Beyoncé came to slay and boy did she. Descending on a miserable post-referendum UK, she brought fire, girl power and hope to the 90k capacity stadium not once but twice, stopping hearts and making lives. Storming out with her “Formation” of fierce ladies, she killed it from the offset and made us all want to dream it, work hard, and grind ’til we own it.
“My first concert I ever saw was Michael Jackson, and I started dreaming that one day I’d be in stadiums all the way in London,” she told the audience between songs. “I just wanna say thank you. Most of you guys met me with Destiny’s Child 19 years ago and I wanna say thank you for supporting me for so long and allowing me to grow and evolve. I love you, so much. Thank you to my BeyHive.”
Everything was perfect but highlights included: Bey presenting the mic to a fan during “Hold Up” and laughing to herself as they shouted “FUCK ME UP A BITCH” and it being almost as good as that Halo incident. And in “Drunk In Love” when she grinded all on the floor of the walkway and the visuals turned to a psychedelic blue and pink fluorescent mist, her a heavenly phosphorescent spirit. Not forgetting when, dressed in a gold glittery leotard with strong shoulders looking like an incredibly sexy C-3PO, she gave 90k people the hottest silhouetted chair dance ever to the sounds of “Rocket.” The home movie compilation featuring a 16-year-old Beyoncé showing off her birthday bellybutton piercing. Her cover of Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” that faded into “Purple Rain.” The “Love On Top” a capella turned full stadium singalong complete with phone lights looking like tens of thousands of glittering stars. Of course the “Freedom,” “Survivor,” and “End Of Time” compilation ft. paddling pool was furiously powerful too. But it was the twenty seconds of Bey skanking to Skepta and JME’s “That’s Not Me” that did it for us. She sure knows the way to our hearts. May everyone who was in that stadium this weekend carry a piece of her magic with them and continue to slay as they go forward in life with all of that fabulous merch.
Credits
Text Francesca Dunn
Images courtesy of Daniela Vesco / Parkwood Entertainment / AP Invision