Beyoncé Cowboy Carter Tour Review: Star's UK Shows Are Off To A Strong Start

Beyoncé on stage in Houston last yearThe UK leg of Beyoncé’s current Cowboy Carter tour is off to a triumphant start.On Thursday, the Grammy-winning superstar kicked off the first of six dates scheduled across the next two weeks at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where she last played two years ago in support of her hit album Renaissance.In the lead-up to the gigs, much had been made in the press about Beyoncé’s London shows not being sold out, which has been put down to both the hefty ticket prices (it’s currently £225 to stand on Ticketmaster if you fancy a last-minute purchase) and less interest from music fans in her country-inspired Cowboy Carter album than its predecessor, the dance-centric Renaissance.However, if there were less people in the stadium than on the Texas Hold ’Em singer’s previous live shows, you certainly couldn’t feel it on Thursday, where the energy was every bit as electric as you’d hope from a star of Beyoncé’s stature.Building on the Renaissance Tour, the show boasted gorgeous country music-inspired costumes, pioneering tech and dazzling visuals that stopped everyone in their tracks, while the Cowboy Carter-heavy setlist felt even more powerful and defiant when set against the current political climate more than a year on from the album’s release.The singer even took a few first-night mishaps – including a wardrobe malfunction and a few minor technical snags – in her stride, proving what a pro she is. Even the typical British weather didn’t deter Beyoncé, who celebrated how “good” the rain felt during a brief downpour in the middle of one song.By the time she flew over the audience in a convertible for her penultimate number, the 2024 hit 16 Carriages, there wasn’t a jaw in sight that wasn’t on the floor. Here’s a selection of what else the critics have been saying about Beyoncé’s first night in London…The Times (4/5)“Beyoncé’s smile had the charisma to light up a stadium. Her voice was spot on too, hitting the high notes for Love on Top and reaching operatic grandeur on Daughter. By the time she was flying about the stadium on a giant horseshoe you could only think: if Beyoncé wants to redefine the country world, and make it appealing to an all ages, all races audience, who are we to stop her? This was an extravaganza for the history books.”The Guardian (4/5) “You don’t have to buy into some of the more hysterical claims made on Beyoncé’s behalf by her most ardent supporters to find the show variously moving, powerful, relevant and hugely enjoyable, to think it casts the material from her most recent album in a different light and lends it more potency in the process – or, indeed, to think that those who chose to skip on buying tickets might have missed out.”The Telegraph (5/5) “Nobody in pop can touch her [...] We hear a lot about soft power these days, but in terms of cultural heft and sheer firepower, American superstar Beyoncé hit Britain soft and hard. It was a show of spectacle and seduction, of bone-rattling volume and heart-beating musicality, of surprisingly hard-hitting politics and uplifting emotion.”The Mirror (5/5) “On top she is, from flawless vocals and choreography and a seamless blend of bold stunts and spectacular visuals. In one section, the Texas native climbs on top of a gold-plated bucking mechanical bull as she gyrates and gets thrown from side to side without missing a note.”BBC News“Every element of the performance was flawless, from the 43-year-old superstar’s stunning array of costume changes (each one featuring more rhinestones than the last) to the seamless transitions between songs and musical themes.”Beyoncé will be performing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 7, 10, 12, 14 and 16 June.READ MORE:9 Huge Moments From Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour That Have Really Got People TalkingBeyoncé's Stunned Reaction To Winning Best Country Album At The Grammys Was Just Epic'It Scared Me': Beyoncé Shares Her Honest Take On Those AI-Generated Covers

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