Beyoncé kicked off her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit tour in Los Angeles on Monday, delivering a nearly three-hour performance that proved it certainly ain’t Queen Bey’s first rodeo.
The concert at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood was a celebration of Southern Black culture, freedom of expression and Beyoncé’s own family, with appearances by her two daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter.
Beyoncé’s approximately 35-song setlist spanned the Grammy-winner’s robust catalogue, as she performed songs from 2008’s “I Am… Sasha Fierce” to 2022’s “Renaissance” to, of course, last year’s “Cowboy Carter.”
Visuals projected on the giant LED screens on the stage showed, at one point, Beyoncé wearing a sash that read “Reclamation of America.” Other images included a scene of American flag-covered coffins with text that read “history can’t be erased.”
Pyrotechnics on each side of the stage went off for dramatic effect when Beyoncé first walked out, clad in an all-white fringed bodysuit, while opening the show with “American Requiem.”
She then paused to thank the audience for the support before singing her Beatles cover “Blackbiird.”
“I want to thank you, to my fans, for allowing me to make this album,” she said. “Thank you for giving me the creative liberty to challenge myself. Thank y’all for supporting it. It means so, so much.”
Beyoncé’s 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy danced with her mom front and center during “America Has a Problem.” Later on, while Beyoncé sang “Protector,” she brought out her younger daughter, Rumi, 7.
Beyoncé put on a show as big as Texas. She was served whiskey by a robot, flew through the air while suspended on a giant horseshoe, sang “Tyrant” on a mechanical bull and performed at a piano that was lit on fire. The Houston-native capped off the concert with a rousing rendition of “16 Carriages and “Amen” before taking her final bow.
Celebrities including Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King were seen in attendance.
“Cowboy Carter” released in March 2024 and features collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, among others.
The album broke several records on the Billboard charts and in January, Beyoncé took home a Grammy for album of the year.
Beyoncé will take her tour to Chicago on May 15 after her run in Los Angeles.
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