welcomes us to the Renaissance as the atmosphere is transformed from sensual lounge to a ballroom party.
Beyoncé re-enters, this time in uniform - wearing chrome, now matching everyone else in attendance. She is joined by robots that assist her in performing "I'm That Girl" and "Cozy." Her dancers prepare a bed for her as she pretends to sleep while standing up and performing "Alien Superstar."
She sings her verse from "Lift Off," her 2011 feature on her husband Jay-Z's song with Kanye West before exiting the stage. As the music transitions to "7/11," we see Les Twins for the first time as they are blasted on to the stage in matching chrome outfits, blonde braids and masks covering their faces. The French pair energetically take off in both directions of the stage showing off their signature freestyle body isolation style of dance.
Through all the set transitions, there is never any dead space - every moment is filled with a visual. This next section saw a return of the pink sequined Ivy Park dress that famously almost caused a wardrobe malfunction at an earlier tour date before one of Les Twins so smoothly saved her. The entire team has gotten quick changes down to an exact science that should be studied. When Beyoncé changes, everyone else comes out in a new look to match. We see lots more stage movement and utilization of the circle part of the stage surrounding the outside of Club Renaissance during "Cuff It". When she made it to "Energy" everyone knew to pull out their phones with the hopes of capturing the moment New Orleans could proudly take the crown as winner of The Mute Challenge.
"Look around everybody on mute..." dead silence enveloped the Superdome for a split second before screams rang out too early, disappointingly. However in videos that would later surface online, it appears New Orleans did win and Beyoncé's face showed her approval. "Break My Soul" was the final song of this section before she exited stage once again. This time she returned in a red glitter bodysuit and matching thigh high boots before performing a medley of "Formation" in which she shouts out New Orleans' own Big Freedia who is featured on the song, "Diva" and "Run The World."
At this point in the show, everyone expects to see Blue Ivy appear and on cue during "My Power" when her mother says "That's my bloodline on the frontline!" she appears waving before Beyoncé screams "Go Blue!," (which is now in my opinion a permanent part of the lyrics, and it can't be sang any other way.) The mother and daughter duo hit their choreography and it's such a joy to see the pair together and see how much Blue has grown in her performance and stage confidence since her first appearance on the tour.
Beyoncé mounts her giant tank as Blue takes center stage as they perform "Black Parade" and at the end, Blue gives her signature smile and peace sign while Beyoncé beams over her with sheer pride. As Blue exits the stage, Beyoncé flips the switch from doting mom to savage as she performs her verse from Megan Thee Stallion's Grammy winning feature before transitioning into the sexy and suggestive "Partition." Red lights envelope the stage as she rides off on her tank for another change.
Upon her return, it's time to dance. The booty shaking inducing "Church Girl" and "Get Me Bodied" had everyone on their feet. She then performs "Before I Let Go" and announces that she likes to do the verse twice when in the South and add a soul clap.
She expressed how happy she was to be here. "New Orleans is like a second home to me," she said. As the originally chosen final date of the tour - we knew.
Audience participation was heavy by the time we reached "Love On Top" the crowd had taken over the performance and carried on the melody going higher and higher with each repeated verse. While Beyoncé danced and clapped along, the camera panned the crowd projecting live images of the audience on the giant LED screens.
The next transition was an introduction to Pure/Honey, Beyoncé's incredibly talented background singers with a cover of Diana Ross's "Love Hangover" in a vocal performance reminiscent of Hercules' muses.
Beyoncé re-emerged in a large clamshell wearing one of the most signature tour looks, the hand print Loewe bodysuit. As she sang "Plastic Off The Sofa" and "Virgo's Groove," Les Twins danced. In viral TikTok videos, many viewers were confused by their seemingly mismatched dancing during her slower ballads. If you actually pay attention to their movement, you'll notice their true musicality and that they dance along to the underlying beats, not to the vocals.
Making the audience join in again, Beyoncé instructed everyone to make their fans clack, and the entire Dome was in echo as she performed "Heated." The next transition saw her return in a red version of the Loewe jumpsuit with red chrome balloon bra and brought us to what would become the envy of many of less fortunate cities. New Orleans was one of the few blessed with "The Big Three," a term that refers to getting a performance of "Thique," "All Up In Your Mind," and the Dubai version of "Drunk In Love."
Earlier this year Beyonce blessed the grand opening of Dubai's new luxury resort Atlantis The Royal with a performance in which she delivered a new closing riff to "Drunk In Love." This secret performance was not supposed to be recorded, but of course it made its rounds on the internet and has become a widely admired and hoped for performance. She looked into the audience and asked "You ready?" Before belting out the flawless run and backing onto a riser that lifted her up with surrounding fireworks reminiscent of the Dubai setup.
The final section sees Queen Bey return as, well... the Queen Bee in a bee costume to perform the Kendrick Lamar remixed version of "America Has A Problem." Flanked by Les Twins, they hit choreography together, before they dart off to center change. One twin blesses himself with the sign of the cross before they hurriedly climb poles towering several yards over the audience with animal like precision, strap in and swing back and forth so far as to almost be able to touch the crowd below.
While Beyoncé changes into her closing look, the audience is treated to a ballroom dance break featuring a few of her dancers Darius Hickman, Amari Marshall, Aakilah Cornelius and Honey Balenciaga with solos.
Beyoncé returns to stage in a silver bodysuit and floor length cape for her finale "Summer Renaissance" in which ascends over the crowd on Reneigh, the silver chrome horse from the album cover. She levitates over the length of the stadium floor making shoutouts before returning to the stage being joined and embraced by the rest of her crew, including her daughter Blue Ivy, for a thank you and good night.
Due to scheduling conflict, a rescheduled date made Kansas City the final stop of the tour. Bringing a close to Act I, at the end of that show, the trailer for the upcoming film "Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé" was released. The film, which shows footage from tour and the process leading up to it, will show in AMC theaters beginning December 1. When Beyoncé said "YOU are the visual, baby" she did not lie.
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