Bored with chasing pop hits, Beyoncé has reinvented herself as a serious album artist with lyrics addressing marital infidelity and female empowerment. It is a smart career move that filled Wembley for two nights of her Formation World Tour.
Over a couple of hours, the imperious R&B star struck the balance between richly eclectic comeback Lemonade and old favourites, including a teasing Crazy in Love that went from a sultry remix to a stomping ego ramp celebration of her earliest chart topper. She could even afford to leave out her biggest No 1, If I Were a Boy, because of her arsenal of bold new tunes, particularly the sweary blues-rock of Don’t Hurt Yourself and the country-tinged swagger of Daddy Lessons.
If the first half felt relentless as Queen Bey and her dancers subdued Wembley with a fierce and sharply choreographed show, she gradually opened up and had 80,000 fans singing along to an a cappella Love on Top.
While Beyoncé’s vocal range was captivating on no-frills ballad 1+1, this tireless performance was also about showing off her sculpted physique on the revolving 60ft screen with a selection of skimpy outfits and booty-shaking moves.
Festivals in London this summer
The paddling pool for the singer and her dancers to splash around in was a slightly baffling finale. On the whole, though, it was a stadium-sized spectacular for Beyoncé’s empowering message.
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