Beyonce performing 'XO' at the BRITsBeyonce was in Manchester last night for her second leg of the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, with a revamped setlist, new choreography and even slight changes to the stage, including a catwalk to the B-stage.
Her support act came in the form of Monsieur Adi at 8pm sharp, after Sam Bailey realised she could commit to one date only on the tour, leaving us with the French electronic remixer who had some great tracks, but ultimately lacked the charisma needed for such a gigantic arena gig.
While his music was good and included a remix of Beyonce's 'Grown Woman', he simply stood over a laptop and failed in many of the attempts to get the audience involved.
After a 30 minute set, we all anxiously awaited Beyonce's arrival while members of the Prince's Trust foundation randomly picked out members of the crowd who had made a donation to the charity, for a free seat upgrade, prompting screams from groups of teenage girls who sobbed if they were chosen.
Usually on time, Beyonce shocked when the lights failed to dim at 9pm, and when it got to 9.15pm, a member of the crowd in the standing area took it upon himself to start dancing for the arena's entertainment to Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' which was being played over the speakers. Boos came when a guard tried to make him stop dancing, and just as he started to get his groove on once more, the lights went out and the dancing boy and extra 20 minute wait was forgotten in a second.
Visuals lit up the moving on-stage screen as the Royal Court of Beyonce were shown before the introduction of Queen Bey. Seeming to exit from the video onto the stage, the dancers remained elegant and poised before the singer's all-female band was revealed and the superstar herself hit the stage to kick off proceedings with 'Run The World (Girls)'.
What followed was 90-100 minutes of greatness as new tracks from her fifth studio self-titled album were infused amongst just some of the greats we've fallen in love with over the years, and although Jay-Z didn't join her on stage for 'Drunk in Love' or 'Crazy in Love', both songs made an appearance and drew some of the biggest cheers of the night.
Les Twins - the only males on-stage for the whole show - are a talent in their own right, providing flawless and inventive moves in many of the songs chosen for the setlist.
Fans were delighted when Beyonce walked amongst them, greeting them and allowing them to touch her hand, even at points encouraging them to sing along with 'Love On Top' and 'Halo', and singing Happy Birthday to one lucky female named Kirsty, whose accent she tried to imitate which drew a huge roar of laughter.
A magical moment came with the honour of Whitney Houston, as the Houston-born megastar put her own stamp on 'I Will Always Love You', hitting every note and causing floods of tears across the arena.
Thanking the crowd for everything they give her, she dedicated new track 'XO' to her fans who have stood by her through thick and thin, remaining loyal and allowing her to continue to perform on some of the world's biggest stages.
She is one woman who knows exactly how to put on a show, with just the right amount of attitude when needed, not taking away from her coming off completely sincere and humble in her tender moments with her fans.
The Mrs Carter Show was something special, and one I would pay good money to see once more.
Tagged in Beyonce