Beyonce shines and thrills in Minneapolis
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By Bora | Carbon Sound
Hope you weren’t trying to get into Dinkytown on Thursday night. Almost every exit leading to the east side of Minneapolis was in a deadlock. What else is to be expected on Bey Day? Yes, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz proclaimed Thursday, July 20, 2023, as ‘Bey Day’ in the city.
As the sun began to set in the Twin Cities, tens of thousands of people trickled into Huntington Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. The audience had only time to excitedly wait for Beyoncé since there was no opener.
The Queen B finally appeared on stage with a simple acknowledgment, “Minneapolis.” The crowd erupted. She wore a bodysuit with sequins in the shape of the horse seen on the cover of 2022’s “RENAISSANCE.” The set was transformed into what could have been a real-life club renaissance. With what could have been a million shimmers, the stage twinkled endlessly.
Throwing it way back, Beyoncé opened her show with “Dangerously in Love.” Straightaway she utilized her signature vibrato style of singing. In between songs she took a couple of minutes to turn on her Southern charm and greet the audience properly.
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She continued, “this [next] song is about embracing life.” You could see the emotions she was feeling as she sang “Flaws and All.” Maintaining the slow, romantic energy she walked across the stage and sat on the piano as if she was performing at an intimate venue. Smiling, she performed “1+1” off her “4” Album.
Picking up the pace ever so slightly with drums beating so loud nearby neighborhoods got a second-hand experience of the concert, Beyonce segued into a passionate performance of “I Care.” With support from her female trumpet players, backup singers, and band, the song had dynamic layers that would inspire even someone who didn’t know the lyrics to belt out the power ballad.
Before the intermission, she described the upcoming song as “one of [her] favorites, by [her] hero, Tina Turner.” While making it her own, she sang “River Deep - Mountain High” in memoriam of the rock icon.
During the first break, humongous “RENAISSANCE” imagery on stage transported the crowd through a portal into another dimension. Every sonic wave coming out the venue could be felt through your body. The music from “I’M THAT GIRL” played subliminally. Gradually, the music began to crescendo and become noticeable. Robot arms removed segments of Beyoncé’s metal suit and she came out to say, “Welcome to the renaissance.”
After a copacetic nonstop performance of songs from “RENAISSANCE,” Bey disappeared once more. Rings of light covered the stadium and the jumbo screen showed the galaxy. Two masked dancers were revealed to be the Les Twins, the troupe dancing with Beyoncé for years, to entertain the crowd.
In the shadows, she recited the lyrics of “CUFF IT” line by line. Dressed in Barbie-core, Bey emerged to make another grand entrance. It was reminiscent of her 2018 Coachella performance where she utilized a flight of stairs. From the top of the steps, she took the crowd to church – if it was secular, funkified, and disco-themed.
Prematurely teasing fans with music from “Move,” she unexpectedly performed “Energy” and “Break My Soul” next. A blow-up horse larger than life materialized on stage. During a second rendition of “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé gave her flowers to various Black women in music across eras.
As the beginning of “Formation” played, she and her crew were ready to kill in red with everyone dropped out in crimson. Seamlessly the music transitions to “Diva.” Once more, the music transitioned into a blend of “Diva” and “I Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert. She and her dancers then hit the shuttle move associated with that song.
For “Power” a familiar face appeared. Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 11-year-old daughter, joined the group of dancers. She has been performing with her mother for most tour stops. Her flawless execution of the choreography has become a fan favorite on social media. The crowd was audibly happy to see her perform in Minneapolis.
While the audience was distracted by Blue dancing front and center, Beyoncé hopped on a metallic tank. From the top of the vehicle, she proceeded to sing “Black Parade,” and then her verse from “Savage” and “Partition.”
The stage was dressed like a cathedral with Bey’s backup singer in choir clothes to match. Appropriately, the next song she performed was “Church Girl.” The crowd stood still when she sang the last couple lines of Maze and Frankie Beverly’s “Before I Let Go” in acapella. This slowed down the pace for the next rack, “Rather Die Young.”
Mic stands were arranged in similar fashion to how they were in the “Love On Top” music video. This was a set up to sing that very song next. The crowd joined in to sing the chorus. Sans music, the audience sang the lyrics back to Beyoncé raising the pitch every single time as intended.
Beyoncé reappeared from inside a seashell coated in sparkles while singing “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA,” co-written by the Internet’s Syd. Almost like a siren, she entranced the crowd while effortlessly singing vocal runs. For mash-up of “Naughty Girl” and “VIRGOS GROOVE” she literally and figuratively came out of her shell to give a sexy performance of the tracks.
“If you got your fans, I want you to pull them out,” said Beyoncé, encouraging the audience to wave their fans, an accessory popularized in ballroom culture. While singing the lyrics, “I gotta fan myself off,” during “HEATED” she dramatically waved a fan and pretended to cool herself down.
After performing “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” Bey’s dance crew formed a circle and a started a mini ballroom performance. Several of her dancers showed off their flipping, vogueing, duck walk, death drop and twerking skills. Given the “RENAISSANCE” album’s heavy influences from ballroom and queer culture, it was nice to see these performers showcased.
Straight off her “RENASSANCE” album cover, Beyoncé emerged on a silver horse. The end has come. Shining brightly, she began floating while saddled on the inanimate animal. She looked mystical while saying “I hope you guys has the best night.”