INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Lights, cameras, Beyoncé!
The superstar singer shined the brightest in a city full of Hollywood stars during the second night of her epic Renaissance Tour show on Saturday night. She once again packed the massive SoFi Stadium filled with concertgoers wearing gleaming silver outfits at the request of Beyoncé who asked fans to sport the silvery wardrobe for the last month of her spectacular tour.
The crowd included many entertainers and athletes: Viola Davis, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade and Kelly Rowland. Some returned for a second straight night to witness another dazzling show from the impeccable Beyoncé, who will celebrate her 42nd birthday on Monday - the final night of her three-show stint in Inglewood, California. Her previous show Friday night brought out Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, Pedro Pascal, Keke Palmer, Sofia Vergara, Brie Larson, Offset and Kris Jenner.
As usual, Beyoncé rose to the occasion as many of her BeyHive faithful tried to match her energy during her set lasting two and a half hours. Once she appeared onstage, it turned into a dance party served with a heavy dosage of self confidence, women’s empowerment and beaming pride.
For much of the night, most attendees on all levels hardly sat down in their stadium seats in Inglewood, California.
Beyoncé instantly recognized the crowd’s support. In return, she expressed her gratitude, calling many in the audience “beautiful faces.”
“I’m grateful to have this perspective and this view of all of you,” she said. “I’ve been able to do what I do for over 26 years — going on 27 years. It’s because of you. It’s because of your loyalty. It’s because of your prayers. I just want to say, ‘Thank you.’”
After her speech, Beyoncé let her show do the rest of her talking. She ran through a number of hits such as “Cuff It,” “Alien Superstar,” “Heated” and “Church Girl” from her critically acclaimed album “Renaissance,” which paid homage to the Black and gay pioneers of the house music genre. The album helped her win four Grammys and become the ceremony’s most decorated artist in history earlier this year.
She brought out her 11-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter to “My Power,” where she earned a rousing applause during her upbeat choreography set alongside her mother and backup dancers. Blue Ivy also danced down the stage aisle to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” before she cranked it up even more for her mother’s massive hit “Black Parade.”
While Beyoncé pumped her fist into air, Blue Ivy looked over the crowd in amazement and made a heart symbol with her hands in the same fashion as her father, Jay-Z, who is known for holding up his iconic Roc-A-Fella diamond hand sign.
“Thank guys for the love,” said Beyoncé, who happily praised her daughter’s performance. “I just want to acknowledge the alien. You’ve been to a lot of shows and you are committed. You are killing it superstar. Everybody say, ‘Hey, Ms. Carter.’”
Of course, the crowd obliged.
Beyoncé performed more of her popular jams from “Formation,” “Break My Soul,” “Savage” and “Run the World (Girls).” Other highlights included a vogue dance session that kept the crowd entertained while she took one of her brief breaks.
Earlier, artists such as DJ Khaled and rapper Roddy Ricch opened for her.
Visually, Beyoncé captivated the audience with her various wardrobes and massive screen on stage that gave all audience members in the stadium a good view of her performance. She once sat on a glittering horse — similar to the one on her “Renaissance” album cover — that seemingly glided in the air.
In closing, Beyoncé went airborne again — this time in a harness — as confetti sprouted out from the stage.
“I want to thank y’all for giving me so much energy tonight,” she told the cheering crowd. “I love y’all so much. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Thank you for your beautiful signs. Thank you for your beautiful wardrobes. I love you deep.”
