Two weeks ago my friends and I boarded a train from Oxford to Paris. Why? We were going to see Beyonce and Jay-Z perform their last concert of the On The Run Tour! Were we crazy? Definitely! Crazy in love with these performers.
What one wears to a Beyonce concert is a huge issue in America. After much contemplation, I went with a backless fushia silk top over some Top Shop destroyed skinny jeans and chunky black heels (so as to be able to see over everyone. I packed some Doctor Scholls' jellies just in case. To say I stuck out like a soar thumb is an understatement. All the Parisians had decided to wear black and white, to compliment the tour merchandise.
When arrived at the stadium and I made a bey-line (get it?) for the merch booth, in hopes of buying a t-shirt. My dreams were crushed as I saw that least expensive shirt available was still thirty five euros, meaning, over sixty American dollars. This would be frustration number one of the evening.
Frustration number two correlated to an email the group received which put us under the impression that the concert began at 6:30pm. This was due to the filming of the concert by HBO! However, we waited in line for two hours just to enter the gates at 7pm. This was followed by running across the stadium to get as close the stage as possible. While we did manage to get an awesome spot (maybe twenty people away from the stage), we still had to wait an additional two hours for the concert to start! Needless to say, my heels were not on for the entirety of the waiting process.
The concert formally began with a video introducing the crowd to the theme of the concert, Bonnie and Clyde. This was a reference to one of the very first songs they recorded together back in 2003, also called Bonnie & Clyde. The two travel through desert towns in vintage cars and serve as paradoxical lovers. Beyonce and Jay-Z appeared between two panels, through a cross. As was the token of the tour promotion, Queen Bey appeared in a black robber's mask (but a couture one).
The concert consisted of seamless integration of songs by each artist (including those they did together), phenomenal dance routines and costumes, as well moving footage. One of the videos included was a reiteration of Beyonce's definition of feminism or "an individual who believes in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes". The crowd went wild.
One of the great surprises of the concert was a guest appearance by Nicki Minaj. Minaj appeared through the floor so sing her verses of the Flawless*** remix in a full body spandex suit. As if seeing two amazing artists was not enough, suddenly a third appeared!
The concert ended with the couple singing Forever Young while videos of their relationship through the years played in the background. This included snaps of their engagement and wedding, followed by a montage dedicated to their daughter's first moments. Truly, it was a tearful experience. The emotional overload countinued as the artists thanked one another for their experiences sharing a stage. Beyonce said to her husband that she was his "biggest fan" and Jay-Z shared that he thought she was "the greatest entertainer of our time". The crowd definitely agreed with this.
The entire concert can be seen online (probably from a sketchy website) because HBO's recording aired last week. It is worth the three hours, I promise.
Leaving Oxford for Paris in the morning, I cannot wait for my next Parisian adventure!
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