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Tina Knowles praises Beyoncé and Taylor Swift for boosting the economy. See how much their tours have made

Tina Knowles is celebrating two of 2023’s hottest tickets — Beyoncé’s “Renaissance Tour” and Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour.”

On Instagram , Knowles shared a screenshot of a Facebook post from New York Times , which linked out to an article that detailed the economic and cultural impact of her daughter Beyoncé’s tour.

In the caption of her post, Knowles wrote, “This is so awesome ! To b able to stimulate the economy is no small feat! @beyonce.”

Knowles also gave a sweet nod to Swift in her caption, adding, “And ! @taylorswift ! Just being young women and being able to say this , is so awesome!!! Proud of them both !”

Beyoncé and Swift’s tours overlapped in the United States during the summer. Both were a pop culture sensation, with social media platforms inundated by various trends coming out of each tour.

For Swift’s “Eras Tour,” friendship bracelets and DIY themed costumes became the norm while Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” world tour birthed the “mute” challenge and had concertgoers following her request for a silver theme in celebration of Virgo season.

With Beyoncé’s tour wrapping up on Oct. 1 and Swift’s on-going tour resuming Nov. 9 in Argentina, both tours have already generated millions of dollars along the way.

Read on to learn more about each tour's economic impact.

How much has the “Renaissance Tour” made?

Beyoncé’s “Renaissance Tour” kicked off May 10 in Sweden and will conclude Oct. 1 in Kansas City. Before the tour kicked off, Forbes estimated that Beyoncé would earn nearly $2.1 billion from her tour.

The “Cuff It” singer’s tour set multiple records over the summer, including back-to-back records for the highest one-month gross in history in both July and August, according to a Sept. report by Billboard .

In July, she grossed $127.6 million and in August, that number increased to $179 million. The outlet also reported the “Renaissance Tour” became the highest grossing tour by a female artist, surpassing Madonna's “Sticky & Sweet Tour” with $461.3 million.

During the “Renaissance Tour,” Beyoncé also gave back $2 million to students and small business through her charity foundation, BeyGOOD. Half of the donations went to entrepreneurs, with luncheons hosted by BeyGOOD the day before each show for a chance to win a $100 thousand grant. The other portion of the $2 million donation was allocated to the Renaissance Scholarship Fund.

Beyoncé’s tour spawned several special moments over the course of its run, including a special tribute to the late Tina Turner , a birthday surprise from Diana Ross , as well as numerous performances alongside her eldest daughter, Blue Ivy.

It was also a hotspot for celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Vanessa Bryant, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, and more.

How much has the “Eras Tour” made?

Swift’s “Eras Tour” originally ran from March 17 through August 9. Throughout the year, Swift added on additional dates including several international dates in 2023 and 2024 as well as additional 2024 dates in the United States and internationally. 

While Swift’s tour still has 13 months to go, so far it’s been estimated she's earned $1 billion in sales , with Pollstar estimating the singer will exceed $1.4 billion in the new year .

Swift's economic impact far has exceeded solely ticket sales, too. The tour also increased revenue for hotels across the country, with fans flocking to each city to experience her career-sprawling performances.

It was also reported Swift made several donations with her tour’s earnings, including donating to local food banks at each stop and gifting $100,000 bonus checks to her truck drivers at the end of the U.S. leg of the tour.

The singer’s tour is also set to hit the big screen in the United States, and now internationally. In a press release, AMC said that it took less than 24 hours for the film to “shatter AMC’s U.S. record for the highest ticket-sales revenue during a single day in AMC’s 103-year history.”

Swift’s “Eras Tour” was not without its faults though.

The singer spoke out against Ticketmaster after fans struggled to obtain tickets to the tour due to “historically unprecedented demand” causing the website to crash. The debacle sparked public scrutiny, including questions from senators , and elicited changes from the company before Beyoncé’s “Renaissance Tour” tickets went on sale.

Francesca Gariano is a New York City-based freelance journalist reporting on culture, entertainment, beauty, lifestyle and wellness. She is a freelance contributor to TODAY.com, where she covers pop culture and breaking news.

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• Everything to Know About Beyoncé’s <i>Renaissance</i> Tour

Everything to Know About Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour

B eyoncé’s fans have been waiting for this day: the pop megastar finally announced that she will embark on the long-awaited Renaissance World Tour. She uploaded a post to Instagram early Wednesday morning with the caption: “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR 2023,” and her official website has been updated to show the tour dates. The tour starts in May in Sweden and will hit Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Poland, before she makes her way to North America. The first date stateside will be in Philadelphia, Pa., in July and the tour will hit the major U.S. cities before wrapping up in New Orleans, La., on Sept. 27.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

Following the release of her seventh album, Renaissance , in July, fans have been itching for a tour announcement, in addition to music videos to accompany the songs. Beyoncé’s last solo tour was the Formation World Tour back in 2016 to support her sixth album, Lemonade . Following that, she went on the On The Run Tour with her husband, Jay-Z, in 2018 after releasing their joint project, Everything Is Love . The announcement of a new tour just before the Grammy Awards on Sunday raises suspicion that Beyoncé might be performing or, at the very least, attending the night’s festivities.

The singer is nominated for nine Grammys at this year’s awards ceremony, which are set to take place on Feb. 5 in Los Angeles. This year, she is up against Adele for multiple awards, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. There has been speculation about whether or not Beyoncé would be performing ever since the nominations were announced. The last time fans saw her perform on a major televised stage was at last year’s Oscars ceremony, where she performed “Be Alive” from the King Richard movie for the first time.

Read More: 6 Takeaways from Beyoncé’s New Album Renaissance

Beyoncé most recently took the stage for a private concert at the opening of the Atlantis The Royal resort in Dubai in January. However, she did not perform any songs from Renaissance . Also, given that Beyoncé unveiled the album’s title on Instagram as “act [one],” her dedicated fanbase has been busy theorizing what acts two and three might be. Some have hypothesized that the tour would be act two and then a concert movie would be act three. Others have ventured to guess that this is a three-part album and that Renaissance was just the beginning.

Tickets for the concert will not be an easy get if Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is any indication. Beyoncé’s fans can click on the date they would like to attend to register for Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program and will then have to wait to see if they are given an access code to purchase tickets to the event. With Verified Fan and the “unexpected” traffic the pre-sale brought to the site, many Swifties likened the ticket-buying process to a warzone. The disastrous rollout drew ire from Swift’s fans and political officials alike. After the ticketing fiasco, the Senate held a hearing to look into whether Live Nation and Ticketmaster have a monopoly over the ticketing industry. This, coupled with the technical problems that Swift fans faced, have Beyoncé fans worrying that finding their way to an actual concert will be nothing short of an ordeal.

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Beyoncé Announces ‘Renaissance’ Stadium Tour Dates

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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As expected, Beyoncé has announced a 2023 world tour on Instagram, supporting her multiple-Grammy-nominated 2022 album, “Renaissance.” She also released the dates and cities on her official website.

The timing of the announcement, which comes just days before the Grammy Awards on Sunday, sparks speculation that the singer may perform or at least appear on the show. Beyoncé is the most nominated artist for the awards with nine, all related to “ Renaissance .” Sources tell Variety that her husband Jay-Z will perform with DJ Khaled on the show, most likely their nominated song “God Did.”

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Beyoncé has said that “Renaissance” is a three-part project, so it’s possible that the next parts could be another album, a long-form video project or even the tour itself.

Beyoncé’s last full tour was the nearly six-month, 49-date “Formation” tour in 2016, which unusually featured no guest appearances until the final show, at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, where she brought out Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z.

She did, however, stage an epochal “Homecoming” headlining performance at the 2018 Coachella festival — which was postponed from 2017 due to the birth of her and Jay’s twins — for which she was accompanied by a full marching band in a nod to historically Black colleges and universities. That blockbuster performance was later released as the “Homecoming” album and — via a three-project deal with Netflix that sources tell Variety is worth $60 million — a feature-length documentary. It seems possible that a future “Renaissance” video project could be part of that deal as well.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

May 10, 2023 – Stockholm, SE – Friends Arena

May 14, 2023 – Brussels, BE – King Baudouin Stadium

May 17, 2023 – Cardiff, UK – Cardiff Principality Stadium

May 20, 2023 – Edinburgh, UK – BT Murrayfield Stadium

May 23, 2023 – Sunderland, UK – Stadium of Light

May 26, 2023 – Paris, FR – Stade de France

May 29, 2023 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

May 30, 2023 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

June 08, 2023 – Barcelona, ES – Olympic Stadium

June 11, 2023 – Marseille, FR – Orange Velodrome

June 15, 2023 – Cologne, DE – Rhein Energie Stadion June 17, 2023 – Amsterdam, NL – Johan Cruijff Arena

June 21, 2023 – Hamburg, DE – Volksparkstadion

June 24, 2023 – Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park

June 27, 2023 – Warsaw, PL – PGE Narodowy

NORTH AMERICA

July 8, 2023 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre

July 12, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field

July 15, 2023 – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium

July 17, 2023 – Louisville, KY – L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium

July 20, 2023 – Minneapolis, MN – Huntington Bank Stadium

July 22, 2023 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field Stadium

July 26, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field

July 29, 2023 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium

Aug. 01, 2023 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium

Aug. 03, 2023 – Pittsburgh, PA – Acrisure Stadium

Aug. 05, 2023 – Washington, DC – FedEx Field

Aug. 09, 2023 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium

Aug. 11, 2023 – Atlanta, GA – Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Aug. 16, 2023 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium

Aug. 18, 2023 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium

Aug. 21, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – Dome at America’s Center

Aug. 24, 2023 – Phoenix, AZ – State Farm Stadium

Aug. 26, 2023 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium

Aug. 30, 2023 – San Francisco, CA – Levi’s Stadium

Sept. 02, 2023 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium

Sept. 11, 2023 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place

Sept. 13, 2023 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field

Sept. 18, 2023 – Kansas City, MO – GEHA Field At Arrowhead Stadium

Sept. 21, 2023 – Dallas, TX – AT&T Stadium

Sept. 23, 2023 – Houston, TX – NRG Stadium

Sept. 27, 2023 – New Orleans, LA – Caesars Superdome

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Beyoncé Announces Her Renaissance World Tour 2023: All We Know

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Beyoncé kicked off Black History Month with the announcement the world has been waiting months for: Her Renaissance World Tour is happening, this year. Bey unveiled the news with a simple Instagram post: “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR 2023.” She did not immediately provide more information, but more is obviously coming.

So, what is known so far about her tour? What can the world expect? Here, we've gathered everything released so far.

When is the Renaissance World Tour happening?

• May 10: Stockholm, Sweden @ Friends Arena
• May 14: Brussels, Belgium @ King Baudouin Stadium
• May 17: Cardiff, Wales, U.K. @ Cardiff Principality Stadium
• May 20: Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K. @ BT Murrayfield Stadium
• May 23: Sunderland, U.K. @ Stadium of Light
• May 26: Paris, France @ Stade de France
• May 29: London, U.K. @ Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• May 30: London, U.K. @ Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• June 8: Barcelona, Spain @ Olympic Stadium
• June 11: Marseille, France @ Orange Vélodrome
• June 15: Cologne, Germany @ Rhein Energie Stadion
• June 17: Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff Arena
• June 21: Hamburg, Germany @ Volksparkstadion
• June 24: Frankfurt, Germany @ Deutsche Bank Park
• June 27: Warsaw, Poland @ PGE Narodowy
• July 8: Toronto, Canada @ Rogers Centre
• July 12: Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field
• July 15: Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium
• July 17: Louisville, KY @ L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
• July 20: Minneapolis, MN @ Huntington Bank Stadium
• July 22: Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field Stadium
• July 26: Detroit, MI @ Ford Field
• July 29: East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
• August 1: Boston, MA @ Gillette Stadium
• August 3: Pittsburgh, PA @ Acrisure Stadium
• August 5: Washington, DC @ FedEx Field
• August 9: Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium
• August 11: Atlanta, GA @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• August 16: Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium
• August 18: Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium
• August 21: St. Louis, MO @ Dome at America's Center
• August 24: Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium
• August 26: Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium
• August 30, San Francisco, CA @ Levi’s Stadium
• September 2: Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium
• September 11: Vancouver, BC @ BC Place
• September 13: Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field
• September 18: Kansas City, MO @ Arrowhead Stadium
• September 21: Dallas, TX @ AT&T Stadium
• September 23: Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium
• September 27: New Orleans, LA @ Caesars Superdome

Where can you get tickets?

Tickets for the North American leg of the tour will be available through Ticketmaster's Verified Fan program. Tickets will go on sale Monday, Feb 6, with an exclusive presale to BeyHive members, according to a Live Nation press release.

Verified Fan registration is now open. Once you register, you'll be placed in a lottery system that determines which fans get invited to purchase tickets. Registration alone doesn't guarantee tickets. If you're selected, you'll get an access code the day before tickets go on sale. Everyone else will be placed on a waitlist. According to Live Nation, this process is intended to help Ticketmaster weed out the resellers and verify your account so that actual fans get priority to buy tickets.

Citi cardmembers will have a special Citi Presale after the Verified Fan process. Get more details here . Verizon will also offer an exclusive presale through their customer loyalty program Verizon Up .

Will Beyoncé be using Ticketmaster like Taylor Swift to sell tickets?

Yes, but given what happened with Taylor Swift's Eras tour (and the fact it led to Congressional hearings about Ticketmaster ’s practices), it seems very likely both Beyoncé and Ticketmaster would want to avoid repeating that mess. That most likely explains the usage of the Verified Fan system.

Where will Beyoncé be playing?

The Renaissance World Tour will hit 40 cities in North America and across Europe. Stops include Paris, London, Amsterdam, Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, and many more.

What has Beyoncé said about the Renaissance World Tour?

She just announced it was happening with a post on February 1. Her website didn't immediately contain any more details. But during the Wearable Art Gala in October 2022, she appeared to confirm it would start this summer, as a backstage tour with her mother Tina Lawson was up for auction at the event.

Will Beyoncé be performing at the Grammys (on February 5) and sharing more tour details there?

Not clear yet, but she is the most nominated artist at the ceremony . On January 21, Variety reported that “ talks with show producers are ongoing for a possible onstage appearance ” by Beyoncé.

What can we expect from the tour on stage?

Beyoncé hasn't shared that yet either, but given the artistry she put into her recent Dubai show , it's fair to say we can expect no less than excellence, elaborate costumes, and an incredible experience.

This post will be updated the moment more detail is released.

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RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR

Beyoncé returns to the global stage for the renaissance world tour, her first solo tour in over six years..

• Date August 26 - 27 , 2023
• Lots Open 5:30 PM
• Doors Open 6:30 PM
• On Sale On Sale Now

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Following the wildly successful release of BEYONCÉ’s seventh studio album, RENAISSANCE, the global superstar has announced RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR, her first solo tour in over six years. The tour will make a Las Vegas stop at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 and Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023.

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Beyoncé adds extra dates for long-awaited Renaissance World Tour: See show schedule

"Please do not be alarmed, remain calm. Do not attempt to leave the dance floor."

Beyoncé announced her long-awaited tour for her seventh studio album " Renaissance " on Wednesday to kick off Black History Month . Demand for tickets skyrocketed so fast, the artist added second show dates seven cities: Toronto; Chicago; Washington D.C.; Atlanta; Houston; Inglewood, Calif. and East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The album, which debuted in July, is an ode to Black queer culture. Disco anthems, soulful ballads and sexy lyrics are packaged together in "Renaissance."

"RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR 2023," she shared on Instagram .

Beyoncé performs in Dubai  for luxury hotel opening, daughter Blue Ivy joins

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Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' album review: Unapologetic and raunchy as she beckons us to the dance floor

Full Renaissance World Tour dates

Beyoncé's world tour kicks off in May and ends in September and includes stops in Nashville, Louisville, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston, Miami, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and many more.

Note: Some dates have changed. For the most up-to-date information, visit  tour.beyonce.com .

• May 10: Stockholm, SE (Friends Arena)
• May 14: Brussels, BE (Baudoin Stadium)
• May 17:  Cardiff, UK (Principality Stadium)
• May 20: Edinburgh, UK (Murrayfield)
• May 23: Sunderland, UK (Stadium of Light)
• May 26:  Paris, FR (Stade de France)
• May 29: London, UK (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
• May 30:  London, UK (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
• June 6:  Lyon, FR (Groupama Stadium)
• June 8: Barcelona, SP (Olympic Stadium)
• June 11:  Marseille, FR (Orange Vélodrome)
• June 15:  Cologne, DE (Rheinenergiestadion)
• June 17:  Amsterdam, NL (JC Arena)
• June 18: Amsterdam, NL (JC Arena)
• June 21:  Hamburg, DE (Volksparkstadion)
• June 24: Frankfurt, DE (Deutsche Bank Park)
• June 27:  Warsaw, PL (Pge Nardowy)
• July 8:  Toronto, CA (Rogers Centre)
• July 9: Toronto, CA (Rogers Centre)
• July 15: Nashville, TN (Nissan Stadium)
• July 17: Louisville, KY (L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium)
• July 20: Minneapolis, MN (Huntington Bank Stadium)
• July 22: Chicago, IL (Soldier Field)
• July 23: Chicago, IL (Soldier Field)
• July 26: Detroit, MI (Ford Field)
• July 29: East Rutherford, NJ (Metlife Stadium)
• July 30: East Rutherford, NJ (Metlife Stadium)
• Aug. 1: Boston, MA (Gillette Stadium)
• Aug. 3: Pittsburgh, PA (Heinz Field)
• Aug. 5: Washington, DC (FedEx Field)
• Aug. 6: Washington, DC (FedEx Field)
• Aug. 9: Charlotte, NC (Bank of America Stadium)
• Aug. 11: Atlanta, GA (Mercedes Benz Stadium)
• Aug. 12: Atlanta, GA (Mercedes Benz Stadium)
• Aug. 16: Tampa, FL (Raymond James Stadium)
• Aug. 18: Miami, FL (Hard Rock Stadium)
• Aug. 21:  St. Louis, MI (Dome at Americas Center)
• Aug. 24: Phoenix, AZ (State Farm Stadium)
• Aug. 26: Las Vegas, NV (Allegiant Stadium)
• Aug. 30: San Francisco, CA (Levi's Stadium)
• Sept. 2:  Inglewood, CA (SoFi Stadium)
• Sept. 3:  Inglewood, CA (SoFi Stadium)
• Sept. 11: Vancouver, CA (BC Place)
• Sept. 13: Seattle, WA (Lumen Field)
• Sept. 18: Kansas City, MO (Arrowhead Stadium)
• Sept. 21: Dallas, TX (AT&T Stadium)
• Sept. 23: Houston, TX (NRG Stadium)
• Sept. 24: Houston, TX (NRG Stadium)
• Sept. 27: New Orleans, LA (Caesars Superdome)

How to purchase tickets, presale information

Ticketing begins Feb. 6, starting with an exclusive presale to BeyHive members.

There are several presale ticket options for Beyoncé fans. Verified fan registration for North American dates are available on beyonce.livenation.com  and Ticketmaster . Citi cardmembers will have access to a presale via citientertainment.com . Verizon Up members can buy presale tickets at  verizon.com/featured/verizon-up .

Visit the various websites for more on presale tickets as times vary by city.

You can also find "Register" buttons next to each date on her tour website .

Beyoncé returned to the stage for first time in four years in January

Last month, Beyoncé made her return to the stage and performed at the opening of the Atlantis The Royal hotel in Dubai. Despite the luxury experience, the singer left fans wanting more, as she did not perform any songs from "Renaissance," The Hollywood Reporter reported.

The invitation-only event marked her first concert in more than four years. She last performed at the  Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 event in 2018.

Beyoncé dominates Grammy nominations

The singer's tour announcement comes days ahead of the Grammys where Beyoncé leads the 2023 lineup with nine nominations, including best dance/electronic album ("Renaissance"), best R&B performance ("Virgo’s Groove") and best traditional R&B performance ("Plastic Off the Sofa"). 

With 28 wins and 88 total career nominations, Beyoncé now ties her husband, rapper Jay-Z , for the most nominations in Grammy history. If Beyoncé picks up four or more awards this year, she will surpass the late Georg Solti for the most Grammy wins of all time. (The Hungarian-born conductor holds the record with 31.) 

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z have got "to be the most intense power couple in the history of music," Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr. Mason said after the nominations were revealed. "That’s music and Grammy royalty – that’s the royal family."

Their combined 176 nominations are "absolutely a testament to their talent, to their level of excellence, to their work ethic, to their level of greatness over a long period of time. I don’t even know what the next (leading) couple would be, but it’s not anywhere close.”

Beyoncé's 'Break My Soul.' Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero.'  These are the 10 best songs of 2022, ranked.

Beyoncé noticeably was not nominated in any of the music video categories for the Grammys, having not released any album visuals for "Renaissance" since its debut.

Contributing: Patrick Ryan

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Beyoncé  

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There is no artist now that is comparable to Beyoncé. She stands by herself above all other entertainers, as a singular force she is Queen Bey and yes I am a huge Beyoncé fan. I've liked her music but Lemonade is an amazing album, touching on different musical genres, and my anthem is Formation so I had to see Beyoncé for the Formation World Tour.

Large arenas are so cumbersome but I bared through it, drove 3.5 hours, waited in line, parked near (but not really) sat down and within 15 minutes it started. I must say considering everything, the show started on time.

The moment I heard that distinctive beat for Formation and saw Beyoncé and her dancers come out, I LOST MY MIND (I was just screaming and jumping with no real aim but to release all my energy). I was in the same space as Beyoncé and it was a lot of screaming. Much like those videos of girls loosing their mind over Elvis, the Beatles, and Justin Bieber- I was doing that and it was fantastic. Because collectively the entire audience was also LOOSING THEIR MINDS. Just that experience like communal euphoria it's very hard to get but damn it if it doesn't make you feel magical.

The stage had a giant cube and screens and I could definitely see a little figure (I didn't have the best seats) who happened to be Beyoncé. Before she begins, she asked as questions and if we agreed we had to respond with "I Slay" I didn't so much say it as screamed it at the top of my lungs like my life depend on it. GOD DAMN, I was gonna get in formation and slay if it was the last thing I ever did.

From there, the show just kept going for two hours, she sang, danced, and slayed. She sounds live like she sounds on the albums, and she danced for the majority of the time, like she never stopped moving. The intermissions were brief, between the intermissions and the slow songs- I took a breather, because, I unlike Beyoncé needed to rest from all the singing along and jumping I was doing. She did some songs from Destinys Child, the majority of her hits (no show for Irreplaceable and Single Ladies).

In the end, after everything, I was just amazed. For one, I could have lived at any time in history, but I get to live in the time of Beyonce. For two, I saw the greatest performer of my generation live. For three, I saw Beyoncé at her peak, with the greatest album she has released (so far). When I'm old- I'm going to be telling the youngins about the time I saw Beyoncé live for the Formation World Tour, and they will be amazed. I can't wait to tell the story. En fin, if you get a chance do it, see Beyoncé because it will change you, transform you, it will slay you, and you will be amazed.

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I ended up winning my tickets to Beyonce online. I wasn't a huge fan before the gig but just decided to enter the comp on a win. I loved some of her previous stuff and was intrigued by the new album Lemonade. On arriving at Croke Park in Dublin the buzz was unreal. We were sitting up in the gods in the Cusack stand and we had a great view. We got to see the second support act Chloe x Halle and they were awesome. The noise in the stadium was brilliant everyone was singing and dancing just full of happiness and joy. Then Welcome To The Formation Tour came up on the big screen and the place erupted. When queen B graced the stage her presence was just electric. The whole show from start to finish was absolutely amazing. Bey has such an incredible stage presence and her voice is outstanding. The dancers and choreography was on point and just made you want to get up and shake what your mother gave you haha. I can truthfully say Beyonce gained another super fan in me that night. So entertaining and engaging with the crowd. And that ass!!! My boyfriend came with me (reluctantly!) only to see that ass in the flesh!! By the last part of the concert he was up dancing with me and all the people around us. I have to say where we were sitting was superb because the people around us were so friendly and we had a great time with everyone. Bit of scandal.... There was a girl in our row a few seats up (we'll call her boots girl) and she was giving it loads and more until..... She puked vodka all over the girl sitting in front of her!!!!!!! Now I'm all for having a drink and enjoying myself but seriously there is no need to get that wasted. My heart went out to the poor girl she puked on and everyone seen it. Soooo embarrassing. Everyone in the row in front of booty girl was terrified that they would become her next victim!! On a final note if you ever get a chance to go see Beyonce GO GO GO... You will not be disappointed and u will leave on a high that will last for days after. BEYONCÉ YOU SLAY

Half of the fun of going to this Beyonce concert was to watch the crowd as I was waiting for my friends. This crowd did not disappoint. Lots of clubbing outfit, even in a chilly place like Seattle. A very pregnant woman wearing mini dress and high heels. Very diverse group of people. But I digress.

This was my first Beyonce concert.

I had a high level of expectation due to being told repeatedly that Beyonce is such a perfectionism. So for me this was a letdown. After the opening act of DJ Khaled ended, we had to wait more than 1 hour for Beyonce to show up on stage. What was taking so long? the hair? the makeup?

And the acoustics were horrible. Unless you knew the words to her songs, you couldn't make out what she was singing as her voice was totally drowned by the music.

She gave us a medley type of show, singing part of a song then segueing into another song. That was disappointing as I like to hear my songs in full. But that's a personal preference.

Beyonce was stunning and seemed to have a great time performing for her fans.

Lots of gorgeous visuals, lots of smoky and pyrotechnic effects reminiscent of Las Vegas acts if that's what you're into.

Crowd participation. Probably a given as her fans adore her. They do not just sit down to passively be entertained. Most of them were on their feet dancing to the music.

Fired up energetic dancing from her and her dancers.

And on the few sets where they actually toned down the music and allowed us to hear her voice, Beyonce shone and showed why she is the superstar that she is.

I am a really big Beyoncé fan and was really pumped up to see her – I'd been waiting for years for the chance. The concert was at our local arena and there were about 18,000 other fans in attendance, so I was worried it might not feel very special. But if anything, that made it more memorable: the place was full of energy and people ready to dance and sing.

She was really on it that night and her voice sounded so great. She did her slow songs like “If I was a Boy” with just as much energy and soul as she performs her faster hits like “Drunk in Love” and “All the Single Ladies” (which was epic). Her costumes were equally impressive (she must have changed outfits half a dozen times) and she looked so good in all of them, she truly is a really beautiful lady. Her shows have a kind of sexy appeal and it came off as very authentic, not crass. The way she moved her body and the emphasis she gave on certain songs just made the whole thing one good raunchy affair!

During the show she gave a few shout outs to her husband Jay Z and the amazing band she tours with. You can probably imagine, we were so worn out from dancing and singing once the show was over with.

Beyoncé has absolutely taken hold as the single most important female performer in pop music these days and if you are lucky enough to see her in concert, that will only help to prove that she belongs in that role. Hopefully she will be back in the near future – I'll be first in line for tickets :)

The first indication that The Formation World Tour would be a cinematic experience, as well as a sonic one, was when the THX logo appeared on the side screens, along with the signature deep note. A few seconds later, the rotating (sixty-foot, three-dimensional) multimedia display came to life with pulsating black-and-white nudes of Queen Bey spliced with footage of a hawk flying high above its prey.

“Welcome to the Formation Tour, can I hear you say ‘I slay!’”

Beyoncé, along with about a dozen dancers donning wide-brim hats and black leotards, marched down the catwalk in true formation. Visual clips and poetry about being “Sorry” eased the transition into the track with the deceptive name; all while 50,000 people filled the San Diego stadium with screams that could be heard in Mexico. And as if Bey couldn’t express her discontent with her own two hands, she instructed her dance troupe to line up behind her with arms outstretched; providing an octopus illusion of middle fingers in the air while she told that “boy bye,” before interjecting an acapella version of “Kitty Kat” in between the hook and the famous last verse about “Becky with the good hair.”

- See more at: http://ilistensoyoudonthaveto.com/2016/05/14/beyonce-qualcomm-stadium-05-12-16/#sthash.uEnT3Ku1.dpuf

Beyoncé + Jay Z is the concert experience you think of when you think of the ultimate arena concert experiences. It's the full package - amazing choreography, costume changes every few minutes, stage effects and of course, hit song after hit song. Although as a whole it's an extraordinary, confident show, it is very clear that Beyoncé drives 80% of the action - although Jay-Z is very good, there's nowhere near the same amount of energy or showmanship that makes Beyoncé's songs so exciting.

Even at over 2 hours in duration, the show only provides a sample of their formidable discographies - but the selection is solid. You won't get the 10-minute long "Single Ladies" jam you've dreamed of, but even the nods to songs like this and "Countdown" are unique and memorable.

So in all, this is a show that has it all - great remixes, a visual feast and never a break in the action. If you have even just a passing interest in the B+JZ duo, you'll find this an incredibly enjoyable night out.

I was really looking forward to this show, I've been waiting for years to see Beyoncé. I purchased standing tickets, and yes, I expected that I won't be able to see much of her. What I didn't expect was the drunk people squeezing in front of me after queuing for 1,5hours, and people covering even the little view I had out with their phones to take videos. But even that I can deal with, although it made me sad. What really disappointed me was the sound. Maybe it's just me, I don't know, but unfortunately her voice didn't come through clearly. I could have dealt with all the other things if it was a fantastic audio experience, but I am very very sad to say it wasn't. Beyoncé was amazing of course, but somehow the entire experience is more a negative. I can't even believe I am saying this as I was really excited and convinced I was gonna have a great time, as it's B, she is a perfectionist, sound can't go wrong. It did, I'm sorry. Maybe next time will be better.

I really love Beyoncé so this was honestly the best night of my entire life. My friend and I were lucky enough and got there early enough to be in the second row in Gold Circle 1 so we were really close. I am quite short so I struggled to see her on the main stage but the 'Monolith' was massive so I could watch her and the visuals on that. She did spend quite a bit of time on the second stage and the runway which was quite disappointing but we could watch the whole thing on the 'Monolith' so that was okay. Amazing band, amazing dancers, amazing crew, amazing visuals - so many talented people made this show what it was. Overall, it was honestly an amazing show, she is such a talented performer and I would definitely pay that to see her again - hopefully soon! 10/10

The On The Run 2 tour was amazing with great performances by Beyoncé and Jay-Z. There were obviously large queues to get in early on and the standing pitch was very busy (unsupisingly). However, although Beyoncé’s performance was incredible and full of energy and voice of an angel, Jay-Z had a completely different vibe. I felt that their music did compliment eachother but Jay-Z’s performance didn’t seem as energetic or engaging as Beyoncé. I was hoping to hear a lot of Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ album but unfortunately only 2-3 songs came up from that album. Their collaborative songs were very good I.e Crazy in love, Drunk in love and Deja Vu. In the whole, I had a great experience and though Beyoncé was amazing and proved herself of being Queen B!

A very EPIC show!!! The opening act were pretty good and they managed not to lose my interest. The seating was amazing! We were right near the stage. The seats that they give are kind of uncomfortable though. The Mercedes Benz Stadium is a very nice venue with friendly vendors and staff. Traffic wasn’t too bad as long as you know how to get around the main crowd. Jay Z and Beyoncé put on a SHOW!!! The vibes that you get when at a Beyoncé concert is always great. I would highly recommend anyone who appreciates music, good dancing, a performance, and loves Beyoncé should definitely see Beyoncé in concert at least once in their lifetime. Wonderful show and can’t wait for her to come back out!

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Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

Beyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour and the creative mastermind behind it. Beyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour and the creative mastermind behind it. Beyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour and the creative mastermind behind it.

• Mark Ritchie
• Blue Ivy Carter
• 51 User reviews
• 12 Critic reviews
• 86 Metascore
• 1 win & 6 nominations

• Silver Horse Band - Keys
• Silver Horse Band - Guitar
• Silver Horse Band - Trombone
• Silver Horse Band - Trumpet
• (as Crystal Torres)
• Silver Horse Band - Drums
• Silver Horse Band - Bass
• (as Don Alford)

• Silver Horse Band - Piano
• Silver Horse Band - Saxophone

• Pure Honey Vocal Director
• (as Tiffany Ryan)
• Pure Honey Singer

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia The film had a limited run in theaters in December 2023 and as of June, 2024 wasn't released on home video.
• Connections Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Emma Stone/Noah Kahan (2023)

User reviews 51

• Nov 30, 2023
• December 1, 2023 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ
• Parkwood Entertainment
• Southpaw Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $33,889,684
• $21,801,216
• Dec 3, 2023
• $43,989,684

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• Runtime 2 hours 49 minutes

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Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood

Beyoncé Kicks Off Her Renaissance World Tour In Stockholm, Sweden: Watch Performance And Stage Videos, See Photos, View The Setlist & More

Beyoncé returned to the stage with her hotly anticipated Renaissance World Tour, which saw the singer perform a three-hour set that included multiple live debuts of 'Renaissance' tracks and other classics.

BeyHive assemble: The moment has finally arrived. Beyoncé officially kicked off her 56-date Renaissance World Tour tonight in Stockholm, Sweden. Launching with a sold-out show at the Friends Arena in the Swedish capital, the tour marks Queen Bey's first tour in nearly five years and first solo tour in seven years. The world tour is in support of her GRAMMY-winning and history-making 2022 album , Renaissance , and also marks the first time she performed songs from the album on stage. 

Across a three-hour, 36-song set, which was split into seven acts, Beyoncé delivered an expansive, dazzling set spanning her broad and celebrated discography, including many live debuts of Renaissance tracks like "CUFF IT," "BREAK MY SOUL," "PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA," "VIRGO'S GROOVE," and many more. She also performed several Beyoncé classics like "Run the World (Girls)," her Megan Thee Stallion collab " Savage Remix ," "Crazy in Love," "Formation," and more.

*Beyoncé performs onstage during the opening night of her Renaissance World Tour at Friends Arena on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden | Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood*

Released last July, Renaissance is Beyoncé's seventh solo album, all of which have topped the U.S charts. Renaissance garnered Beyoncé eight of her nine GRAMMY nominations at the 2023 GRAMMYs ; she was also nominated for Best Song Written For Visual Media for her original song "Be Alive" from the film King Richard .

Read More: A Timeline Of Beyoncé's GRAMMY Moments, From Her First Win With Destiny's Child to Making History With 'Renaissance'

At the 2023 GRAMMYs, she took home four GRAMMY Awards — including Best Dance/Electronic Recording for "Break My Soul," Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for Renaissance , Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Plastic Off The Sofa," and Best R&B Song for "Cuff It" — setting the record as the artist with the most GRAMMY wins of all time . When nominations for the 2023 GRAMMYs were announced last November, she was the most nominated artist for that GRAMMY Award year; she is currently tied with her husband and occasional music partner, Jay-Z , for the most GRAMMY nominations ever, counting 88 nominations each.

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour continues across Europe through late June and then heads to North America in July.

Below, check out the full setlist , view photos, watch videos, and see fan reactions from the BeyHive from the first night of Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour.

*Beyoncé performs onstage during the opening night of her Renaissance World Tour at Friends Arena on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden | Photo: Andrew White*

*Beyoncé performs onstage during the opening night of her Renaissance World Tour at Friends Arena on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden | Photo: Mason Poole*

Opening Act

The Signboard (Video Introduction)

Dangerously in Love 2 (Live Debut - Shortened)

Flaws and All

I'm Goin' Down ( Mary J. Blige cover)

RENAISSANCE

RENAISSANCE (Video Introduction)  

I'M THAT GIRL (Live Debut - Extended spoken intro)

COZY (Live Debut)

ALIEN SUPERSTAR (Live Debut)

Lift Off (JAY Z & Kanye West cover)

7/11 (Dancers Interlude)

MOTHERBOARD

MOTHERBOARD (Video Interlude)

CUFF IT (Live Debut)

ENERGY(Live Debut)

BREAK MY SOUL (Live Debut)

OPULENCE (Video Interlude)

Formation (Shortened)

Diva (Shortened)

Run the World (Girls) (Shortened)

MY POWER (Live Debut - Shortened)

BLACK PARADE (Live Debut)

Savage (Remix) (Megan Thee Stallion cover) (Live Debut)

Partition (Shortened)

ANOINTED (Video Interlude )

CHURCH GIRL(Live Debut)

Get Me Bodied (Shortened)

Before I Let Go (Maze featuring Frankie Beverly cover)

Rather Die Young

Love on Top

Crazy in Love

Freedom(Band Jam. Interlude)

ANOINTED - PT. 2

Love Hangover ( Diana Ross song) (Sung by the choristers)

PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA (Live Debut)

VIRGO'S GROOVE (Live Debut)

Naughty Girl

MOVE (Live Debut)

HEATED (Live Debut)

THIQUE (Live Debut)

ALL UP IN YOUR MIND (Live Debut)

Drunk in Love

MIND CONTROL

MIND CONTROL (Video Interlude)

AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM (Live Debut)

PURE/HONEY (Live Debut)

SUMMER RENAISSANCE (Live Debut)

How Many GRAMMYs Has Beyoncé Won? 10 Questions About The 'Renaissance' Singer Answered

Photo: Jeremy Cowart

Behind Ryan Tedder's Hits: Stories From The Studio With OneRepublic, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift & More

As OneRepublic releases their latest album, the group's frontman and pop maverick gives an inside look into some of the biggest songs he's written — from how Beyoncé operates to Tom Cruise's prediction for their 'Top Gun' smash.

Three months after OneRepublic began promoting their sixth album, Artificial Paradise , in February 2022, the band unexpectedly had their biggest release in nearly a decade. The pop-rock band's carefree jam, "I Ain't Worried," soundtracked Top Gun: Maverick 's most memeable scene and quickly became a global smash — ultimately delaying album plans in favor of promoting their latest hit.

Two years later, "I Ain't Worried" is one of 16 tracks on Artificial Paradise , which arrived July 12. It's a seamless blend of songs that will resonate with longtime and newer fans alike. From the layered production of "Hurt," to the feel-good vibes of "Serotonin," to the evocative lyrics of "Last Holiday," Artificial Paradise shows that OneRepublic's sound is as dialed-in as it is ever-evolving.

The album also marks the end of an era for OneRepublic, as it's the last in their contract with Interscope Records. But for the group's singer, Ryan Tedder , that means the future is even more exciting than it's been in their entire 15-year career.

"I've never been more motivated to write the best material of my life than this very moment," he asserts. "I'm taking it as a challenge. We've had a lot of fun, and a lot of uplifting records for the last seven or eight years, but I also want to tap back into some deeper material with the band."

As he's been prepping Artificial Paradise with his OneRepublic cohorts, Tedder has also been as busy as he's ever been working with other artists. His career as a songwriter/producer took off almost simultaneously with OneRepublic's 2007 breakthrough, "Apologize" (his first major behind-the-board hit was Leona Lewis ' "Bleeding Love"); to this day he's one of the go-to guys for pop's biggest names, from BLACKPINK to Tate McRae .

Tedder sat down with GRAMMY.com to share some of his most prominent memories of OneRepublic's biggest songs, as well as some of the hits he's written with Beyoncé , Adele , Taylor Swift and more.

OneRepublic — "Apologize," 'Dreaming Out Loud' (2007)

I was producing and writing other songs for different artists on Epic and Atlantic — I was just cutting my teeth as a songwriter in L.A. This is like 2004. I was at my lowest mentally and financially. I was completely broke. Creditors chasing me, literally dodging the taxman and getting my car repoed, everything.

I had that song in my back pocket for four years. A buddy of mine just reminded me last month, a songwriter from Nashville — Ashley Gorley , actually. We had a session last month, me, him and Amy Allen , and he brought it up. He was like, "Is it true, the story about 'Apologize'? You were completely broke living in L.A. and Epic Records offered you like 100 grand or something just for the right to record the song on one of their artists?"

And that is true. It was, like, 20 [grand], then 50, then 100. And I was salivating. I was, like, I need this money so bad . And I give so many songs to other people, but with that song, I drew a line in the sand and said, "No one will sing this song but me. I will die with this song." 

It was my story, and I just didn't want anyone else to sing it. It was really that simple. It was a song about my past relationships, it was deeply personal. And it was also the song that — I spent two years trying to figure out what my sound was gonna be. I was a solo artist… and I wasn't landing on anything compelling. Then I landed on "Apologize" and a couple of other songs, and I was like, These songs make me think of a band, not solo artist material. So it was the song that led me to the sound of OneRepublic, and it also led me to the idea that I should start a band and not be a solo artist.

We do it every night. I'll never not do it. I've never gotten sick of it once. Every night that we do it, whether I'm in Houston or Hong Kong, I look out at the crowd and look at the band, and I'm like, Wow. This is the song that got us here.

Beyoncé — "Halo," 'I Am…Sacha Fierce' (2008)

We were halfway through promoting Dreaming Out Loud , our first album. I played basketball every day on tour, and I snapped my Achilles. The tour got canceled. The doctor told me not to even write. And I had this one sliver of an afternoon where my wife had to run an errand. And because I'm sadistic and crazy, I texted [songwriter] Evan Bogart, "I got a three-hour window, race over here. Beyoncé called me and asked me to write her a song. I want to do it with you." He had just come off his huge Rihanna No. 1, and we had an Ashley Tisdale single together.

When you write enough songs, not every day do the clouds part and God looks down on you and goes, "Here." But that's what happened on that day. I turn on the keyboard, the first sound that I play is the opening sound of the song. Sounds like angels singing. And we wrote the song pretty quick, as I recall. 

I didn't get a response [from Beyoncé after sending "Halo" over], which I've now learned is very, very typical of her. I did Miley Cyrus and Beyoncé "II MOST WANTED" [from COWBOY CARTER ] — I didn't know that was coming out 'til five days before it came out. And when I did "XO" [from 2013's Beyoncé ], I found out that "XO" was coming out 12 hours before it came out. That's how she operates.

OneRepublic — "Good Life," 'Waking Up' (2009)

["Good Life"] was kind of a Hail Mary. We already knew that "All the Right Moves" would be the first single [from Waking Up ]. We knew that "Secrets" was the second single. And in the 11th hour, our engineer at the time — who I ended up signing as a songwriter, Noel Zancanella — had this drum loop that he had made, and he played it for Brent [Kutzle] in our band. Brent said, "You gotta hear this drum loop that Noel made. It's incredible."

He played it for me the next morning, and I was like, "Yo throw some chords to this. I'm writing to this today." They threw some chords down, and the first thing out of my mouth was, [ sings ] "Oh, this has gotta be the good life." 

It's the perfect example of, oftentimes, the chord I've tried to strike with this band with some of our bigger records, [which] is happy sad. Where you feel nostalgic and kind of melancholic, but at the same time, euphoric. That's what those chords and that melody did for me.

I was like, "Hey guys, would it be weird if I made the hook a whistle?" And everyone was like, "No! Do not whistle!" They're like, "Name the last hit song that had a whistle." And the only one I could think of was, like, Scorpion from like, 1988. [ Laughs .] So I thought, To hell with it, man, it's been long enough, who cares? Let's try it. And the whistle kind of made the record. It became such a signature thing.

Adele — "Rumour Has It," '21' (2011)

"Rumour Has It" was the first song I did in probably a four year period, with any artist, that wasn't a ballad. All any artist ever wanted me to write with them or for them, was ballads, because of "Halo," and "Apologize" and "Bleeding Love."

I begged [Adele] to do a [song with] tempo, because we did "Turning Tables," another ballad. She was in a feisty mood [that day], so I was like, "Okay, we're doing a tempo today!"

Rick Rubin was originally producing the whole album. I was determined to produce Adele, not just write — because I wanted a shot to show her that I could, and to show myself. I stayed later after she left, and I remember thinking, What can I do in this record in this song that could be so difficult to reproduce that it might land me the gig?

So I intentionally muted the click track, changed the tempo, and [created that] whole piano bridge. I was making it up as I went. When she got in that morning. I said, "I have a crazy idea for a bridge. It's a movie." She listens and she says, "This is really different, I like this! How do we write to this?" 

I mean, it was very difficult. [But] we finished the song. She recorded the entire song that day. She recorded the whole song in one take. I've never seen anyone do that in my life — before or since.

Then I didn't hear from her for six months. Because I handed over the files, and Rick Rubin's doing it, so I don't need to check on it. I randomly check on the status of the song — and at this point, if you're a songwriter or producer, you're assuming that they're not keeping the songs. Her manager emails my manager, "Hey, good news — she's keeping both songs they did, and she wants Ryan to finish 'Rumour Has It' production and mix it." 

When I finally asked her, months later — probably at the GRAMMYs — I said, "Why didn't [Rick] do it?" She said, "Oh he did. It's that damn bridge! Nobody could figure out what the hell you were doing…It was so problematic that we just gave up on it."

OneRepublic — "Counting Stars," 'Native' (2013)

I was in a Beyoncé camp in the Hamptons writing for the self-titled album. [There were] a bunch of people in the house — me, Greg Kurstin , Sia — it was a fun group of people. I had four days there, and every morning I'd get up an hour and a half before I had to leave, make a coffee, and start prepping for the day. On the third day, I got up, I'm in the basement of this house at like 7 in the morning, and I'm coming up with ideas. I stumble across that chord progression, the guitar and the melody. It was instant shivers up my spine.  

"Lately I've been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be" is the only line that I had. [My] first thought was, I should play this for Beyoncé , and then I'm listening to it and going, This is not Beyoncé, not even remotely. It'd be a waste. So I tabled it, and I texted the guys in my band, "Hey, I think I have a potentially really big record. I'm going to finish it when I get back to Denver."

I got back the next week, started recording it, did four or five versions of the chorus, bouncing all the versions off my wife, and then eventually landed it. And when I played it for the band, they were like, "This is our favorite song."

Taylor Swift — "Welcome to New York," '1989' (2014)

It was my second session with Taylor. The first one was [ 1989 's] "I Know Places," and she sent me a voice memo. I was looking for a house in Venice [California], because we were spending so much time in L.A. So that whole memory is attached to me migrating back to Los Angeles.  

But I knew what she was talking about, because I lived in New York, and I remember the feeling — endless possibilities, all the different people and races and sexes and loves. That was her New York chapter. She was so excited to be there. If you never lived there, and especially if you get there and you've got a little money in the pocket, it is so exhilarating.

It was me just kind of witnessing her brilliant, fast-paced, lyrical wizardry. [Co-producer] Max [Martin] and I had a conversation nine months later at the GRAMMYs, when we had literally just won for 1989 . He kind of laughed, he pointed to all the other producers on the album, and he's like, "If she had, like, three more hours in the day, she would just figure out what we do and she would do it. And she wouldn't need any of us." 

And I still think that's true. Some people are just forces of nature in and among themselves, and she's one of them. She just blew me away. She's the most talented top liner I've ever been in a room with, bar none. If you're talking lyric and melody, I've never been in a room with anyone faster, more adept, knows more what they want to say, focused, efficient, and just talented.

Jonas Brothers — "Sucker," 'Happiness Begins' (2019)

I had gone through a pretty dry spell mentally, emotionally. I had just burned it at both ends and tapped out, call it end of 2016. So, really, all of 2017 for me was a blur and a wash. I did a bunch of sessions in the first three months of the year, and then I just couldn't get a song out. I kept having, song after song, artists telling me it's the first single, [then] the song was not even on the album. I had never experienced that in my career.

I went six to nine months without finishing a song, which for me is unheard of. Andrew Watt kind of roped me back into working with him. We did "Easier" for 5 Seconds of Summer , and we did some Sam Smith and some Miley Cyrus, and right in that same window, I did this song "Sucker." Two [or] three months later, Wendy Goldstein from Republic [Records] heard the record, I had sent it to her. She'd said, very quietly, "We're relaunching the Jonas Brothers . They want you to be involved in a major way. Do you have anything?" 

She calls me, she goes, "Ryan, do not play this for anybody else. This is their comeback single. It's a No. 1 record. Watch what we're gonna do." And she delivered.

OneRepublic — "I Ain't Worried," 'Top Gun: Maverick' Soundtrack (2022)

My memory is, being in lockdown in COVID, and just being like, Who knows when this is going to end , working out of my Airstream at my house. I had done a lot of songs for movies over the years, and [for] that particular [song] Randy Spendlove, who runs [music at] Paramount, called me.

I end up Zooming with Tom Cruise [and Top Gun: Maverick director] Jerry Bruckheimer — everybody's in lockdown during post-production. The overarching memory was, Holy cow, I'm doing the scene, I'm doing the song for Top Gun . I can't believe this is happening. But the only way I knew how to approach it, rather than to, like, overreact and s— the bed, was, It's just another day.

I do prescription songs for movies, TV, film all the time. I love a brief. It's so antithetical to most writers. I'm either uncontrollably lazy or the most productive person you've ever met. And the dividing line between the two is, if I'm chasing some directive, some motivation, some endpoint, then I can be wildly productive.

I just thought, I'm going to do the absolute best thing I can do for this scene and serve the film. OneRepublic being the performing artist was not on the menu in my mind. I just told them, "I think you need a cool indie band sounding, like, breakbeat." I used adjectives to describe what I heard when I saw the scene, and Tom got really ramped and excited. 

You could argue [it's the biggest song] since the band started. The thing about it is, it's kind of become one of those every summer [hits]. And when it blew up, that's what Tom said. He said, "Mark my words, dude. You're gonna have a hit with this every summer for, like, the next 20 years or more." 

And that's what happened. The moment Memorial Day happened, "I Ain't Worried" got defrosted and marched itself back into the top 100.

Tate McRae — "Greedy," 'THINK LATER' (2023)

We had "10:35" [with Tiësto ] the previous year that had been, like, a No. 1 in the UK and across Europe and Australia. So we were coming off the back of that, and the one thing she was clear about was, "That is not the direction of what I want to do."

If my memory serves me correct, "greedy" was the next to last session we had. Everything we had done up to that point was kind of dark, midtempo, emotional. So "greedy" was the weirdo outlier. I kept pushing her to do a dance record. I was like, "Tate, there's a lot of people that have great voices, and there's a lot of people who can write, but none of those people are professional dancers like you are. Your secret weapon is the thing you're not using. In this game and this career, you've got to use every asset that you have and exploit it."

There was a lot of cajoling. On that day, we did it, and I thought it was badass, and loved it. And she was like, "Ugh, what do we just do? What is this?"

So then it was just, like, months, months and months of me constantly bringing that song back up, and playing it for her, and annoying the s— out of her. And she came around on it. 

She has very specific taste. So much of the music with Tate, it really is her steering. I'll do what I think is like a finished version of a song, and then she will push everyone for weeks, if not months, to extract every ounce of everything out of them, to push the song harder, further, edgier — 19 versions of a song, until finally she goes, "Okay, this is the one." She's a perfectionist.

OneRepublic — "Last Holiday," 'Artificial Paradise' (2024)

I love [our latest single] "Hurt," but my favorite song on the album is called "Last Holiday." I probably started the beginning of that lyric, I'm not joking, seven, eight years ago. But I didn't finish it 'til this past year.

The verses are little maxims and words of advice that I've been given throughout the years. It's almost cynical in a way, the song. When I wrote the chorus, I was definitely in kind of a down place. So the opening line is, "So I don't believe in the stars anymore/ They never gave me what I wished for." And it's, obviously, a very not-so-slight reference to "Counting Stars." But it's also hopeful — "We've got some problems, okay, but this isn't our last holiday." 

It's very simple sentiments. Press pause. Take some moments. Find God before it all ends. All these things with this big, soaring chorus. Musically and emotionally and sonically, that song — and "Hurt," for sure — but "Last Holiday" is extremely us-sounding. 

The biggest enemy that we've had over the course of 18 years, I'll be the first to volunteer, is, this ever-evolving, undulating sound. No one's gonna accuse me of making these super complex concept albums, because that's just not how my brain's wired. I grew up listening to the radio. I didn't grow up hanging out in the Bowery in CBGBs listening to Nick Cave . So for us, the downside to that, and for me doing all these songs for all these other people, is the constant push and pull of "What is their sound? What genre is it?" 

I couldn't put a pin in exactly what the sound is, but what I would say is, if you look at the last 18 years, a song like "Last Holiday" really encompasses, sonically, what this band is about. It's very moving, and emotional, and dynamic. It takes me to a place — that's the best way for me to put it. And hopefully the listener finds the same.

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5 Reasons Why 'The Writing's On The Wall' Is Destiny's Child's Defining Album

From its embrace of experimental R&B production and memorable music videos, to its GRAMMY-winning empowering songs, 'The Writing’s On the Wall' remains a touchstone for fans of Destiny's Child.

In 1997, all-female R&B groups were thriving: TLC already had seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, En Vogue had numerous platinum singles, and Xscape reached No. 1 more than once. Soon, a quartet of teenagers would burst upon the scene and leave an indelible impact.

While Destiny’s Child are now canonical in the world of '90s and early aughts R&B, the group initially experienced spotty success. Their 1997 debut single, "No, No, No (Part 2)" peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and was certified platinum. Yet their eponymous album, released in February 1998, only hit No. 67. Their follow up single, "With Me," also failed to set the charts ablaze. 

Destiny’s Child's underwhelming chart performances could’ve easily derailed the budding group. Fortunately, the four ambitious girls from Texas had other plans. 

Beyoncé Knowles , Kelly Rowland , LaTavia Roberson , and Le Toya Luckett were determined not to become one hit wonders, and quickly went back into the studio to record their sophomore album. Released on July 14, 1999, The Writing’s On the Wall became Destiny’s Child’s highest selling album and spawned some of their most iconic songs — one of which led to the group's first GRAMMY win. Not only did the album establish Destiny's Child as a household name, but it fine tuned the R&B girl group concept to perfection.

"We had no idea that The Writing's on the Wall would be as big a record as it was. Especially worldwide," Beyoncé said in a 2006 Guardian interview .

In celebration of the iconic album's 25th anniversary, read on for five reasons why The Writing’s On the Wall is the defining album of Destiny’s Child’s career.

Its Members Took Creative Control

On their debut album, Destiny’s Child tapped into the neo soul trend popularized by the likes of D’Angelo , Erykah Badu , and Maxwell — artists in their early-to-mid twenties with a maturity the teen quartet didn’t yet have. The references and creative direction clashed with the reality of the group members being so young.

"It was a neo-soul record and we were 15 years old. It was way too mature for us," Beyoncé tol the Guardian .

Heading back into the studio, the girls made sure to eradicate any misalignments and put more of themselves into their sophomore album. In an interview with MTV , the members said The Writing’s On the Wall had a fresher, more youthful vibe because "it comes from us." The quartet's fingerprints are all over the 16 track album: Each member co-wrote at least 50 percent of the album. 

"Even at the time, Beyoncé would produce a lot of their background vocals, and she was a leader even at a young age," Xscape's Kandi Burruss said in a Vice interview , reflecting on her work as a songwriter and producer on The Writing's On the Wall . This heightened presence enabled the group to develop lyrics that boldly reflected their opinions and youthful energy. In turn, The Writing's On the Wall netted a run of iconic hit singles.

Read more: Destiny's Child's Debut Album At 25: How A Neo-Soul Album From Teens Spawned R&B Legends

It Pushed R&B Forward 

Like its predecessor, The Writing’s On the Wall is very much an R&B album. However, Beyoncé's father Mathew Knowles — who still managed the group at the time — brought in producers who weren’t afraid to experiment. The result was a more commercial album that fused classic R&B with pop influences, creating a sound that was simultaneously contemporary and timeless.

Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs and Burrus (who would go on to co-write and produce TLC’s "No Scrubs") contributed to five of the album's tracks, shaping its overall sound and differentiating it from Destiny’s Child . The duo kept a few elements from the group’s debut effort, including the sing-rapping heard on "Bug A Boo" and "Hey Ladies." With syncopated beats, thumping basslines, and their knack for writing catchy hooks, Briggs and Burrus created R&B records with the perfect blend of chart-friendly accessibility.

On the Missy Elliott produced "Confessions," synthesizers, drum machines, and electronic garbling were layered to create a lush, futuristic backdrop. Further subverting the classic R&B ballad, Elliott paired what sounds like a cabasa to match Beyonce’s cadence throughout the verses which gives her laidback vocals an almost robotic feel. In addition to producing, Elliott’s velvety vocals also appear quite prominently on the chorus, adding to the track’s sonic tapestry.

GRAMMY-winner Rodney Jerkins was tapped to produce "Say My Name." The original beat Jerkins used was two-step garage, a subgenre of UK garage. No one else liked the sound, so he completely revamped the track into the GRAMMY-winning anthem we know today. Jerkins melded funk-inspired guitar and a call and response approach, then modernized them with a shimmery, polished production. This helped "Say My Name" become the group’s most listened to song on Spotify with over 840 million streams. Jerkins has even gone on record to say this is his favorite song he’s produced to date.

Read more: "Say My Name" 20 Years Later: Why The Destiny's Child Staple Is Still On Everyone's Lips

Its Music Videos Praised Black Culture

"For me, it is about amplifying the beauty in all of us," Beyoncé said in a 2019 interview with Elle when asked about the importance of representation. Even before her solo work, the importance of spotlighting Black culture was evident in Destiny's Child's music videos.

In "Bills, Bills, Bills," we see the group play the role of hair stylists in a salon which is an obvious nod to Beyoncé's mother’s longstanding relationship with all things hair . Near the end of "Bug a Boo," the members change into their version of majorette costumes and dance in front of a marching band. Majorettes and marching bands have a vibrant legacy within HBCUs; almost 20 years after this video premiered, Beyoncé revisited this very concept for her 2018 Coachella performance. 

It Delivered Mainstream Success 

The Writing’s On the Wall was a hit across the charts. The group earned their first No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100 with "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name." Promotions for the latter also reinvigorated album sales and helped shift another 157,000 copies (an impressive 15 percent increase from their first-week sales). The fourth and final single, "Jumpin’, Jumpin’" was released during the summer of 2000 and became one of the most played songs on the radio that year.

Songs from the album were nominated at both the 42nd and 43rd GRAMMY Awards. Destiny’s Child took home their first golden gramophone at the 2001 GRAMMYs, winning Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Say My Name." The single also won Best R&B Song and  was nominated for Record Of The Year. 

With 14 nominations, Destiny’s Child remain the most nominated girl group in GRAMMY history. With worldwide sales of 13 million, The Writing’s On the Wall is also the fourth best-selling girl group album of all time.

It Expanded The Concept Of "Girl Power"

The Writing’s On the Wall was much more than catchy, radio-friendly tunes. Lyrically and in production, the album reintroduced Destiny’s Child as the architects for their own lives. The tongue-in-cheek Godfather -inspired intro tees up each song with a commandment for their partners and, at times, for themselves.

Often misconstrued as a gold digger anthem,"Bills, Bills, Bills" empowers a woman to confront a lover who's financially taking advantage of her. This is a far cry from the theme of a young woman focused on finding love — a common theme on Destiny's Child —  and puts their confidence on full display. "So Good" is a sassy, uplifting anthem which explicitly addresses haters with pointed lyrics like "For all the people ‘round us that have been negative/Look at us now/See how we live." Destiny's Child was sending a clear message: they’re going to be fine regardless of what others say. 

And when the group became tabloid fodder due to unexpected lineup changes , "So Good" took on a new meaning for persevering through hard times. While there are some songs with morally questionable lyrics — we’re looking at you ‘"Confessions" — the consistent message of embracing one’s self-worth and independence is clear. 

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Crashing Into The Present: How Kehlani Learned To Trust Their Instincts And Exist Loudly

"I want this next batch of music to feel like the most fiery parts of me," Kehlani says of her new album, 'Crash.' The singer/songwriter speaks with GRAMMY.com about embracing the moment and making an album she can headbang to.

After finishing the first mixes of their new album, Kehlani knew exactly what she needed to do: head to Las Vegas.  

The L.A.-based, Oakland-born singer/songwriter had always identified with Sin City: "I’m full of juxtapositions," she tells GRAMMY.com. "Vegas is this crazy bright light city in the middle of a vacant desert that has weddings and also strippers." Fittingly, Kehlani harbored a very Vegas-like image in their head while creating Crash , a record built on blaring neon, glowing smoke, and the highest highs.

Crash drops June 21, and is Kehlani's fourth solo album. She burst onto the scene in 2009 as a member of teen sextet PopLyfe, but their 2014 debut solo mixtape Cloud 19 announced a far more complex character. Their debut full-length, SweetSexySavage , was released three years later to critical acclaim, with two more albums and a handful of platinum-certified singles following. As if that weren’t enough, Kehlani added acting, appearing in "The L Word: Generation Q" and a cameo in Creed III .  

And while Crash embodies the evolution and growth through all those experiences, the record builds a hyper-real language all their own. Beyond any sense of R&B or pop, soul or hip-hop, Crash finds Kehlani chasing passions that refuse to fit in any box, shifting multiple times within a track — refusing to focus on anything but the moment.  

"A crash isn't anything from the past. It isn't the anxiety of what's about to happen," she says. "It's the height of the moment. It's right now."

Nearing the release of Crash , Kehlani spoke with GRAMMY.com about finding inspiration from international music, getting their five-year-old to sing on the album, and their need to stage dive.

What’s it like living in Los Angeles after growing up in the Bay Area?

I moved to L.A. when I was about 17. I had already left the house. I left the house at 14, and by the time I was almost 18 it was the appropriate time for me to situate in a new place. L.A. and the Bay are like cousins. Do we have differences? Absolutely, things that are fundamental to us, but when you leave California, you can really see that we're just like a big family.

Had you been dreaming of L.A. as a place where you could pursue art? Were you already set on that goal?

It was the closest place that a young, very broke person could go and work in music. I'm sure there were other places with musical homes, musical cities, but if all I had to do was get on a $15 bus and go find someone to stay with in L.A., I was gonna do it for sure.

That’s the same ambition that I feel drives this new record, which is just so dense and full of surprises. That includes the lovely retro radio intro to "GrooveTheory," where you move from this ‘60s pop feel to the present. That’s such a smart way to foreground your evolution.

I think the second that we made that song and then turned it into ["GrooveTheory"], I was like, This feels like it encompasses where I'm headed, this whole new sound .  

Once that radio dials in and it comes in with R&B elements, it's producing where I'm headed, but also remembering that my core hasn't changed. Especially the energy of what I'm saying in the song, like, "I'm kind of crazy," it's introducing this energy difference on this album. I feel like that's the biggest change, and that's what's so prevalent in this whole rollout. Energetically, I'm on a whole different type of time.

You can sense it. 'Crash' feels really rooted in self-expression and personal growth, and when you listen to it as a whole, it really does seem like an evolution story. Beyond just the genre and style, how do you feel the way that you've expressed your true self has shifted over the years?

Thank you! That's been the feedback I've gotten from pretty much everyone who's listened, and I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. I have realized the public's understanding of me and the general consensus for so long, and I also realized how multi-faceted I am to people.  

People get really confused when I express all the sides of my personality. They’re either, like, "Okay, she makes really sweet love songs," or "We've seen you be political, we've seen you come out, we've seen you be a family member." And then there's a lot of people who are, like, "I feel like she's f—ing crazy. I've seen her in multiple relationships. I've seen her be angry. I've seen her get online and cuss people out."  

I want this next batch of music to feel like the most fiery parts of me. I want it to feel like the most present and energetic parts of me. I don't want anything to feel somber. I don't want anything to feel reminiscent. I think a lot of my albums in the past have been me looking back, and sitting in that feeling and detailing it. I just wanted [this album] to feel right here, right now, which is why the title came about. A crash isn't anything from the past. It isn't the anxiety of what's about to happen. It's the height of the moment. It's right now.

That’s unfortunately a story you hear too often about artists of color — that essentialization, where you can only be seen as one thing. R&B often gets hit with those same issues. Throughout your career you’ve stood up to those expectations, and "Better Not" on this album is such a good example of that. It’s a left turn, a stylistic contrast and an open conversation with the listener. You cleverly fuse that intentionality with a voice that’s stronger than ever.

In the past, I have had moments where I would make the song and [start recording], and there would be so many versions of each song on different microphones, recorded in different places.

"Let me try vocal production. Let me try to go back and work with this version again." I went back and did vocal production with Oak Felder , who did all the vocal production on SweetSexySavage . When I come back to some of my favorite vocal production moments, it was moments like "Distraction" or "Advice" or "Escape" — songs on my very first album — and I wanted to get that feeling again. Where it's lush where it needs to be, but also that I really mean what I'm saying.  

That started with the approach in the songwriting. Once I had the songs and I had to go back and deliver them, I had enough time to listen and listen, to learn the songs and identify with them. We would make music all day and then go out, and we would be in this sprinter van on the way to going out, and, like, bang, the songs we just made, the energy was just different. It allowed me to be present in a different way where my voice is able to show up like that.

Learn more: R&B Isn't Dead: Listen To 51 Songs By Summer Walker, Josh Levi & More Artists Who Are Pushing The Genre Forward

Which again ties perfectly to crashing into the present. As someone from South Africa, I love that the other guests that you included represent different cultural viewpoints. You worked with Young Miko from Puerto Rico, Omah Lay from Nigeria. Having that musical dialogue is so powerful.

We had so many conversations about how America's in the backseat often when it comes to music. We have our moments, and it's fantastic, like Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter . There's a culture that is super American, that is Black, that historically needs to be dived into. It needs to be shown that we do have something here.  

So many people that don't speak Spanish bang Bad Bunny all day. Amapiano’s taking over; Tyla ’s going up. It's really not here . So that wasn't a conscious choice. It's just what we've all been listening to, what we've been loving.

Read more: 11 Women Pushing Amapiano To Global Heights: Uncle Waffles, Nkosazana Daughter, & More

Speaking of guests, I wanted to ask about your daughter, whose voice is on "Deep." Was she just in the studio and you got her singing?

So those vocals on that, that’s actually my little sister and my goddaughter. And [my daughter] was in the room and she started singing along. She has perfect pitch; she's always freestyling or singing or making something up.  

I was like, "You want to just go sing on it?" What's on there is her first take. Literally. She did it the first time, all the way through, perfectly. I was like, "Well, that's it, guys. I can retire."  

That track is so lush. It feels so alive. Were you working with a full band?

[Producer] Jack Rochon, who I did a lot of the music with, he just is a freaking genius music whiz. Honestly, he's one of the most humble people that I know, and deserves credit for how amazing a lot of this album is.

Talking about touchstones, there's a Prince energy to the title track. Did you have any new inspirations or influences for this record?

Thank you! My main focus for this album came from going on tour for my last one and making such a pretty, sweet, intimate album, and then playing some of the biggest venues of my career. At some point I had to rearrange the setlist to add in a lot of the album before that one, because it was just more energy on the stage. By week two of tour, the setlist had completely changed. I knew that I was playing venues on this next tour that I've dreamt about, places that I can't fathom that I'm playing, like Barclays Center.  

I do a lot of things for, like, my inner child, and this is such a move for my inner child. Like, You're about to go play Barclays. Do you want to look back and say, ‘I rocked out and played Barclays’? I'm a person who headbangs on stage. I stage dive. I wanted to create an album that would ring through a venue like that. I want people to be engaged again. I'm not looking for the lighters and the somber, holding each other — which will occur regardless, because it's a me show.  

But I really wanted people to be in their bodies, and their heart’s exploding and the ground’s shaking. So that's what we accomplished. I wanted to have fun. This album is so fun to me. It’s a place of fire in my heart.

It took me a second to get the word play on "Eight." I loved the track, and then suddenly I was like, 'Oh… I knew there was something raunchy going on here.'

[*Laughs.*] "Eight" was super fun, and shoutout to the boys that I did it with, because they made it everything for me.  

I didn't come up with the wordplay. My boys did. Like, "This is how you talk!" I was like, "It is! This is perfect." Once I got in to fix things, add things, add my own spin, and finish writing, my favorite part was that it sounds like a Brandy song. She's my favorite.

I also wanted to ask about the Nina Sky sample on "After Hours."

That was mine. I was like, "What can we flip that when it comes on, my generation loses their mind?" And for me, every single time that Nina Sky comes on in the club, everybody's like "Woo!" And then you see how many songs were made from that same sample, and they're all songs that make us lose our minds.  

I went into the room with the producers, and I was like, "So, I want to flip this, but I want you to make it to where it doesn't become one of those where the whole thing is just a sample."

Similarly, "Lose My Wife" balances breeziness with high emotional stakes. Is finding a balance like that just natural for someone so capable of juxtaposition?

The second that we established that [the record] felt like Vegas, I knew what components were missing from the energy of how I feel the second my car crosses the line into the city of Las Vegas. I knew I was missing that feeling of the next morning when you realize you went on this high and you come down. I wanted to create these scenarios that weren't necessarily applicable to me, but captured that emotion. I've been there before, and I want people to be like, Damn, I've been there before. I know this feeling .  

I recorded that song at 4 in the morning with a sinus infection. The second that we finished it, everybody was like, "You can never re-sing that. Don't try to make another version, you're not gonna be able to sound like that again." All the chatter in the background of that song is really everybody who was in the studio that stayed up to just hang out. We had the tequila out, it was perfect. That was probably one of my favorite moments of making the album.

It takes a while as an artist to reach a place where you can capture those moments. You said before that people try to figure you out, and I mean this in the best possible way, but it feels like now you don’t care if they can’t figure you out.

I don't give a f—anymore, yeah. And that was a very important thing for me to learn. I used to care so much, and I would spend so much time explaining myself online, in music, in interviews, on stage. I realized that you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.  

I've been so forward-facing with my heart my entire career that I've left a lot of room for people to consistently pedestal me and then critique me, for people to want to tear me down. I realized I'm just being present, here, existing loudly in front of a billion people, and whichever way that goes is how the cookies gonna crumble. Me giving a f—? I'm the only one it's affecting at this point, for sure.

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Photo: Chase Foster

Tanner Adell's Big Year: The Country Newcomer Talks Stagecoach, "BLACKBIIRD," & Meeting Her Childhood Idols

As Tanner Adell continues making waves in country music, she shares some of the most monumental moments from her career so far — from featuring on Beyoncé's critically acclaimed 'COWBOY CARTER' to making space for Black women at the CMT Music Awards.

With one bold tweet, Tanner Adell 's life changed.

"As one of the only Black girls in the country music scene, I hope Bey decides to sprinkle me with a dash of her magic for a collab," she wrote , minutes after Beyoncé premiered "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" and "16 CARRIAGES" during this year's Super Bowl in February.

At first, Adell was mocked for her pitch. "You're trying too hard, love," one user said. Another chimed in, "Baby, that album is finished with all the songs cleared. I don't know about this one. Maybe, open for the tour," another user remarked.

But she wasn't bothered by the chatter: "Those people said I look desperate, I'm like, 'You must not know me, b—!" Adell reveals to GRAMMY.com with a hearty laugh. 

Confidence is the inner core of the Tanner Adell ethos. And her boldness paid off because shortly after when Beyoncé approached her to feature on COWBOY CARTER .

In Adell's first music release of 2024, she appeared alongside Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts in Beyoncé's cover of "BLACKBIIRD" by The Beatles . It was a full-circle moment for Adell in more ways than one, as her father used to sing the song to her as a child. Little did she know, decades later, she would popularize the track's backstory — the plight of Black women in the American South — alongside one of her heroes.

But before Adell became one of Beyoncé's songbirds, she was also the Buckle Bunny . On the 11-track mixtape, Adell traced the provocative tales of an acrylic nail-wearing, lasso-wielding heartbreaker. But for every Black girl that listens, it's more than a country project. It's also a reminder that it's okay to be feminine and girly, just like Shania Twain , Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift .

Among her rodeo of exciting firsts, Adell tacks another on June 8, when she makes her debut at Nashville's Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest. She'll perform on the Platform Stage at the stadium; the next day, she'll play a set at the Good Molecules Reverb Stage outside of Bridgestone Arena.

Below, hear from Adell about her most memorable firsts thus far, from having her debut daytime television performance on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" to bonding with Gayle King behind the scenes at Stagecoach Music Festival.

Seeing Her Breakthrough Single, "Buckle Bunny," Have A Second Life

I released "Buckle Bunny" on the Buckle Bunny EP in July 2023. I actually teased it on social media first. Almost nine months before that, I had gone super viral with it. It was doing incredibly well, so my plans were to release it in January or February of last year. But, I ended up signing a record deal in December of 2022. There were plans for it at that time, but the timeline kept getting pushed back. It turned into a fight to get that song back into my hands, which was what prompted me to go independent. Eventually, I was able to work with my label, shake hands, and mutually part ways.

I started this year as an independent artist with this song that everybody loves. It's become a huge part of my brand, but it's really my life story. People might think it's a dumb song that was easy to write, but I was called a "buckle bunny." As a teenager growing up between Los Angeles and Star Valley, Wyoming, I was into glam country, and "Buckle Bunny" is the pinnacle of that. 

"Buckle Bunny" was my first single that charted. I felt like I finally had broken through that invisible box that Nashville put me in as a country musician. It was me saying, I'm not going to follow any rules. I'm going to be as true to myself as possible.

We, as Black women, have been fighting our whole lives. We've been fighting for space. I'm purposely trying to bring softness into the picture, allowing women who listen to my music to know that it's okay to feel that way. We don't always have to have our walls up.

"Buckle Bunny" is aggressively confident, but I think that's the door to softness. You have to be self-assured to let your walls down. My newest single, "Whiskey Blues," is my next step into that. I have another song on my social media, "Snakeskin," that people want me to release. "Buckle Bunny" is like the girl who protects those softer moments.

In a way, I look at all of this as a relationship between Tanner Adell, the artist, and Tanner, the person. For me, Tanner Adell is the buckle bunny. Then, you have Tanner, who's on the inside, writing all of these songs.

Serving A Bold Fashion Statement On Her First Major Red Carpet

Ask and ye shall receive 🤎 CMT back stage w John Shearer https://t.co/fO6lNtYVr3 pic.twitter.com/NekkeT01oz — Tanner Adell (@tanneradell) April 10, 2024

I wore Bantu knots! I've always loved Bantu knots in all styles, the really small ones and the larger ones. There were ideas about whether I should do a certain number of them that was significant to me in some way.

I work very closely with Bill Wackermann, who was the CEO of Wilhemina Models. He does a lot of styling and has a close relationship with my manager. So, my manager was like, "You would love him!" At the time, I was trying to hone in on what myself is. What's the message I'm trying to convey through my fashion, hair, and beauty? 

Bill sat down with me, and I told him I wanted Natalia Fedner to do my dress, which is that stretchy chain metal dress. Originally, I thought I would do my long blonde hair, but Bill was the one who told me, "This is your first major red carpet as an invited artist. Think about what you want your hair to say." As a Black woman, our hair tells 1,000 stories with whatever it is, and the lightbulb went off in my head.

I knew I wanted my hair to say everything I needed to say without having to say anything at all. I also knew there would be a lot of people who didn't know the significance behind it or just thought it was some extreme hairstyle.

I've looked very deeply into my heritage. It turns out I have a bit of Bantu heritage in my DNA. I thought that was so cool because I do love the knots so much.

The CMT Awards were a big thing at my school, Utah Valley University. Everyone would get together in the dorms and watch the show. It's crazy that a couple years ago, I was watching it, and I'm here now. I feel very respected and loved. People I've looked up to would come up to me, and I was like, "I'm a huge fan." And they're like, "No! I listened to you ."

I got to meet Gayle King, who I absolutely love. I remember watching her from afar while she was doing "CBS Mornings." She saw me from across the room, and I kid you not, in the middle of her interview, she started walking towards me. She was like, "I just want to tell you that you're so beautiful. The Bantu knots are stunning." That was my favorite moment of the night.

I also had the chance to see Tiera Kennedy. She's so sweet. We got matching blackbird tattoos before that. Being on the red carpet for the first time, it was comforting to see a familiar face. It really reinforces that idea that I belong here.

Being A Part Of COWBOY CARTER

So, I'm adopted. I have four siblings. We're all biracial, but our adoptive parents are both white. Obviously, my dad is a white man with five Black children. My parents always wanted me to understand that I am a Black woman, and he was very educational when it came to music. He taught me about the Black female power players and the buzz in the industry. But The Beatles were his favorite. So, when I finally told them the news, my dad immediately got choked up. He told me that "Blackbird" was one of his favorite Beatles songs.

My dad isn't the best with words when it comes to expressing his emotions, especially in front of people. He's a quiet, reserved dude. So, he eventually texts me, sending me screenshots about the meaning behind "Blackbird." The reason why it was his favorite song was because he had Black girls, and he told me, "This is special. This is not a burden to carry, but it might be a bit of weight on your shoulders. Keep your head up high and walk knowing that this is why he wrote this song."

I can remember going to a recital as a kid and being so nervous, but my dad was so confident and excited about my abilities. Was that strategic? Was it quiet strength? Maybe. It feels like this song has been a part of my whole life. So, to be on it, on such a massive album, feels very divine.

The whole process was a surprise. It took a few weeks to set in. But I always knew I would work with [Beyoncé], and I always said it's a matter of "when," not if. 

On the day of the Super Bowl, I saw that black-and-white picture of her, and I thought it looked a lot like a photoshoot that I took the week before. Let me make a tweet, just to put it out there. I don't know — she's magical! She has her way of knowing everything that's going on all the time. 

I think that tweet has almost 10 million views. It was fun to go back to that tweet to see the people who were supporting me. And also getting to say "I told you" to the people who didn't. It kicked off a Renaissance — pun intended.

Performing At Her First Stagecoach Music Festival

thank you so much @Stagecoach and thank you to @LEVIS for making me the first artist EVER to perform at Stage Coach with a custom Levi’s fit 🥹 thankyou for executing my vision so perfectly 🩷 https://t.co/NFs26JkC2j — Tanner Adell (@tanneradell) April 28, 2024

I have bad social anxiety, and I get nervous in front of crowds and people. So, festivals were never something that interested me, but Stagecoach was always one I felt like I could go to. And I was not disappointed.

I had the first slot of the day, which is a s—ty slot for anyone, but you have to pay your dues in country music. It's how you build your cred with these festivals, to show you're a hard worker and will perform like you're at a sold-out show in Madison Square Garden. And I did.

Mentally, I prepared for no one. I told myself it was okay if nobody came, and I'll perform like I always do. I'll figure out where the camera is and perform it for the jumbotron, so if no one comes to the pit, the people watching the livestream will have a great show. 

Well, I didn't have an empty pit! People showed the f— up and out. I heard people in line thought they were going to miss it because the gates opened late. Within the first 10 minutes, the VIP pit was half-filled with people screaming and running in their sweet little cowboy boots and hats. That never happens at Stagecoach or Coachella, but it's a testament to the relationship I built within my listeners. It was eye-opening for me. I don't think I'm ever going to play to a dead crowd again.

Before, Levi's reached out and said I was the first artist they wanted to collaborate with for Stagecoach. So, they custom-made my outfit. I told them I have these ribbons, inspired by my mom, who was a rodeo queen. I also told them if they can't incorporate them, I probably won't do it. But they loved it! And it was special because it came back to my mom. She was a winner, so when I wear the ribbons, I'm also a winner.

My mom has competed in over 1,000 competitions and probably places in half of those. In Wyoming, we had a big wall, covered in those IQHA (International Quarter Horse Association) ribbons. She gave me a strong sense of competition.

Making Her Debut On Daytime TV

I have overcome very serious, debilitating stage fright. I don't get nervous anymore, and performing live is my favorite thing. But I was not prepared for what a television show taping looks like.

We had a soundcheck, and there were a bunch of suits in groups of threes and fours standing everywhere. There were all these cameras and lights. Then, I start realizing I'm about to meet J. Hud, who I made little custom Crocs for. It was a dream come true.

I know a lot about her story. We have very different upbringings, but we're similar in the sense of trying to stand on ground that isn't steady. I see her as someone who is a great example. She's reached so many different avenues. For me to be able to sit down with an EGOT winner is a great honor. 

I kind of like to keep my manifestations as quiet as possible. I don't tell anybody anything, but an EGOT is something I wouldn't mind having, you know?

I look at her as a woman who exceeded greatness. So, it was just amazing — and for my first television debut. I felt like this is right for me.

Why 2024 Is The Year Women In Country Music Will Finally Have Their Moment

• 1 Beyoncé Kicks Off Her Renaissance World Tour In Stockholm, Sweden: Watch Performance And Stage Videos, See Photos, View The Setlist & More
• 2 Behind Ryan Tedder's Hits: Stories From The Studio With OneRepublic, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift & More
• 3 5 Reasons Why 'The Writing's On The Wall' Is Destiny's Child's Defining Album
• 4 Crashing Into The Present: How Kehlani Learned To Trust Their Instincts And Exist Loudly
• 5 Tanner Adell's Big Year: The Country Newcomer Talks Stagecoach, "BLACKBIIRD," & Meeting Her Childhood Idols

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Beyoncé is not the first Black country artist, and she knows it

The cnn documentary ‘call me country’ does not focus on the singer, but rather vindicates the other african-american stars of the genre. some, however, continue to believe that there are different styles for different races.

The cliché goes that country is the music of white people in the United States , particularly in the rural south, while rhythm and blues belongs to the Black population. But this ignores affect that the two genres influenced each other in the beginning, and that the segregation of audiences was not natural, but rather forced by the emerging recording industry a century ago. In the 1920s, two styles were marketed at different audiences: hillbilly, which led to country, and what they called race music, a label that included blues, gospel and jazz. Henceforth, charts and radio would divide musicians and their songs into these racial categories. The model applied to music was a mirror of the country’s oppressive racial segregation, which would continue officially until the 1960s, but is still going strong.

That’s why Beyoncé's country music album Cowboy Carter has caused such a stir. In reality, it is an eclectic album (and the second part of a planned trilogy), but many songs incorporate the sounds of country music. On the cover of the album, Beyoncé appears on horseback , dressed in rodeo gear, and holding the U.S. flag. For the uninitiated, it seemed that it was not authentic for a Black woman to be performing country music. But CNN has released a documentary that puts Beyoncé's foray into the genre into context: it’s called Call Me Country: Beyoncé & Nashville’s Renaissance.

If you watch the documentary expecting a Beyoncé parade, you will be disappointed. Neither her songs nor her statements are the crux of the documentary. Beyoncé is from Texas, and she spent her summers in Alabama, her father’s home state, listening to country music: no one has the right to lecture her about the genre. But the documentary is not a vindication of the singer and her right to pursue the music genre of her choice. Instead, it focuses on demonstrating that Beyoncé was not the first Black country artist, and that she knows this.

The Black community has contributed a lot to country music since sound memorial. The banjo itself — the most emblematic instrument of early country — is an invention of the community that was forcibly taken from Africa to the Caribbean; and from there, it passed to the Mississippi plantation workers. The rural musicians of the southern United States embraced the instrument, which was simpler to manufacture and cheaper than a guitar and had such a characteristic sound. Without the banjo, and without the influence of blues, white folk would have had a hard time creating country music.

The documentary is not about Beyoncé, but rather about less recognized names. The influence of the Black community on country music can be seen from the start: the Carter Family, which is considered the pioneer of bluegrass in the 1930s, relied on the Black guitarist and composer Lesley Riddle. Another star in hostile territory was Charley Pride, who scored No. 1 hits on the charts between the 1960s and 1980s. In that same period, the Black singer Linda Martell was also triumphing. Meanwhile, white singers such as Hank Williams recognized the influence of the blues on their work.

The documentary also looks at the paradigmatic case of rapper Lil Nas , and his particular version of Old Town Road. The 2018 song was very successful, but Billboard excluded it from the country charts after protests that claimed it didn’t fit the genre. This leads into a discussion of the clique in Nashville that decides what is and isn’t country.

The documentary speaks with many Black country musicians who are still active: Aaron Vance, Rihannon Giddens, Mickey Guyton and Rissi Palmer. There is also discussion of the being queer in the country music scene, which prejudiced fans consider taboo.

In the interview, these artists say that the racial justice Black Lives Matter movement paved the way for a more inclusive understanding of the country music scene. Even homophobia was pushed aside when some singers came out of the closet. Country music start Luke Combs caused a stir at last year’s Grammy Awards, when he performed Fast Car alongside Tracy Chapman. After the performance, the song burst into the country charts (even though it’s doubtful that it’s a country track), four decades after it was composed and released.

In the documentary, banjo player Giddens says that we are still suffering from the labels that the record industry imposed a hundred years ago: “It was the industry’s decision to divide us. They created segregation and we have perpetuated it.”

The concept of cultural appropriation is often used in the opposite sense, to criticize white artists who exploit Black music. All rock music from Elvis Presley and onwards carries that stigma. This time, it’s country music purists who are grumbling that a Black pop star is encroaching on territory that they believe is exclusive.

But if the United States has shaped popular music for more than a century, it is because of that mix of melodies, rhythms and instruments between the two worlds of the Mississippi River: the children of slaves of African origin and the children of Irish, English and other European settlers. It’s time to get over the idea that there is music for every skin color. That’s according to Beyoncé, although she doesn’t even need to open her mouth in the documentary to convince us of this.

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More information

Beyoncé and her reimagined version of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’: When the blame lies with ‘the other woman’

Beyoncé on horseback: The artistic relationship between Queen Isabella and the (new) queen of country music

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