Renaissance World Tour
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Beyoncé‘s Renaissance World Tour birthday show was easily one of the biggest events of the year — from a surprise appearance from the legendary Diana Ross to Hairspray actress Sarah Francis Jones going into labor at the sold-out concert. “Beyonce induced my baby,” read a video shared by Jones and her partner, The Neighborhood actor Marcel Spears. […]
Tia Mowry was left blown away by Beyoncé after the pop superstar improvised an impressive tribute to the 45-year-old actress’ childhood singing group Voices, just seconds after spotting Mowry in the Monday (Sept. 4) Renaissance World Tour audience.
The on-the-fly tribute came as Bey was singing “1 + 1” onstage, during which she clocked Mowry enjoying the show. After blowing Mowry a kiss, she seamlessly inserted a snippet of Voices’ 1992 song “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” into her performance without even a second of pause: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, the boy makes me say.”
“From the beginning, Beyoncé’s undeniable talent is only rivaled by her incredible kindness and generosity,” Mowry wrote on Instagram after the concert, sharing a Destiny’s Child era photo of her meeting Bey with her twin sister and Voices bandmate Tamera Mowry. “You can truly see how amazing and detailed an artist she is, and how much thought and love was put into this show.”
The Sister, Sister alum also shared a snap of her metallic concert outfit, as well as a clip of her dancing along to the show. “The highlight of the night was when she saw me in the crowd, and she gave me a smile and a hello, and then started singing ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’ from when @tameramowrytwo and I were in the singing group, Voices!” she continued. “I was so touched by her gesture, and I still can’t believe that it truly happened!”
“She’s a true icon, who continuously inspires me with her talent, dedication, humility, and beautiful spirit,” Mowry added.
The Twitches actress was just one of many stars who showed up to Beyoncé’s Monday concert in their best silver attire, with Lizzo, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry and Adele all spotted by fans in the audience that night at SoFi Stadium. Some of Hollywood’s most famous couples were also in attendance, including Zendaya and Tom Holland, Justin and Hailey Bieber, and, making their public debut as a pair, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner.
The show just so happened to coincide with Bey’s 42nd birthday, for which none other than Diana Ross came onstage as a surprise guest to help celebrate. The 79-year-old legend led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to the “Break My Soul” musician, who also commemorated the night with an emotional speech thanking her fans, family and former Destiny’s Child bandmates.
See the moment Beyoncé spotted Tia Mowry in the crowd at the Renaissance Tour below:
When it’s the queen’s birthday, you make it to her performance by any means necessary. And that’s exactly what Hollywood’s biggest and brightest stars did when they descended upon SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., for the final night of Beyoncé’s three-night Renaissance World Tour mini residency.With a seemingly endless guest list that included the likes of Meghan Markle, Viola Davis, Adele, Kerry Washington, Timothée Chalamet, Angela Bassett, Kim Kardashian, Lizzo, Zendaya, Quinta Brunson, Chris Rock and the legendary Diana Ross, a slew of stars came decked out in their finest silver and chrome fashions to help Beyoncé celebrate her 42nd birthday.
The superstar opened the show as usual with a stunning rendition of several of her signature ballads, including “Dangerously In Love,” “1+1,” and a stirring cover of Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” Before launching into a performance of “Flaws and All,” Beyoncé delivered an impromptu, tearjerking speech, in which she thanked her parents, her children, husband Jay-Z and her fans for all of their love and support throughout her life and career. “I just wanna say, I feel so full. My heart is full. My soul is full,” she gushed. “I’m so thankful, Imma tryna not to cry. I’m thankful to be alive. I’m thankful to be on the stage … I’m thankful to be able to provide a safe place for all of y’all. I’m thankful for music, and for the ability to heal myself through music, which then heals all of you.”
“America Has a Problem” remix co-star Kendrick Lamar appeared for the very first live performance of the track, donning a worker bee outfit to match Queen Bey’s custom Mugler bee bodysuit. The night’s other special guest? The Boss herself. Ms. Diana Ross took the stage to perform “Love Hangover” — a 1976 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit and ballroom staple that Beyoncé’s backup singers perform at each show — and sing “Happy Birthday” to the most awarded act in Grammy history.
“I’m thankful that I’m here, at f—n 42!” Beyoncé exclaimed. And aren’t we all?
In celebration of Queen Bey’s birthday, enjoy this gallery of all of the celebrities attendees at her very special Sept. 4 Renaissance World Tour show:
Kerry Washington, Kelly Rowland & Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
Kerry Washington, Kelly Rowland and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 4, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif.
Beyoncé & Diana Ross
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
Beyoncé and Diana Ross perform onstage during the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 4, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif.
Khloé Kardashian & Hailey Bieber
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
Khloé Kardashian and Hailey Bieber attend the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 4, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif.
Lizzo & Chris Rock
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
Lizzo and Chris Rock attend the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 4, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif.
Yara Shahidi
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
Yara Shahidi attends the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 4, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif.
Ring the alarm, America has a problem. For the final show of her three-night Renaissance World Tour run at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Beyoncé brought out surprise guest Kendrick Lamar for an electric performance of their remix of “America Has a Problem,” a fan-favorite track from her Billboard 200-topping Renaissance album. Typically, Beyoncé performs […]
An entire galaxy of stars was in attendance at the Sunday (Sept. 4) Renaissance World Tour show in Los Angeles to help Beyoncé celebrate her 42nd birthday — including none other than Diana Ross, who led the crowd in a dazzling performance of “Happy Birthday.”
The 79-year-old legend first appeared onstage in front of 60,000 screaming fans during one of the Renaissance World Tour’s regularly scheduled intermissions, which features Ross’ 1976 smash “Love Hangover” as an interlude between songs. Usually, it’s Bey’s backup singers who perform the transition — but this time, Ross herself was on hand to do the honors.
Afterward, Bey ran onstage to give the “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” vocalist a tearful hug. Then, encouraging fans to hold up their phone flashlights, Ross led the crowd at SoFi Stadium in singing “Happy Birthday” to the pop star.
Among the 60,000 “Happy Birthday” singers were stars such as Adele, Lizzo, Katy Perry, Normani, Brandy, Chris Rock and Kim Kardashian. Famous couples including Justin and Hailey Bieber were also in attendance, as were Zendaya and Tom Holland; plus, fans spotted Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner kissing in the audience.
Ross wasn’t Bey’s only special guest Sunday night, however. Kendrick Lamar also swung by to assist in performing “America Has a Problem,” surprising fans with a rare live performance of his verse on the song’s May-released remix.
Bey also gave an emotional birthday speech during the show, thanking her fans, family and former Destiny’s Child bandmates for their impact on her life. “I’m thankful to be alive,” she told the crowd, fighting back tears. “I’m thankful to be on stage. I’m thankful to look out and see your faces. I’m thankful to be able to provide a safe space for all of y’all. I’m thankful for music, for the ability to heal myself through music which then heals all of you.”
Watch clips of Diana Ross and Kendrick Lamar making surprise appearances at Beyoncé’s birthday show below:
When Beyoncé revealed the first details surrounding Renaissance in June 2022, fan theories and speculations regarding Queen Bey’s future releases ran rampant. At the time, Beyoncé’s website and Instagram bio read “act i | Renaissance,” and an accompanying British Vogue spread and cover story teased “a thrilling abundance” of new music.
As the record-breaking Renaissance World Tour finishes out the last of its 10 remaining announced shows, fans are wondering what’s next from the superstar, who recently became the most-awarded artist in Grammy history thanks to her four Renaissance wins.
Coincidentally, shortly after Beyoncé shared a special birthday request that fans wear silver and chrome for the “last month” of the Renaissance World Tour, the official Destiny’s Child website underwent a major transformation. Currently, the site displays the message “25 years — new website coming soon” emblazoned across a clip from the girl group’s memorable reunion at Beyoncé’s 2013 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Naturally, the message prompted to fans to wonder if Beyoncé could be subtly teasing a transition to “act ii,” potentially some kind of Destiny’s Child reunion project or tour.
“Everybody, wake up! Wake up!” warned TikTok user @themykaylacw. “A new website coming? Is this album? Is this a tour? Beyoncé, I just recovered from Renaissance!” User @dejaclift noted that Beyoncé’s opening message at each Renaissance Tour show, in which she expresses her gratitude to be able to perform for 25 years and counting, coincides with the starting date for Destiny’s Child’s group career and not Beyoncé’s solo career.
Another TikTok user, @officialnailmedown, claims that, as per her own research, the Destiny’s Child domain is owned by Music World Entertainment, which was owned by Matthew Knowles, Beyoncé’s father and Destiny’s Child’s manager, who then sold it to APX Group. She theorizes that some kind of Destiny’s Child reunion could be a part of the “three-act project” Beyoncé mused about in a note she shared with fans around the time of Renaissance’s release. What’s more? The 25-year anniversary is also known as the silver anniversary — the same color Bey just requested her fans wear to her shows.
While Destiny’s Child — the lineup of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams — has reunited on multiple occasions, including the 2015 Stellar Awards and Beyoncé’s historic 2018 Coachella headlining set, the group has not released a studio album since 2004’s chart-topping Destiny Fulfilled. Destiny’s Child has earned 10 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the No. 1 singles “Say My Name” (three weeks), “Bills, Bills, Bills” (one week), “Bootylicious” (two weeks), and “Independent Women, Part I” (11 weeks). On the Billboard 200, they have scored four top 10 projects, including 2001’s Survivor and 2005’s #1’s compilation.
See what the Beyhive and Destiny’s Child stans are theorizing about a potential DC3 reunion:
Destiny’s Child updating their website right as Beyoncé is bringing her tour (ACT I) to an end!!!! 🤔🫣🤩— I’m High Key funny AF (@Seaux_What_) August 31, 2023
So you’re telling me that out of act 2/3 of renaissance, one of them is a Destiny’s Child album? And the website website page says “25 years new website coming soon”? And that’s why she said in London I’ll see you guys soon??? they just wouldn’t do that surely not— ∞ (@dubss_) August 31, 2023
Picture it: Destiny’s Child Reunion Tour opening number. “Hey, how you doin? Yeah I’m doin might fine. Last time I seen ya, it’s been a long time.” Then we get an emotional video montage of what all the girls have been up to since DC. “I want you to know that I’m doing so good.”— Jordyn (@jrdynjy) August 31, 2023
As the United States prepares to enter another particularly brutal presidential election cycle, the country’s cultural divide is continuing to play out across entertainment. In film, there are the dual box office phenomenons of Barbie and the QAnon-tinged Sound of Freedom — a dynamic that is mirrored in music with the undertones of racial violence in Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” lifting the song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, a loving tribute to Black queer culture, breaks records around the world.
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Beyoncé’s seismic tour (in support of her Billboard 200-topping 2022 album of the same name) explicitly highlights, uplifts, and centers the lives and cultural contributions of the ballroom scene, a community anchored by Black and brown queer folk — the very people songs like “Small Town” seem to be railing against. It expands Renaissance’s explorations of the expanse of dance music and ballroom culture into a nearly three-hour multi-act spectacle. With the inimitable Kevin Jz Prodigy serving as the tour’s guiding voice, the Renaissance Tour stands in complete defiance of the recent tide of anti-LGBTQIA+ attitudes and legislation that has swept the country, immersing both creator and observer in the unadulterated freedom of ballroom.
Having kicked off on May 10 in Stockholm, Sweden, the Renaissance World Tour touched down in Las Vegas, Nevada for two shows at Allegiant Stadium on August 26 and 27. On Sunday night (Aug. 27), the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQIA+ civil rights organization, hosted the first-ever Equality Ball in association with Beeline Productions and the Shady Gang, with support from Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation.
“This is a beautiful manifestation,” gushes Human Rights Campaign president, Kelley Robinson. “The fact that it came together this year means so much, because not only has this been a vision that [we] wanted to manifest, but also we’re sitting in a state of emergency right now.”
On Sunday night, The Equality Ball — which Robinson says was the result of the HRC’s partnership with Lena Giroux Zakalik, executive producer for Beeline Productions, and Carlos Basquiat, a dancer and choreographer on the Renaissance World Tour — tackled the pain of death and grief as much as it celebrated the grandeur of ballroom culture. In fact, the Equality Ball served as a hopeful bookend to a month that began in the shadow of the tragic murder of O’Shae Sibley, a Black queer dancer who was attacked with a barrage of homophobic slurs before being killed by a 17-year-old for vogueing to a track from Beyoncé’s Renaissance album.
“Jonty, Yvette [Noel-Schure’s] basically adopted son, was killed,” Robinson says. “One in five of every hate crime is motivated by anti-LGTBQ+ bias, and, at the same time, we’ve got hundreds and hundreds of anti-LGTBQ+ bills that are moving forward in states every day. This was a moment where we needed to not only celebrate the Black queer experience, but [also] put it on center stage.”
Given that Las Vegas lacks the ballroom roots of New York City and the house music roots of Chicago, the city may initially seem like a curious choice to host the Equality Ball. Nonetheless, “we have to be here,” stresses Robinson. “We’re here today in the state that’s gonna be consequential in the 2024 election. We have to understand that for us to be able to celebrate inside that building, to be able to live our fullest and most, most authentic lives, we have to make sure we got laws and policy that protect us on the outside [too].”
Like with nearly every other corner of the Black experience, streaks of death mark the ballroom community at every turn — a fact that performers at Sunday night’s Equality Ball did not shy away from. The troupe Madame Arthur, one of the pre-ball performers, delivered a deeply moving cover of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” that decreased the tempo of the original and featured lyrics rewritten to reflect and uplift the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been senselessly lost to anti-LGBTQIA+ violence.
The history of Madame Arthur – the drag cabaret venue the performance group is named after, which opened in 1946, currently features a troupe of queer artists — added an extra layer of nuance to their performance, a reminder that the fight for total LGBTQIA+ liberation has been roaring for decades on end. “[Ballroom] comes from a really harsh culture. It was birthed out of negativity, to keep it honest. People were getting kicked out of their houses and shunned by their parents,” says Stephanie “Packrat” Whitfield, one of the executive producers of the Equality Ball. “So to make a community, it’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes, right? Everything was against us, and we made this beautiful thing out of nowhere.”
For a culture that loses so many influential movers and shakers before they have a chance to bask in the glory of their own accomplishments, the Equality Ball allowed elders in the ballroom scene to enjoy a night of genuine revelry. Shannon Balenciaga, Overall Mother of the House of Balenciaga, and Stasha Garçon, Iconic Overall godmother of the House of Garçon, shared a good-hearted battle as they both walked the runway during a series of appearances from ballroom icons before the ball formally commenced. Kevin Jz Prodigy and Kevin Aviance, whose voices have provided a key backbone to both the Renaissance album and tour, performed throughout the night, with Prodigy emceeing a healthy chunk of the ball.
In addition, the judges panel for the ball’s five main categories included impactful ballroom figures such as Jack Mizrahi, Dashaun Wesley, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, Ricky Holman and Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga. The night’s focus on pillars of the ballroom community instead of on the celebrity of Beyoncé emphasized the overarching goal of the Equality Ball — to capture the minds and attention of those who many have only been exposed to ballroom culture through entertainment media, and invite them into an authentic representation of the culture and the fight to keep it safe, preserved, and alive.
“With this Equality Ball, we’ve been trying to educate,” says Whitfield. “We have educational moments throughout the entire event where people can learn about ballroom, because it’s very secretive. We don’t let everybody in, because we are safe.”
While Beyoncé tapped a wide range of Black queer collaborators for Renaissance and its accompanying tour, such as Honey Dijon and DJ Mike Q, one of the biggest challenges with celebrity allyship is toeing the fine line between selflessly uplifting a marginalized community and unintentionally dominating that spotlight. Star power the size of Beyoncé’s rarely dims enough to completely disappear. But the “Break My Soul” singer was far from the focal part on Sunday night. Sure, her tour film crew and dancers — Honey Balenciaga and Les Twins, among them — were in attendance, but the Equality Ball did not buckle under the weight of her celebrity. In fact, most of Beyoncé’s involvement happened behind the scenes through her BeyGOOD charity foundation. Robinson recalls a phone call with BeyGOOD executive director Ivy McGregor, Carlos Basquiat, Zakalik and Whitfield “a week after Jonty was murdered, maybe two weeks after O’Shae was murdered.”
“It was about us sharing our individual experiences,” she reflects. “But it was also about this broader context of what it means for Black and queer folks who are fundamentally defining the culture right now to also have our lives stolen by doing what is necessary to be ourselves.”
Even though the journey towards the Equality Ball began several years before anyone heard a single note of Renaissance, Whitfield reveals that it was only at the “last minute” that everything came together. “It always fell through because people are still getting to know ballroom, and what it really means and how to represent that to the world,” she says. “Woo, I’m getting teary-eyed just talking about it.”
Sunday night was a special one for Whitfield. She and Carlos Basquiat not only got to take in the brilliant ball they co-executive produced, but they also got to debut their new kiki house, the Kiki House of FuBu. “It took us a really long time to find the right people to build the community to raise funding,” notes Whitfield. “That’s one thing in the ballroom community is that we are people from low-income housing, low-income communities. So to bring Black and brown people from all gender expressions and sexualities, it’s always a journey. It was a long road of seven years.”
In addition to the highly entertaining ball, The Human Rights Campaign also offered countless educational resources at the Equality Ball, including HIV testing, voter registration, and direct access to information about local LGBTQ+ programs and initiatives. Events like the Equality Ball are tangible manifestations of celebrity allyship, a mode of support that can often feel surface-level and exploitative. For an album with influences as specific as Renaissance, notions of support simply could not stop with the music. “We love y’all watching Pose and Legendary, but we also want y’all to come outside and support!” proclaimed Whitfield at the start of the night.
Renaissance — along with Pose, the Emmy-winning FX drama series, and Legendary, a ballroom-themed Max reality competition series — is one of the most prominent works of art in a late-2010s wave of Black queer-inspired pieces of entertainment. “Honestly, it was like ‘Finally!” That’s how I felt [when Renaissance dropped],” says Whitfield. “Some of us have been in ballroom for years and we see everyone use what we do and never give us recognition. There’s a lot of appropriation. So, while they’re elevating, we’re still on the ground floor and underneath the floor, and it’s very unfair.” With Renaissance, however, Beyoncé tapped ballroom icons, Black queer dance music producers and writers and hired tour dancers who “not only have put in the work in the ballroom community, but also have that skill to be onstage and empower a whole generation of new beings,” says Whitfield.
Converting consumers to steadfast supporters of the ballroom scene and Black queer liberation is a testy task, especially when so much of the struggle takes place within the joint vacuum of celebrity allyship and capitalism. Nevertheless, the Equality Ball shines as a beacon of hope. “We love everybody loving the album, but are you really coming to help us?” poses Whitfield. “It’s one thing to help the three or four of us that are onstage, it’s another thing to come into our community and learn about our culture.”
As BeyGOOD’s involvement in the Ball demonstrates, finding the humility to humble yourself and research and learn about a culture that is not yours is imperative to establishing a foundation for genuine, unwavering support. “We still have so many people that are homeless and are fighting for survival on a daily basis,” she stresses. “So, to have people really come in and support our community without just taking up space, but really taking up an active space of learning is what’s important.”
“A lot of people wanna be on the floor now,” she continues. “But you can be on the floor, if you learn the history and respect the pioneers that have laid down their lives for us to be here tonight.”
Kelly Rowland couldn’t be happier that Blue Ivy Carter is growing up to be an independent woman, just like her mom. In a recent interview, the Destiny’s Child member gushed over Beyoncé‘s oldest daughter, praising the 11-year-old for the work ethic she’s displayed while assisting her mom on the Renaissance World Tour. “I’m very proud,” […]
“We love y’all watching Pose and Legendary, but we also want y’all to come outside and support!” proclaimed Stephanie “Packrat” Whitfield, one of the executive producers of Sunday night’s powerful Equality Ball (Aug. 27).
The urgency of her words was the guiding principle of the night, as some of the most iconic names in ballroom convened for an unforgettable night — one that paid tribute to the progress of LGBTQIA+ rights and highlighted the many avenues through which people continue to push for queer liberation across American politics. Hosted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQIA+ civil rights organization, in association with Beeline Productions and the Shady Gang, with support from BeyGOOD Foundation, the Equality Ball brought authentic ballroom culture to KAOS Nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With Carlos Irizarry of the House of Basquiat, one of the choreographers and dancers on Beyoncé’s record-breaking Renaissance World Tour, as one of the figures spearheading this event, which was seven years in the making, Queen Bey’s influence loomed large over the night. For the night’s final category, the aptly titled “OTA Performance — Bring It Like Beyoncé,” participants recreated some of the singer’s instantly iconic tour ensembles and crafted custom pieces inspired by Renaissance tracks. From the “Cozy” robot arms to several renditions of her sparkly gold Loewe bodysuit, Beyoncé was omnipresent. Not to mention, several key Renaissance Tour figures were in attendance, including Honey Balenciaga, Les Twins, and some of the tour’s film crew.
Nevertheless, the Equality Ball was never dominated by Queen Bey. In fact, the ball was arguably a pitch-perfect example of how allies can assist marginalized groups in achieving their visions, while still allowing them to take center stage. From Kevin Jz Prodigy and Shannon Balenciaga to Dashaun Wesley and Precious Basquiat, the Equality Ball was spearheaded by pillars of the culture, people who live and breathe the freedom, catharsis, and resistance of ballroom.
In the wake of the harrowing, unjust murder of O’Shae Sibley, the Equality Ball stood not only as a celebration of the vitality of LGBTQIA+ life and culture, but also as a staunch reminder that this community will not be silenced or erased. “Ballroom culture is synonymous with the Black queer community — it creates a safe space for LGBTQ+ people at a time when being your authentic self was dangerous. But, let’s not get confused, it’s still dangerous for us — Black and Brown trans women are facing an epidemic of fatal violence,” says Human Rights Campaign President, Kelley Robinson. “The Equality Ball serves as another space for those who feel overlooked to take center stage and let theworld know that — as Beyoncé sings — you won’t break our souls.”
The Human Rights Campaign offered countless educational resources at the Equality Ball, including HIV testing, voter registration, and direct access to information about local LGBTQ+ programs and initiatives.
Here are the five best moments from the Equality Ball on Sunday:
Maxine Jones Lights Up the Pre-Show
No, Beyoncé did not shade Lizzo at her Renaissance World Tour show in Boston on Tuesday night (Aug. 1). At least according to the Knowles matriarch, Tina Knowles. The mother of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles took to Instagram Wednesday (Aug. 2) to shut down speculation that Beyoncé purposely skipped over Lizzo’s name during the performance […]