I went to see Beyoncé perform in London - there was on unexpected thing I saw
Despite struggling to sell out a number of shows, the superstar has gone ahead with the world tour for her Cowboy Carter album.
Beyoncé is no doubt a name that's recognised around the world, and many will know her for hits like Crazy in Love or Single Ladies.
A household name in music and R&B, when the Texan singer released Cowboy Carter, her eighth studio album, that's packed with 27 songs inspired by the sound of country music, it was a surprising direction for the artist.
I'm not a huge country music fan, but I am a huge fan of Beyoncé, and while it wasn't my favourite album, I understood the significance of it. Speaking of the Black artists and history that have influenced the genre, it was a lesson for many fans like myself that weren't fully aware of the genres roots.
The significance of the album was no feat, seeing her becoming the first Black woman to top the US country charts, and winning Album Of The Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
But country music isn't to everyone's taste, even for Beyoncé's legion of loyal fans, so when she announced her world tour with the album only to see tickets failing to sell out, I wasn't totally surprised.
Having just attended her Renaissance world tour two years ago, I also decided to give Cowboy Carter a miss despite her adding extra dates on to her residency at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Chatter about slow ticket sales seemed to take centre stage ahead of her return, with The Standard reporting that none of her six shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had managed to sell out, and tickets had been given out to low income families in the borough.
While I'd initially decided to sit this tour out, rave reviews continued to pour in despite the poor ticket sales, and after watching enough Instagram stories of friends at the show, I was persuaded to get myself down to Tottenham, cowboy boots in tow.
Fast-forward to Tuesday evening, and I found myself in the crowd as the legendary star performed a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, kicking off the Cowboy Carter show.
Paying homage to country artists like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, and even The Beatles, the show was undoubtedly moving, proving a genre that's rich and diverse in talent.
A whopping 40-song setlist, predominantly featuring Cowboy Carter, along with some of her most adored hits like Irreplaceable and Diva, there was one aspect of this show that caught me off guard.
It wasn't her soaring through the sky in a pink Cadillac, her stunning outfits adorned with floor-length fur coats and Western-style chaps, or the fact that the stadium seemed to be packed with fans that shocked me the most; it was the presence of families and their young children.
More akin to a tribute than a concert, the show felt like an educational journey into the genre, and it was touching to witness the awe and excitement radiating from the children and families around me as the musician narrated a tale of African American musical history, of which she is undoubtedly a significant part.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Miley Cyrus, 32, jokes that she's become a 'cougar' while updating family on her romance
jokingly referred to herself as a 'cougar' while discussing her relationship with boyfriend Maxx Morando, who is six years younger than her. The 32-year-old Grammy winner — who recently made a surprise appearance at Beyonce's Paris concert — opened up about the topic on Thursday's episode of her mom Tish and sister Brandi's Sorry We're Cyrus podcast. The former Disney channel star has been linked with the 26-year-old drummer since 2021, while both her mom and older sister are also in relationships with younger men. Brandi, 38, is currently dating Matt Southcombe, 36, while Tish, 58, is married to Prison Break actor Dominic Purcell, 55. The Flowers songstress stated, '[Maxx] will be 27 when I turn 33, which I'm so excited for him to turn 27 because that was such a great year for me. 'I'm just hoping that, as long as he follows in my footsteps, everything is going to be great. That's right when I started turning my life around.' Miley also pointed out that she is 'the landslide' of all three due to her age gap from Maxx being the most. She later said, 'Me and Maxx... sometimes we're only four [years apart] for three days. We're only a couple of days apart. 'He's a Scorpio [and] so is his grandfather, that's what makes Maxx just so cool because he can sting. Like, very cool [and they] think that they're little angels until it turns around and they got a sting.' The performer continued, 'I couldn't be with someone [who] doesn't sting. They would have been toast already.' Cyrus and Morando first began dating after they went on a blind date back in 2021 and their romance was officially confirmed the following year. During a past interview with British Vogue in 2023, the actress expressed: 'Well, it was blind for me and not really for him. I thought, "The worst that can happen is I leave."' The couple mainly keep their relationship out of the public eye, but have been spotted at a few events this year. Back in March, Miley and Maxx were seen walking the red carpet together at the 97th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood. Later that evening, the pair also stopped by Vanity Fair Oscars Party. One month prior, the two stars also attended the SNL50: The Anniversary Special in NYC as well as the Homecoming Concert alongside Miley's mother Tish Cyrus. And just last week, the lovebirds were seen enjoying a lowkey outing together in Malibu. Cyrus has previously talked about her and Maxx's age gap during an interview with Harper's Bazaar late last year. 'He looks at life really differently than I do,' she said, before adding, 'He grew up with a laptop. I had a desktop computer that I shared with my brothers and sisters.' Despite him being younger, the singer explained, 'He's very similar to me. We just don't take life too seriously.' Also during her podcast appearance this week, Miley made the allegations that her Hannah Montana co-star Mitchel Musso had smoked pot on set, which he soon shut down. 'Well, that's not how I remember it,' Musso expressed in a statement to E! News. 'However, I've got plenty of stories from those years that might be worth having a conversation about. 'If we're revisiting Hannah Montana history — just say the word,' he continued, before emphasizing that he had no hard feelings towards the performer. 'All love to Miley and the fam, even when the rewrites get this creative,' Mitchel concluded to the outlet. Cyrus and Musso had worked alongside other stars on the Disney channel series including her dad Billy Ray, Emily Osment, Jason Earles and Moises Arias. The show was a hit and aired on the network for a total of four seasons - and also spawned concert films and other projects such as Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). The show also garnered a number of accolades during its time on the air, such as receiving four Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Children's Program. Along with Hannah Montana, Mitchel is also known for his roles in the animated series Phineas And Ferb as well as Disney XD's Pair Of Kings. However, he was written out of the latter after his arrest in 2013 for DUI suspicion - and had also been driving while intoxicated under the legal age since he was age 20 at the time of the incident. In 2023, he was arrested for public drunkenness and allegedly stealing a bag of chips from a motel in Texas. Later that same year, the two major charges of public intoxication and theft were dropped. During Miley's appearance on the Sorry We're Cyrus podcast which dropped on Thursday, she cleared the air about what went down behind the scenes of Hannah Montana. When a fan wrote in asking, 'What's a core memory from the Hannah Montana days that still makes you laugh?' Miley didn't miss a beat, replying, 'Dad smoking pot and everyone blaming me for it,' and her sister Brandi quickly confirmed, 'I do remember that.' The Flowers hitmaker pointed to Tish and added, 'And he wasn't sharing, 'cause this one wasn't toking yet.' Tish - who's since been open about her marijuana use - chimed in with a laugh, recalling how she tried to defend Billy Ray at the time: 'They were calling me saying 'B-Ray' was smoking pot and I was like, "Absolutely not, he would never do that!"' The trio then cracked up as they joked about Miley's former Hannah Montana castmate Mitchel Musso taking the blame instead. Back in January, Tish opened up about why she stopped smoking weed, despite previously embracing her status as a self-proclaimed stoner. Miley also recently unpacked a decade's worth of family drama and trauma and revealed how she mended all of her fences. She grew up to be a global pop star in her own right, though she revealed on last Tuesday's episode of Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, her road to fame was filled with family strife. Cyrus teased the whole family went through a, 'really difficult, dark decade' but they were able to get through it. But the star revealed on the podcast that the family was able to mend their fences without therapy.
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Nobody's Child knocks 50% off heatwave friendly dresses
Shoppers can bag big savings on the brand's beautiful summer dresses in the latest sale Nobody's Child has launched an epic sale in time for summer, with beautiful dresses slashed down to half price - and they're selling fast. The Red Jojo Sweetheart Maxi Dress was £69 but has dropped down to £35 in the sale. The stylish dress comes in sizes 4 to 18 in both petite and regular lengths catering to both short and taller customers. There's a classic V-neck allowing shoppers to flaunt any jewellery and romantic ruffles that soften the look. It's designed to be semi-fitted with the underbust seams that dropped down to the waist for a flattering look. It's said to be true to size and although there aren't any reviews on the Nobody's Child website it does appear to be selling quickly. New Look has a similar dress available with the Red Bow Tie Back Midi Dress, which has a plunging neckline and open back. This can make it less accessible for those with bigger busts who want to discreetly wear their bras. The £31.99 dress is available in more sizes, running up to a size 22. The Nobody's Child's sale also includes the beautiful Black Gingham Bow Detail Dallas Midi Dress, which is down to £45 from £89. The pretty dress features a square neckline and relaxed fit that is ideal for hot summer days and eating out. The tie-strap detailing adds a whimsical charm to the dress that will make shoppers stand out in a crowd and it even features pockets for easy storage on the go. For those who like the gingham dress style with the shoulder tie but want something a little shorter, Shein has a Checkered Shoulder Tie Ruffle Hem Mini Dress for £16.49 in a range of colours including black, blue and yellow. There's also a longer A-Line Midi Dress in a similar style to Nobody's Child's offering, although it does have a high neckline. The full Nobody's Child sale can be shopped here. The brand has a TrustPilot score of 3.4 stars, with many wearers praising the brand's dresses for 'feel-good' and 'comfortable fabric'. There are, however, a few shoppers online that said they struggled to find their right size. As one person said: "One was far too small (all size 16) I'm usually a 14. One had very loose elastic for the top of the dress, which made my boobs look dreadful and unsupported."
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Zak Starkey teams up with Paul McCartney and John Lennon's sons as they work on 'The Beatles kids' after he was sacked from The Who again
Zak Starkey has teamed up with Paul McCartney and John Lennon 's sons as they work on 'The Beatles kids' after he was sacked from The Who again. The son of Ringo Starr, 59, was fired from the band last month, just one month after he was sacked then quickly reinstated. He has now revealed that he is working on new music with Sean Lennon and James McCartney and they have collaborated on a song. Speaking in a new interview, Zak admitted that the idea was something he had avoided for fears of being 'judged forever.' He told The Sun: 'I thought it was a daft idea. But I've got to know James well over the last decade and Sean over the last five years and we have become great friends. 'Their music is great. I had a track called Rip Off and as we were communicating a lot I asked them to contribute.' Zak added: 'We were nervous in case there was no chemistry but there was loads and it sounded great. James' voice powerful it nearly blew me off my seat.' Sean, 48, is the second child of the late icon John, while James, 47, is Paul's only son and youngest child, who he welcomed with his late ex-wife Linda Eastman. In May, The Who guitarist Pete Townshend took to Instagram to announce that Zak, drummer since 1996, was no longer part of the band. But Zak quickly took to his own social media to claim that his departure was not a mutual decision and that he was fired from the band. His sacking comes just months ahead of the legendary bands farewell tour across North America and Pete revealed Scott Devours will replace him on drums. The statement from Pete read: 'After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change. A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' In a second post, Pete and Roger Daltrey added: 'The Who are heading for retirement, whereas Zak is 20yrs younger and has a great future with his new band and other exciting projects. 'He needs to devote all his energy into making it all a success. We both wish him all the luck in the world.' They continued: 'Scott Devours – Who fans will know him from Roger's solo shows – will be replacing Zak. We hope all our fans will welcome him. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey'. Resharing The Who's post, Zak hit back: 'I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endeavours this would be a lie. 'I love the who and would never had quit. So I didn't make the statement ….quitting The Who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going 'in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox x. 'To clarify "other projects" yes I do have other projects and always have. The Who have been sporadic or minimalist in touring most years apart from a two extensive tours in 2000 and 2006/7.' Zak continued to list his other previous projects before adding: 'Releasing singles but not touring cos members are so busy. None of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them. 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who- I didn't. I love the who and everyone in it.' Zak again took to his Instagram account to share that his version of events had been contradicted yet again after a phone call with The Who singer-guitarist Roger. Zak said Roger told him he hadn't actually been fired and instead 'retired to work on his own projects'. Resharing The Who's post, Zak hit back: 'I was fired and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endeavours this would be a lie' He wrote: 'NOISE&CONFUSION!!!! I had a great phone chat with Roger at the end of last week which truly confused both of us!!! 'Rog said I hadn't been 'fired'…I had been 'retired' to work n my own projects. I explained to Rog that I have just spent nearly 8 weeks at my studio in Jamaica completing these projects, that my group Mantra Of The Cosmos was releasing one single at the beginning of June and after that had run its course ( usually 5/6 weeks ) I was completely available for the foreseeable future…. 'Rog said "Oh!" and we kind of left it there- On good terms and great friends as we have always been. 'Gotta love these guys. As my mum used to say "The mind boggles!!!" XXX.' It comes weeks after The Who .
