The Renaissance World Tour was one of the biggest events of the year — alongside you-know-who’s concurrent tour — and created so many moments, we’ve decided to recap some of the best.
Beyoncé Trolls Her Fans Over “The Visuals”
Ever since the release of the album, Beyoncé’s fans have pestered her for “the visuals.” It’s a function of the singer’s own productivity; thanks to her last two albums, Beyoncé and Lemonade, dropping with a slew of music videos attached, her fans have become accustomed to the idea that she’ll always do so. However, during the tour, she hit them with a reminder that “a queen moves at her own pace.”
Blue Ivy’s First Performance
Beyoncé may be one of the biggest stars on the planet, but it seems even she can be upstaged. The 11-year-old Blue Ivy stole the show the first time she popped out onstage, to run through the choreography behind her mom. And while there was some criticism of her performance, she worked hard and every time she returned to the stage, her improvement was more than evident.
Beyoncé Pays Tribute To Tina Turner
The world lost a legend this spring in Tina Turner. Her impact has left fingerprints on the artistry of generations of singers — including, of course, Beyoncé. So it was no surprise when she paid tribute to Turner’s legacy shortly after her death. But it was a surprise that she selected an underrated song from Turner’s catalog to do so. Where many might have expected Beyoncé to flip her wig to “Proud Mary,” she instead delivered a stirring rendition of “River Deep — Mountain High.”
Washington DC Wins The “Errbody On Mute” Challenge
As the tour wound its way across the United States, a pattern emerged. During Bey’s performance of “Energy,” when she sings “look around, errbody on mute,” the crowd joins in a quick game of “quiet coyote.” After Beyoncé’s stop at FedEx Field in Landover, she declared the DMV area fans the “eerbody on mute war winner.” Of course, this might have just been a thing she did every night on the tour, because she later crowned Atlanta with several weeks remaining on the route.
Beyoncé Fans Buy Out Every Silver Garment In The Country
Okay, so that header is a little dramatic — BUT, while it may lack total accuracy, it feels true in spirit. After Beyoncé asked fans to turn up to the last handful of shows decked out like disco balls, they responded in force, driving up Etsy shop sales 200% and giving this writer one hell of a weekend walking around LA as my girlfriend tried to find an outfit.
A Literal Baby Was Born During The Show
Hairspray actress Sarah Francis Jones got a unique souvenir from the tour stop in Inglewood: a new addition to her family. She wasn’t about to let a little thing like pregnancy stop her from seeing Beyoncé, but during the concert, it seems the unborn wanted a better view of the show. The baby popped out a little later but Jones certainly has one hell of a party story now.
So Many Special Guests
Not only did Kendrick Lamar and Diana Ross join Beyoncé on her birthday show, but the singer also got to perform her and Megan Thee Stallion’s massive smash “Savage” in front their hometown Houston crowd with the Hot Girl Coach herself.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.