Watching Beyoncé — one of music’s greatest living entertainers — perform onstage feels like basking in the sight of waves at the beach. The serenity and spontaneity are immediately arresting, regardless of how many times you’ve seen it.
Across her nearly 30-year career, the singer has elevated the art of performance to a masterful extravaganza that feels tangible and triumphant — and still a long way from what even the most heralded stars can attempt.
During her return to Atlanta on Thursday night, her first of four shows in the city, Beyoncé transformed Mercedes-Benz Stadium into a grand hoedown. A holy showdown. A downtown rodeo that centered reclamation and protest. For a whopping 40 songs performed over three hours, Mrs. Cowboy Carter dazzled in stars, stripes and struts.
Credit: Julian Dakdouk
Credit: Julian Dakdouk
When Beyoncé announced her Cowboy Carter Tour in February, the decision felt a bit belated (much like her 2025 Grammy win for album of the year, only the third Black woman to get the honor). “Cowboy Carter”— the star’s recent LP that featured a bold reimagining of country and folk music— was nearing its first anniversary. It started to feel like a thing of the past.
“Renaissance,” her 2022 offering and first of a three-album series, ruled the dance floor and centered an emancipatory pride that sounded fresh even when honoring the house and LGBTQ icons of the past. “Cowboy Carter,” the second act, often leaned too heavily on the muddied complexities of American patriotism.
What else could she add to the story?
When Beyoncé hit the stage around 8:15 p.m., the answer became clear: a doubling-down on the freedom and fury that encompassed her music all along. The concert became a boisterous pledge of allegiance to Beyoncé’s indomitable career.
Fittingly, she opened the show with “American Requiiem,” dressed in a sparkly white two-piece underneath a white fur shawl. On “Cowboy Carter,” the track is a standout for its antagonistic ethos laced in her grandiose vocals. When performed live, Beyoncé’s vengeance becomes paramount and even inspiring.
Not long after, the words “Never ask for permission for something that already belongs to you” appeared on the stage screen. On its surface, the lesson feels like the focus of “Cowboy Carter,” but it becomes apparent that it’s also the thesis of Beyoncé’s sterling repertoire.
Credit: Greg Noire
Credit: Greg Noire
The words quickly disappeared, and Beyoncé immediately performed the cathartic “Freedom,” her 2016 single featuring Kendrick Lamar. On “Ya Ya,” the “Cowboy Carter” track that best illuminates the depths of her vocal acrobatics, she embodied the spirit of her musical forbears (Tina Turner, Chuck Berry) while greeting fans and sermonizing the strength of her artistry.
In a twist, she remixed the song with her 2008 tune “Why Don’t You Love Me?” But Beyoncé is far removed from being interested in the answer to the song’s title. Instead, she gloats in the power that the love she has for herself and from others is more than enough.
She breezed through other songs, including “America Has a Problem, ”Spaghettii,” “Formation” and “My House” that proved to be a high-octane, conceit-driven start to the show. Beyoncé is at her best when she wades in effortless braggadocio.
Slower moments arrived when she performed songs that were sufficient transitional tracks at best but unnecessary “Cowboy Carter” fillers at worst (I’m talking to you ”Alliigator Tears," “Just for Fun” and “Flamenco”). Like on the album, these songs didn’t add much.
The show’s momentum reemerged when she flaunted her sexier soundscapes. Fan favorite “II Hands II Heaven,” found the singer caressing her body like a work of art. In turn, she made the crowd feel the same about their own bodies while encouraging them to sing along. For “Tyrant,” she sat on a golden mechanical bull that emphasized the song’s coital pleasures.
She transitioned to “Renaissance” track “Thique” while sitting under a hair dryer, leaning into the nostalgia of Destiny Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills” (co-written by Atlanta’s Kandi Burruss).
Later in the show, Beyoncé performed older hits like “Single Ladies,” “Love on Top” and “Irreplaceable” — offering a vital throwback moment for her Day 1 fans.
One of the best moments of the night harkened back to the recent past of “Renaissance,” when she reminded fans of the glory and grandeur that marked one of her best albums to date. Somehow, songs like “I’m That Girl,” “Cozy” and “Alien Superstar” felt even more potent and celebratory than when they debuted three years ago.
The depths of Beyoncé’s performance mastery isn’t just marked by stunning vocals and song selection. It’s in the details, too. The night’s eye-popping visuals included scenes featuring a giant Beyoncé taking over the world’s major cities to the tune of “The Largest,” a hit by Texas rapper BigXthaplug. For “Daughter,” an Italian opera-inspired song, she donned a princess-like dress that changed colors with each impressive note. And at one point, a visual showed Beyoncé indulging in her own peep show.
Credit: Julian Dakdouk
Credit: Julian Dakdouk
Cameos from her daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi were heartwarming and showed off their confidence — especially when they participated in the viral “Innit” dance trend, inspired by a song by Atlanta’s BunnaB and YKNiece.
But the night’s main spectacle occurred at the very end, with the return of “16 Carriages” to the setlist.
She hadn’t performed the song since her June 28 Houston show last month, when her flying car malfunctioned as she sang. For the tour’s Atlanta debut, she swapped the Cadillac for a golden horse that hovered over the crowd as fans reveled in a visual montage of the superstar’s extensive career.
For Beyoncé, grappling with this country’s history is just as important as acknowledging the triumphs of your own history. As the 43-year-old ushers in the legacy act era of her career, remixing her past as a guide to the future is a fresh, alluring skill.
The star will continue her Atlanta takeover tonight, Sunday and Monday. Resale tickets and several tickets with obstructed views are still available.
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