“Can you hear me?” Beyoncé sang during the opening notes of “Ameriican Requiem.” “Do you feel me?”
The ensuing yells from the crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Thursday night illustrated just why Beyoncé’s tours are primed for stadiums; they bring an energy that can hardly be contained. Thursday’s performance kicked off the global superstar’s first night of her Cowboy Carter tour four-day stop in Atlanta. It’s been two years since the city was graced with her presence where liberation, self-love, and renaissance ringed true amid a flurry of sparkles and futuristic aesthetics.
Now Beyoncé has ventured more deeply into her country music roots — a journey that finally brought her the coveted Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys — and has slipped firmly into the role of a genre-bending artist.
The stadium was filled with cowboy hats galore, boots to the ground, and ever-present folding fans as the crowd shimmied, sashayed and shed tears to hits from Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” album. For nearly three hours, the singer-songwriter took her fans through an impressive setlist of 40 songs and 10 acts, from her latest album to hits from her previous eight studio albums.
It was a nonstop blitz of music, inventive interpolations and mixes, choreography (and hairography), seamless production, and storytelling made more poignant by visuals and historical archives.
The visuals celebrated Black history and its contributions to American culture while also highlighting how African Americans have carried the country music genre far beyond 2024. The night’s theme was reclamation, and while the sentiments of belonging and patriotism may reverberate discordantly with some, considering the climate of America today, they challenge what the American dream is supposed to look like.
With each tour, fans get more of a glimpse behind the curtain of Beyoncé’s personal life. However, this time, those glimpses are front and center on stage. Blue Ivy and Rumi, Beyonce’s daughters, were highlights of the night. “Manager” Blue Ivy showed off her dancing chops in multiple dancing numbers, which have been going viral on social media, and Rumi joined Beyonce for a performance of “Protector,” her bubbly grin and childlike excitement on display.
And it may have been the Cowboy Carter tour, but Beyoncé made sure to show love to her other eras. “Welcome back to the Renaissance,” she declared before singing a medley of songs from the Act I album. She also performed a segment where she sang throwback hits from “Lemonade,” “B’Day,” “Beyoncé,” and “I Am… Sasha Fierce.”
Bits and pieces of her other ventures, whiskey brand SirDavis and haircare line Cécred, were scattered throughout the show, showing just how much her reach extends beyond music. In celebration of the tour, many spots in Atlanta hosted Cowboy Carter-themed events with specialty drinks. For those looking for a few places, the Marriott Marquis, Pasha, Nouveau Bar and Grill – Jonesboro, and the W Hotel Downtown invite fans to sip on SirDavis before they saddle up for the concert.
The night ended with Beyoncé soaring through the crowd on a golden horse suspended in the air while singing the penultimate song on her setlist, “16 Carriages,” a new change after experiencing a malfunction with her usual red Cadillac during a tour stop in Houston.
It was a show that encompassed just how genre-bending Beyoncé can be. Like she rapped on the song “Spaghetti:” “I ain’t no regular singer, now come get everything you came for.” And Atlanta did just that.
Beyoncé will continue the Atlanta leg of the tour on July 11, 13 and 14.