Beyoncé and Jay-Z are the quintessential couple of this generation. On paper, the two appeared to have the perfect life as the incomparable Beyoncé fell in love with rap’s golden boy, Jay-Z. The two recorded songs together, dated for several years, got married and had a beautiful child named Blue Ivy. Most believed that Bey and Jay were living happily ever after. But an elevator incident, her album Lemonade and his album 4:44 proved that they were regular people experiencing real problems.
With the “On The Run 2” tour, Beyoncé and Jay-Z turn their pain, passion and the prosperity of love into art. The show made its way to Atlanta for a two-night performance Aug. 25-26 at the Mercedes Benz Stadium. The first show on Saturday was overshadowed by a drunk fan who rushed on stage at the end, only to be taken down by Beyoncé’s dancers and security.
The Sunday show went on without a hitch as Chloe and Halle, DJ Khaled, Lil Duval, Big Boi and Killer Mike, August Alsina, Ne-Yo, Jeezy, and Jamie Foxx all graced the stage before the Carters. Each act was an adequate warm-up for the feature presentation.
A massive LED screen served as a vital backdrop for the story of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The show opened with a mini-movie, filmed in Kingston, Jamaica, that detailed the couples’ trials and tribulations of falling in love while on the run, a la Bonnie and Clyde.
The two entered the stage holding hands before performing “Holy Grail.” Beyoncé belted out the heartfelt lyrics, “And baby, it’s amazing, I’m in this maze with you, I just can’t crack your code, One day you’re screaming you love me loud, The next day you’re so cold, One day you’re here, one day you’re there, One day you care, you’re so unfair.” Jay-Z followed by rapping, “Bright lights is enticing, But look what it did to Tyson, All that money in one night, Thirty mill for one fight, But soon as all that money blows, All the pigeons take flight.”
They held hands and looked into each other’s eyes while performing “Part II.” It was followed by “Me and My Girlfriend” and “Drunk in Love.”
Act 1 of the show was the beginning stages of their relationship — happy, sexy and fighting for each other.
Jay-Z kicked off the rap element of the show by performing “My Click,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulders,” “On to the Next,” and “F–WithMeYouKnowIGotIt.”
Beyoncé proved to be at the top of the entire game by performing “Flawless” and “Mi Gente” with a slew of dancers and a live band that was positioned on the stage similar to players on the set of the TV game show “Hollywood Squares.”
Act 2 proved to be the turbulent moments of their relationship, as a video montage showed the couple arguing.
They returned to the stage, sitting in chairs with their backs to each other. Beyoncé was furious and nodding her head uncontrollably before singing “Ring the Alarm.” She walked with a vicious stride before singing the fierce “Don’t Hurt Yourself.”
After a brief pause, Beyoncé sang the ballad “I Still Care,” crooning, “I told you how you hurt me, baby, But you don’t care, Now I’m crying and deserted, baby, But you don’t care.”
Jay-Z responded with the sympathetic “Song Cry,” and a video montage followed with images of him alone and Beyoncé running in the dark. It ended with Jay-Z praying.
Act 3 began with Beyoncé and Jay-Z together and performing “Family Feud” with Queen Bey singing a gospel rendition of the song.
Beyoncé also performed “Formation,” “Run the World,” “Freedom,” and “Crazy in Love,” while Jay-Z performed “N—s In Paris,” “Story of O.J.” and “Forever Young.”
A final montage of family video and photos proved to be the solidifying moment of the show.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z ended their set with the trap music-inspired, “Ape S—.”
The Carters continue to impact music in a multitude of ways, and the “On The Run II” tour proves to set the bar at levels that could be unreachable for years to come.
