Aaliyah BowdenI had the pleasure of attending Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s On the Run II concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on July 30. The experience blew my mind.
The concert in Philadelphia wasn’t actually the closest tour stop to where I live. However, the show that was only about four hours away at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina was on Aug. 21 and I’d already be in school by the point. The seven hours one-way it took to get to Philly had to do.
The show opened with sister singing duo and “Lemonade” cameo actresses Chloe x Halle who performed songs from their debut album “The Kids Are Alright.” Viral sensation and producer DJ Khaled followed up the duo’s performance with a selection of songs he’s worked on and hyped up the crowd for the Queen and the Gangster to perform about an hour later.
Finally, it was time for the headlining couple. The night’s main attraction began with a series of visuals across the three main screens behind the stage that summarized the Carters’ relationship: they might have gone through a difficult patch in their marriage, but they were still in love and on the run.
After a brief mechanical malfunction on the screen, Beyoncé and Jay-Z appeared on the stage, holding hands as they performed, “Holy Grail”. Beyoncé began by singing the chorus, which was originally sung by singer and songwriter, Justin Timberlake.
To be engulfed by the melodic sound of Beyoncé’s voice was utterly breath-taking! Her vocals sent chills through my body. Throughout the show, she embraced her Sasha Fierce alter-ego with her sassiness, quick-witted remarks, and nuances she made to the crowd that were quite amusing. In addition, her choreography was impeccable and overall, flawless. Beyoncé performed a variety of songs from previous albums such as Diva, Formation, Resentment, Don’t Hurt Yourself, Baby Boy, and many more.
As Jay-Z and Beyoncé continued to perform, the audience could feel the love between them solely by their frequent smiles and glances at one another on stage. Occasionally when Jay-Z was rapping, Beyoncé would humor the crowd with her witty personality, silly facial expressions and animated gestures.
In addition, Jay-Z made a number of humorous comments while on stage. During his performance, he was generous enough to let the people in VIP move closer to the stage after an alleged fight broke out. Jay-Z performed a variety of my favorite songs such as, Public Service Announcement, Dirt off your shoulder, The Story of O.J, and Song Cry.
I had an amazing experience at OTR II Concert! Chloe and Halle were incredible, along with DJ Khaled’s performance. I’m surprised I did not lose my voice from all of the screaming that I did. The entire audience was beyond hype which caused Beyoncé and Jay-Z to perform even better. For the next Beyoncé concert that I attend, I will be aiming for a VIP seat, even if I was able to see from the 200th level of the stadium. By attending the On the Run Part II concert, I felt inspired to not only believe in real love, but to also chase after my goals and aspirations, all while embodying my inner Beyoncé.
Photo courtesy of Metro (Rex Features).
