The concert of Beyoncé & Jay-Z
And everything we thought about it
I can be brief: the concert of Beyoncé & Jay-Z in the Amsterdam Arena was brutal. Put the queen of R&B together with the king of hip-hop in the Arena and you're guaranteed a night of going wild. It was intimate, a bit painful here and there, but above all, incredibly strong. Just like the hangover from today (cheap wine in plastic glasses is never a good idea), but hey, I'll just take that for granted. Couldn't get a ticket? These were the highlights of the On The Run II tour. So you were still a bit there.
They enter majestically, hand in hand
For a moment, it seems like the marital crisis never happened. The Arena goes wild and 50 thousand people start screaming (although, 50 thousand... in the first ring, there are still quite a few empty seats. This immediately becomes a thing on Twitter, because HOW can that be while so many people want to?). The crowd has apparently decided not to participate in the madness of the resellers who buy and sell at ridiculous prices. And rightly so. Still a shame about the seats.
The timing of this tour can be called downright spicy
It had been struggling for years. First there was the elevator incident, then the ‘Becky with the good hair story’ and then in 2016, the truth finally came out: he cheated on her. She gave him a piece of her mind on her last album ‘Lemonade’, he went on his knees and as a response made the album ‘4:44’ and now everything seems to be all good between the two. They are affectionate on stage and dance intimately. In love. Laughing.
And yet there comes a point where everything starts to feel a bit awkward
Beyoncé sings as powerfully as her husband raps. The whole thing is crystal clear, but when Beyoncé's old songs about infidelity like ‘Resentment’ are played (and he raps ‘I'm sorry, so sorry’ through it), it starts to feel a bit theatrical. I secretly get the feeling that the situation as it is is also being ‘strongly‘ milked. It is their incredibly strong performances that brutally push these thoughts aside. And the gigantic screen with ’This is real love‘ in the background helps quite a bit. Love is also pain, they sing. They end the song with a kiss.
The song ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde’ is a thing
Everything suddenly comes together. It is the collaboration that started their relationship fifteen years ago. They perform a number of songs together and take turns doing a solo round, allowing the other to change outfits. On Instagram, some dissatisfaction arises among fans because little of the new album is played (WHERE IS APESHIT?), but hey, if you ask me: those golden oldies that we can shake our butts to are still the best.
The clothing
As we are used to from Bey, a lot of leg and high cuts. We see a leopard suit with meter-high boots, a red glitter ensemble, several short bodysuits, and hats with high rolled collars that only make her eyes visible. Jay-Z goes from suit to bomber jacket, sweatpants to bulletproof vest? So.
I quickly find out that I, uh, don't know many songs by Jay-Z
Hits like ’99 Problems’ and ‘Public Service Announcement’ I can still mumble along to, but for the rest? It is clear that I came here for Beyoncé. I'm not the only one, by the way; it is a bit painful to feel the Beyhive getting impatient when Jay does two ‘whole’ songs in a row.
Máxima and Amalia were also in the Arena
The two would have gone wild in the VIP lounge to hits like ‘Drunk in Love’ and ‘Formation’. We totally get it. Who run the world?
What Beyoncé gets out of her throat is again unprecedented
This woman is not normal. That voice. Those hairs. Those dance moves (really the whole time, huh). Those buttocks. She looks straight into the camera during the song ‘Don't Hurt Yourself’ and everyone is momentarily silent.
Goosebumps moment 2.0
‘Forever Young’ they sing in the closing piece hand in hand. The room is dark. Countless mobile phones light up the Arena and for a moment everyone feels in love. My best friend and I toast and for a moment everything and everyone can be stolen from us. What a concert.
