On Saturday (August 3), Beyoncé brought The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, the first of three BK stops. Here’s what we learned from the Bey Experience
1. For some, Beyoncé’s latest tour seemed to be oddly titled—The Mrs. Carter Show sounded like Jay-Z’s wife defining herself through her man. But this outing couldn’t be more fittingly named. With her fourth solo album, 2011’s 4, Beyoncé stepped into the stable, marriage phase of her career and the music sounded like it (“Love On Top,” “1 + 1,” etc). Likewise, this show is familiar yet no less exciting. Bey still has fun, as the occasionally trill Ms. Perfect with a naughty streak she knows when to keep dormant. But more than ever, respect and legacy are on her mind. Mid-show, after “Crazy In Love,” she asked the crowd a rhetorical question: “Are y’all gon’ say, ‘I was at that Beyoncé concert 20 years ago’?” (My kid will hear about it everyday.)
2.That said, in between the body-roll tracks “Get Me Bodied” and “Baby Boy,” Bey instructed the audience to repeat “Heeyyy Ms. Carter” instead of “Mrs. Carter” (that doesn’t flow the same). It’s a minor detail, but addressing herself as “Ms.” momentarily masks her marital status.
3. Sadly, we didn’t get to see this nipple outfit, though Bey did debut a black-and-white, deep-V number (see above).
4. With no official music videos in rotation, the abstract scenes that played on a widescreen on stage are the newest visuals you’ll get from Bey. Some were basically moving versions of her Tumblr photos (Beyoncé on vacation. Beyoncé and her shadow walking along a narrow corridor). Others looked Illuminati-directed: One, soundtracked by African drums, reflected on power, as Bey asked: “Would you surrender? I can make you surrender… If you make the right selection, the passion intensifies like a drug. Are you high right now?” At one point, it got a little ominous. There was some silent screaming before Bey ended with: “You are a queen. No, a king.” Then “I Was A Boy,” spliced with Hit-Boy’s “Clique” beat.
5. This happened.
"You betta move that fan!" -Beyonce, scarred #MrsCarterTour
— Clover Hope (@clovito) August 4, 2013
NEXT PAGE: The Sexiest Part Of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour
Photo Credit: Twitter/BeyonceLite
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6. Beyoncé knows that touching any BeyHive members in the pit (the area closest to the stage) heals all physical and emotional wounds. Her concerts have been described as out-of-body experiences. The reason, aside from her vocals, is that it feels big and important. The Holy Ghost didn’t quite catch me, but one of the coldest chills (the same I got when Beyonce cat-walked out during her Super Bowl halftime performance) came in the opening sequence as “Run The World (Girls)” kicked off the show. The song has evolved from a questionable single to an epic anthem.
7. But “Grown Woman” was the one song that stuck in my head after the show ended.
8. The sexiest part of The Mrs. Carter Show: her performance of the Dream-penned ballad “1 + 1,” during which Bey dry-humped a piano in that blue sequin catsuit you’ve seen her in, somewhere on the Internet.
9. Beyoncé must know she’s a walking gif. Her banter wasn’t especially revealing or funny (“I’m actually a little bit nervous ‘cause I’m so happy to be on this stage,” she said), but her facial expressions made up for it, from the blank stare during “Why Don’t You Love Me” to the eye-batting (synchronized at one point to the audience’s chants) for “If I Were A Boy.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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10. Often lost in the theatrics and choreography of a Bey show is the fact that her voice is astounding. There are levels to it, whether it’s measured grace (her cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”), regal power (“Halo”) or runs that sound like her vocal chords are purring. If there’s anything to critique about a Bey concert, it’ll never be this. To boot, she was backed by a stellar trio of vocalists known as The Mamas.
11. Think about Beyoncé’s most timeless song. You might say “Crazy In Love,” but try not to start singing “Love On Top”—an oldie but goodie family-friendly wedding dance ballad—at annoying volumes. It’s the first song she belted out at the Super Bowl, followed by “Crazy In Love.”
12. The highlight of the pre-show soundtrack? “The Wobble.” Half the audience lost all composure and started dancing in sync as the other half watched in amazed confusion.
13. Trade you “I Care” and “I Was Here” for “Bow Down” and “Upgrade Ya.”
14.The slogan for this tour might as well be: “YASSSSS!”
15. “Halo” closed out the show, but the real finale was the exit ballad that played as concert-goers filed out: Drake’s “Girls Love Beyoncé.” It’s true. There’s barely anything to hate about Mrs. Carter or The Mrs. Carter Show because Beyoncé does not have time for that.
Photo Credit: Necole Bitchie