Beyoncé concluded her star-studded Renaissance tour on Oct. 1 in Kansas City, Missouri, after making 57 stops across Europe and North America.
Her latest album, Renaissance, was released in July 2022 and immediately garnered international success and critical acclaim due to its influences from ’70s ballroom culture and ’80s disco. The tour was nothing less than perfection, breaking musical barriers and proving once again why we all love Queen Bey.
Now that it’s over, I feel empty inside. Nonetheless, I won’t let that “Break My Soul.” So, here are five of my favourite moments from the Renaissance tour.
1. Blue Ivy and the “Ivy League”
Blue Ivy Carter, a young superstar and Beyoncé’s oldest daughter, made her debut performance on the Renaissance tour.
Carter was an unexpected asset to her mother’s tour, as Beyoncé has been private when sharing details regarding her children. It shocked fans to see her mini-me joining her mom on stage.
The 11-year-old is no stranger to the limelight, gaining confidence with each performance of “My Power” from Beyoncé’s album, The Lion King: The Gift.
I shed a tear looking at the relationship between mother and daughter on stage and her relationship with the fans. During the Germany leg of the tour, fans brought blue balloons to celebrate her performance. Blue Ivy was consistently dripped out in the latest fashion, ranging from Ivy Park, custom Louis Vuitton Designs and matching Camo outfits with her mom.
After this tour, I am now a proud member of the Ivy League, and I am excited to see what the future holds for this young queen.
2. H-Town Hottie Performance
The ultimate highlight of the tour was when Megan Thee Stallion joined Beyoncé on stage to perform their remix of Stallion’s hit song “Savage” in their home state of Texas. I have never been more jealous of the fans who witnessed this live.
Beyoncé shut it down for her hometown, constantly reminding the audience she’ll always be a southern girl at heart. Beyoncé and Megan wore matching sequined camo outfits that dazzled as they performed. Being the ultimate fangirl, I rushed to X (formerly known as Twitter) to watch all the videos I could — taking in the Black excellence.
After the performance, Megan wrote on Instagram, “Bey said Htown sister!!! Like hello? I love you, Queen.”
3. Renaissance ballroom performance
It’s without a doubt that Beyoncé’s Renaissance album has influences from house music and ballroom culture. She beautifully represented the LGBTQ+ community, dedicating the album to her Uncle Johnny, who passed away from AIDs.
Beyoncé wrote in a letter, “A big thanks to my Uncle Johnny; he was my Godfather and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album.”
Queer icons such as Grace Jones, Big Freedia, and Honey Dijon were notable features on the album, which unlocked a new musical journey for Beyoncé and her fans. Queen Bey had an act in her show to appreciate ballroom culture. The Pure Honey section was lined with Beyoncé’s dancers all voguing.
The dance originated in the 1980s and has slowly found its way into mainstream media from its original Harlem roots. It was designed for Black queer communities to express themselves through dance and fashion. It continues to be a testament to freedom.
4. “The Mute Challenge”
The mute challenge became a huge discussion topic on X. In each city where Beyoncé performed, fans looked forward to partaking in the challenge. The Europe leg of the tour got hate from the BeyHive for not being able to follow the song’s instructions.
“Energy” ft. Beam was the fifth song on the album. Personally, upon my first listen, it wasn’t my favourite, and quite frankly, it still isn’t. The words, “Look around everybody on mute,” are followed by silence from the crowd.
Celebrities started to partake in the challenge. Tracee Ellis Ross wrote on Instagram, “I muted y’all! WHAT A SHOW.”
If I could rate the top five cities to win the challenge, they would be Toronto, followed by Washington DC, Atlanta and New Orleans. Houston took the crown, representing Queen Bey’s hometown and putting other cities and countries to shame.
5. Beyoncé’s custom designer looks
The Renaissance tour had the best fashion I have seen from any celebrity tour — brands such as Balmain, Telfar, Diesel, Mugler, Alexander McQueen and other notable names got the privilege to dress Queen Bey.
Most designs pay homage to ’80s disco, consisting of sequences, frills, and glitter. My favourite Beyoncé tour look was her blue Vera Wang bodysuit she wore in Vancouver.
The BeyHive did not disappoint either, decked out in their favourite pieces from sequence cowboy hats, reflective tops and cowboy boots. Many fans even went as far as to recreate some of Beyoncé’s performance outfits — past and present. The Renaissance tour was more than a concert but a fashion show that allowed the fans to express their inner selves through fashion.
The Renaissance tour was one for the books as it solidified Beyoncé as not just a performer but an entertainer pushing boundaries, breaking records and inspiring a whole community.