During February’s Super Bowl, she released two singles (Texas Hold ’Em and 16 Carriages) and teased a country-themed album. Cowboy Carter dropped at the end of March, and the superstarhas done limited promotion ever since – until Wednesday, when she performed some of the album live during halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Netflix.
“I’m so honoured to be in Texas right now,” Beyonce said, beaming at the NRG Stadium crowd in Houston, adding that it was only right to perform Texas Hold ’Em for the first time in her hometown on Christmas. And so she did, with an enthusiastic line dance with a whole crowd of backup dancers including her daughter, Blue Ivy. At the end of the performance, she stood on a platform that raised above the field and unrolled a flag that said “BANG.”
The star stood on a platform that raised above the field and unrolled a flag that said “BANG.” Photo / Getty Images
The banjo-infused Texas Hold ’Em reached No 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart shortly after the Super Bowl, which made Beyonce the first Black woman to hit the top of the chart. She closed out her 15-minute halftime performance with the song. Here are some other takeaways from the set.
She performed select highlights of Cowboy Carter
Cowboy Carter contains 27 tracks (including some interludes) and Beyonce chose a small selection for the extended medley, starting with 16 Carriages, singing as she slowly strolled down a red-and-white-striped walkway. She followed it up with Blackbiird and then launched into the faster, more upbeat tracks with Ya Ya, Spaghettii, Riiverdance, Sweet Honey Buckiin,’ Levii’s Jeans and her interpretation of Dolly Parton’s Jolene. One notable absence? The single II Most Wanted, a duet with Miley Cyrus and a fan favourite.
She showcased new country artists
Before Cowboy Carter even dropped, Black singer-songwriters in Nashville reported a spike in their social media followers and streaming numbers because of the excitement Beyonce’s album generated – many hoped that the project would fuel interest in other country artists of colour who have struggled to gain a foothold in the genre over the years. Beyonce featured up-and-coming artists Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Reyna Roberts and Tiera Kennedy on her cover of The Beatles’ Blackbird on the album, and all four singers showed up for halftime, dressed in white, as they accompanied Beyonce to her entrance on the field.
Beyoncé has brought out Tiera Kennedy, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, and Reyna Roberts during her NFL Halftime show. pic.twitter.com/Kf1ov5NVUY
Shaboozey – a Northern Virginia native who broke out this year with his massive hit A Bar Song (Tipsy) – also arrived to sing his verse on Sweet Honey Buckiin,’ decked out in a white jacket and cowboy hat. Rap star Post Malone, who decided to try out a country career this year and has already had three radio hits, joined Beyonce for their collaboration Levii’s Jeans in front of a truck covered in denim.
Beyonce stuck with the visuals that she used to announce the album from the beginning, including a regal horse named Chardonneigh that she rode into the stadium. She dressed in all white, from her hat to her feathered coat to her sparkly bodysuit. Her backup dancers and band wore similar costumes, with splashes of red, white and blue colour and sashes that read Cowboy Carter.
