Beyonce’s ‘Renaissance Tour’
Beyonce went on an iconic world tour this Spring/Summer. The singer started in Europe in May and ended it recently on October. Fans got a sneak peak of what to expect on her tour when footage got leaked from her Dubai performance where she gave an iconic riff from one of her hits ‘Drunk in Love’. After the famous Dubai performance, fans were expecting visuals to come before the tour but were disappointed when there weren’t any released prior to the start of the Renaissance tour.
To take it back to last summer July 29, 2022 Beyonce released her Album ‘Renaissance’. It is a blend of disco and house music that pays tribute to the black gay pioneers of the genre. She mentions throughout the album her Uncle Johnny (whom the album is dedicated to) who introduced her to house music when she was younger. Johnny was an integral part of her childhood and she sadly saw him lose his life to HIV during the HIV/Aids epidemic.
Shocking many fans, ‘Renaissance’, although highly acclaimed, did not win album of the year, losing to Harry Styles’ album ‘Harry’s House’ in the 2023 Grammys. The album is sixteen songs long with various samples and features from artists such as Tems and the legendary Grace Jones.
Beyonce started out her tour in Stockholm to kick off her European leg. As the start of her 7th album states, she is “that girl” so of course she expects the Beehive to come out dressed to the nines!
All over social media fans showed off their silver, rodeo, renaissance inspired outfits. She even has a section on her website to highlight some of her and her team’s favorite outfits. Not only were her fans dripped out, Beyonce herself stunned in new outfits every tour date. From multiple fashion houses that included Gucci, Telfer, Valentino, Marc Jacobs and many more. When she said “It should cost a billion to look this good” she meant it.
The show itself lasts almost three hours and is jam-packed with visuals. The graphics themselves are absolutely stunning and immerse you when they take you to each act. Not only were the graphics amazing, so were the dancers. With world famous performers the Les Twins and well known ballroom performers like Honey Balenciaga.
The show starts off with The Signboard and Bey comes out of the stage with smoke serenading ‘Dangerously in Love’. She then goes to sing some older songs which include ‘1+1’, ‘Flaws and All’, a cover of ‘I’m Going Down’, ‘I Care’, and another cover of ‘River Deep, Mountain High’.
Then comes the second act Renaissance where she introduces songs from the ‘Renaissance’ where she starts off with ‘I’M THAT GIRL’, ‘COZY’, ‘ALIEN SUPERSTAR’, then a Jay Z and Kanye cover, also with a dance break by the Les Twins.
Next comes Motherboard With only three songs ‘CUFF IT’, ‘ENERGY’, and ‘BREAK MY SOUL’. The longest act was Opulence which was six songs long. Highlights include ‘Formation’, ‘Diva’ and ‘MY POWER’ where her daughter Blue Ivy joined her. Anointed comes next with a mix of songs from her albums some of which include ‘CHURCH GIRL’, ‘Love on Top’, and ‘Crazy in Love’. Anointed pt.2 has a cover of Diana Ross’ ‘Love Hangover’, along with ‘PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA’, ‘VIRGO’S GROOVE’, ‘Naughty Girl’, ‘MOVE’ and ‘HEATED’.
The Final act was Mind Control with just three songs: ‘AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM’, ‘PURE/HONEY’, and ‘SUMMER RENAISSANCE’.
All in all, Beyonce put on an unforgettable show and tour in general that will go down in history especially with all the stats it put up. The tour has become the highest grossing tour by a woman surpassing Madonna. Beyonce said it herself “Don’t even waste your time trying to compete with me.”
Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’
I think that if someone were to ask me my favorite part of June 10th, 2023, I wouldn’t be able to choose. Between spending hours getting ready with my two sisters in our amazing eras tour outfits, the car ride blasting our favorite Taylor Swift songs, or being at the concert,
If you aren’t a Swiftie (yet), I’ll fill you in on some details so you aren’t lost.
To honor Taylor Swift and her multiple genres and albums throughout her life, the Swifties dress up as different eras that Taylor has gone through. I personally choose Speak Now, one of her earlier albums. I chose Speak Now because she was rerecording that album, which was to be released a month or so after the concert.
One of my favorite things I got to do was make friendship bracelets the night before the concert. These bracelets consisted of many Taylor Swift songs, lyrics, and even inside jokes. The Swifties were instructed to make these bracelets in Taylor Swift’s song “You’re On Your Own, Kid” with the lyrics “So make the friendship bracelets.” At the concert, you find strangers trading different bracelets. It’s one of the ways the Swiftie community is so close.
Another memorable moment was standing in lines. Either waiting to get into the concert or just getting merchandise. I got to see so many Swifties in all of their clever and glamorous outfits. You could see the impact Taylor Swift has on people in the best way. Everyone I met in line was super sweet and just as obsessed with Taylor Swift as I am.
Of course, the actual concert will have to be my favorite part of the night. If there is one thing that you have to know, it’s that Taylor Swift is a performer. She engages with the audience in such a magical way that the whole night is interesting. One of my favorite performances had to be when she sang and performed “Tolerate It” (one of my personal favorite songs), from the album Evermore. You can see her real and authentic emotions when she performs. It feels raw, like I’ve known her my whole life. She makes it feel like she is just a friend telling me about her life story.
An overall ionic performance was a song probably everyone knows “You Belong With Me”. I know that song alone made me lose my voice. The way the crowd all screamed that song, from the ultimate Taylor Swift fan to even those who are just discovering her, everyone was connected.
Additionally, one of the things I look forward to most about the night will always stay with me. On the Eras tour, Taylor Swift obviously can’t play all of her songs (even though that would be amazing). She has a list of the songs that she doesn’t play called surprise songs. At every show, she plays at least two surprise songs, with no clue which two she could choose. Fans usually ruled out the ones she’s already played at previous concerts. We got blessed with the two songs “All You Had To Do Was Stay” from her 1989 album and “Breathe” from the album Fearless (Taylor’s Version).
As the night came to an end, the swifties took to the roads and filled them with their jewels, sparkles, and colorful era outfits. We all walked out together in awe of Taylor Swift and the magnificent and memorable performance we just got to see. Personally, I was speechless.
I know that Taylor Swift might not be for everyone, but you have to at least appreciate the way her fans are so dedicated to her and her music.
