Beyoncé is the greatest living performer, but what's new - Cowboy Carter Tour Review (LA n.1)

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour: A Defiant, Dazzling American Epic

On her Cowboy Carter Tour, Beyoncé doesn’t just step into country music — she bulldozes through the genre’s gatekeeping with grit, grace, and grandeur. From the moment the stadium lights dim to her final soaring note, it’s clear: this isn’t a pivot, it’s a reckoning. What unfolds over the course of three hours is less a concert and more an American epic — part history lesson, part rodeo, part family affair, and all Queen Bey.

The setlist

Its Beyoncé biggest and most ambitious setlist — over 40 songs blending the entirety of Cowboy Carter with fan-favorite Renaissance bangers and even deeper cuts from her discography. Songs like “Texas Hold ’Em” and “Blackbiird” anchor the country narrative, but the emotional heartbeat of the show pulses strongest in her bold reinterpretation of the national anthem via Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock version, sliding straight into the protest anthem “Freedom.” Beyoncé isn’t just revisiting the past; she’s rewriting it.

Meaning

Visually, the production is peerless. A flying car. A golden mechanical bull. Ballroom dancers in cowboy hats. The stage transforms from saloon to spaceship in seconds — blending the old West with Afrofuturism, soul, and spectacle. The storyline running through the visuals imagines Beyoncé as a lone ranger carving space in a land that was never meant for her. That narrative culminates in a cinematic gun duel against an aging white cowboy — a symbolic takedown of country’s institutional exclusion.

Beyoncé performing "TYRANT" on a mechanical bull - Cowboy Carter Tour

Her kids are there too. Blue Ivy continues her evolution from viral cameo to seasoned performer, nailing full choreography during "Déjà Vu" and “America Has a Problem.” Rumi also makes a brief but heartwarming appearance during “Protector,” smiling sweetly at the crowd. Their presence deepens the tour’s themes of lineage, reclamation, and legacy.

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter and Rumi Carter - Cowboy Carter Tour

But don’t think this is all message and no fun. “Ya Ya,” “Bodyguard,” and “Sweet Honey Buckin” send the crowd into full frenzy. A surprise remix of “Texas Hold ’Em” rolls directly into “Crazy in Love,” and during “Formation,” Beyoncé makes sure everyone hears it loud: “They’ll never take the country out me.”

It’s not just that the Cowboy Carter tour is spectacular — it’s that it proves Beyoncé can do anything, with precision, passion, and purpose. She defies genres, demolishes expectations, and reclaims cultural spaces without ever asking for permission.

What to Expect if You're Going:

• A tight 3-hour runtime with no opener

• Nearly the entire Cowboy Carter album performed live

• Dazzling visuals, high fashion (Mugler, silver fringe, and cowboy hats galore)

• A potent mix of protest, pop, and pageantry

• Blue Ivy cameos and possible Rumi sightings

• Country remixes of older classics

• And yes, Renaissance fans — she’s bringing Reneigh back

Beyoncé performing "Alien Superstar"

Whether or not Cowboy Carter is your favorite Beyoncé record, this show will make you see it — and her — in a whole new light. Beyoncé isn’t just making history. She’s re-staging it live, every night, on her own terms.

Final Verdict: Cowboy Carter isn’t a detour. It’s a destination. And Beyoncé just built the whole damn highway.