The On the Run Tour invaded the New York City area to the delight of tens of thousands at MetLife Stadium. When the tour, featuring Beyoncé and Jay Z, both arguably at the top of their genres, was announced, I thought this would be an opportunity to experience some of their hits that you rarely see them perform together and they didn’t disappoint.
When Beyoncé and Jay-Z first hit the stage, they began with one of their first singles together, “03 Bonnie and Clyde” by Jay Z featuring Beyoncé, followed by “Upgrade U” and “Crazy In Love” by Beyoncé featuring Jay Z.
The pair then alternated performing their solo hits, with Jigga performing two hits, then Queen Bey performing two of hers, and so on and so on. The concert also featured scenes from their incredible clip “Run” directed by Melina Matsoukas, which featured Beyoncé and Jay Z, along with some of their famous friends, including Sean Penn, Don Cheadle, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rashida and Kidada Jones and more.
Some of the highlights of the show were Beyoncé performing the Lauryn Hill classic “Ex Factor” and Bey singing the hook for “Holy Grail,” Hova’s hit with his tour-mate of last summer, Justin Timberlake. Beyoncé also performed a version of “Ring the Alarm” that was mashed up with the Kanye West-produced track for “Takeover,” which is a song Jay has apparently retired from performing.
One of the most phenomenal things about this tour is that it is a husband-and-wife team touring at the highest level. There are many instances when you see the wonderful connection they have with one another, but none of those moments is better than the end of the show. Jay began performing “Forever Young” with Beyoncé singing the chorus, but then she went into “Halo” as they both stood on a secondary stage in the middle of the crowd. They looked at the main stage that displayed rare video of the two with their daughter Blue Ivy. The couple then thanked the crowd for coming, and their two-and-a-half-hour set was complete.
With stars of the magnitude of Jay and Bey, you may not hear every hit because there are so many in their respective catalogs, but from “Single Ladies” to “Love On Top,” from “Give It To Me” to “Tom Ford,” the pair touched on their best. If you are a fan of either or both, experiencing Mr. and Mrs. Carter on stage together in concert is a memory you will not soon forget.
(Photo credit: Parkwood Entertainment)
