My first ever Beyoncé concert wasn’t at all what I expected. It was WAY better.
“North Carolina…I love you.”
Those are the first words Beyoncé said during her Renaissance World Tour stop in Charlotte, and the same words I’ve been thinking about since she stepped out on stage in front of thousands of fans — many of whom traveled to the Carolinas to see her perform.
I’ve grown up listening to Beyoncé since I was a little girl, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling myself a BeyHive fan until recently, and I’m even more of a fan after last night.
The Renaissance album came out last year on July 29, my birthday, and honestly I liked it WAY more than I expected… to the point where I’ve literally been listening to it every single day since. So when Beyoncé announced a tour, I thought it’d be cool to go.
So for the past few months I, along with thousands of other fans, have been eagerly waiting for Queen Bey to come to the Queen City. But nothing came close to my excitement on the day of the show. With little sleep and big expectations, it turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. And I know that sounds cliche, but it’s true.
Beyoncé is one of those artists who so many say “really puts on a show” and that couldn’t be more accurate.
Best moments from the show
From her insane vocals and unique choreography to her captivating visuals and solo performances — plus her amazingly talented dancers performing between songs — the 2.5 hour show flew by.
And she didn’t just play her latest hits from the Renaissance album. We also got to see Beyoncé bring back some of her most popular songs of all time, including “Crazy in Love,” “Formation” and “Before I Let Go.”
[RELATED: From ‘Crazy in Love’ to ‘Break my Soul,’ the songs Beyoncé performed at Charlotte concert]
Whether you were up dancing out of your seats or just watching while taking in her lyrics, every moment of the show felt like one you didn’t want to miss, not even to go get a drink or check out the merch table. She even gave several shout outs to fans throughout the night, congratulating some on birthdays, anniversaries and graduations.
Being at Bank of America Stadium packed with thousands of other people decked out in their sparkly outfits and cowboy hats, singing along to all of her newest hits and popular classics is a moment I’ll never forget, especially when the entire stadium sang out a few lines of “Love on Top” while Beyoncé silently soaked it in.
Plus, we all lost it when Blue Ivy came out to join her mom on the big stage, and respectfully zipped it to be quiet during the “mute challenge” during “ENERGY.”
To put it simply, the Queen City loves Queen Bey, and the long lines, warm weather and packed light rail rides to and from the stadium were so worth it in the end. My friends and I are STILL fangirling over the show and rewatching all of our videos of the concert in awe of the entire night.
So here’s to hoping that Queen Bey will come back to the Queen City again, and that Charlotte won’t have to wait another ten years to see one of her iconic performances.
