Credit all photos: Jenna Rubenstein
Let me set the scene for you: Beyoncé --- the Queen, the diva, the "second coming" of Michael Jackson according to her man Jay-Z, set to perform four intimate shows at NYC's acclaimed Roseland Ballroom. The tickets sold out in a RIDIC 22 seconds, but somehow I managed to get my Beyoncé-obsessed-hands on a pair. As we waited for the Queen B to take the stage, the vibe in the room was surprisingly mild, but I knew that it was just the calm before the storm -- no, the hurricane.
Without much pretense, Beyoncé and her all-female band took the stage. Pardon me, did I say "band"? I meant ORCHESTRA full of chicks playing violins, trumpets, saxophones and cellos. Wearing a gold glitter mini-dress, Beyoncé began the show by telling the story of her early career and delved into a retrospective of her early hits. Or in other words, B went all Destiny's Child on our asses -- she performed snippets of "No No No," "Bug A Boo" and "Bills Bills Bills." Skipping a few years, B then broke into "Independent Women," but not before telling the audience the story of how that song came to be. "It was the first time that I'd gone to the studio by myself," said Beyoncé. "I recorded the entire demo all on my own, and next thing I knew, 'Independent Women' was No. 1." A lil' "Bootylicious" came next, followed by a cute pun about all the rotating members of Destiny's Child and a lovely tribute to her girls Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, whom Beyoncé deemed the "Survivors."
+ Read more of Buzzworthy's Beyoncé show review after the jump!
But that wasn't the only tribute Beyoncé paid. "It was all work until one sweet day when I finally found love," at which point Bey began singing "03 Bonnie & Clyde," a duet with her then-boyfriend and now-hubby, Jay-Z. Keeping the Jigga vibe going, along with her troupe of dancers who rocked the song's signature choreo, Beyoncé performed "Crazy In Love" but not before taking a little jab at her record label. Beyoncé told the audience as they reacted in complete horror, "the label didn't believe I had ONE hit record on my first solo album, but I guess they were right, though," said Beyoncé. "I HAD FIVE." You tell 'em, B.
As she began singing hits from her solo catalog, the crowd went beyond ballistic as Bey performed "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" -- complete with her signature choreography. She then sang a brief snippet of a song from her self-professed "dream role," "Dreamgirls," followed by a campfire-style sing-along of her hit "Irreplaceable." Beyoncé sang all of her most important vintage hits, and the audience hang on every word.
After her lengthy trip down memory lane, the show switched gears completely as Beyoncé caught us up to present day. She confessed that she felt it was time she made music that was "authentic" and "real," which is what her current album 4 represents. As if she was in the comfort of her own home, Beyoncé hopped up on top of her white piano, slowed things down and belted out a passionate rendition of her ballad "1+1," followed by "I Miss You" and "I'd Rather Die Young." But this was a Beyoncé show -- the tempo didn't stay slow for long. Along with a giant line of dancers and some intense choreography, Beyoncé sang the perpetually modulating "Love On Top," (but no seriously, that song raises keys like four times). Another group sing-along went down shortly thereafter as Beyoncé asked the crowd to help her with her current single, "Best Thing I Never Had" followed by her "Party" collabo with Kanye West and a rip-roaring crowd response to the numerically themed "Countdown." To be honest, though, I'm not sure anyone was prepared for what came next: the ENTIRE dance routine from Bey's "Run The World (Girls)" video. I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if TOFO TOFO (the dance troupe which inspired Bey's "Girls" choreography) popped out from backstage.
After completing the entire songbook from 4, Beyoncé got emotional as she fittingly closed the show with "I Was Here." A conscious choice, it was as if Bey used this song to make her mark on the space she'd so prominently inhabited for the past week. As Beyoncé thanked the room and walked off stage, I really had only one thought running through my mind: Maybe Jay-Z's right. Maybe Beyoncé is the second coming.
